Has anyone compared the D200 to McCormacks?

JerryH · « **on:** 3 Jan 2006, 04:38 pm »

I love my McCormack DNA 1 RevA Gold but am open minded. It's paired with the Modwright 9.0SE and Vandersteen 3sigs. I'm happy, but I'd like to know if I'm missing anything.

zybar · « **Reply #1 on:** 3 Jan 2006, 05:26 pm »

Quote from: JerryH

I love my McCormack DNA 1 RevA Gold but am open minded. It's paired with the Modwright 9.0SE and Vandersteen 3sigs. I'm happy, but I'd like to know if I'm missing anything.

Jerry,

If you somehow get to do a comparison please post your thoughts.

I have a DNA-500 and would love to hear the D200's, but have held back due to restocking fee.

You wouldn't happen to live in the tri-state area would you? If you did, maybe we could split the time and the potential return fee?

George

JerryH · « **Reply #2 on:** 3 Jan 2006, 06:37 pm »

Yea, that restocking fee has me stopped in my tracks too. Not in your area.. would be nice to find someone to split the risks though. I'm in Portland Oregon.
If I do, I'll let you know impressions.

mca · « **Reply #3 on:** 3 Jan 2006, 07:52 pm »

I have been looking in to trying the D200's with my RM30's. I just found out they can be purchased through Music Direct with a 30 day full refund policy.

zybar · « **Reply #4 on:** 3 Jan 2006, 08:20 pm »

Quote from: mca

I have been looking in to trying the D200's with my RM30's. I just found out they can be purchased through Music Direct with a 30 day full refund policy.

Thanks for the info...

This might be the push to get me to compare them to DNA-500.

Man, I would be a very happy camper if the D200's were equal or better!

That would put some serious coin in my pocket.

George

JerryH · « **Reply #5 on:** 3 Jan 2006, 09:02 pm »

Thanks here too! That will defenantly get me going on these.

ohlins · « **Reply #6 on:** 9 Jan 2006, 07:35 am »

Quote from: JerryH

I love my McCormack DNA 1 RevA Gold but am open minded. It's paired with the Modwright 9.0SE and Vandersteen 3sigs. I'm happy, but I'd like to know if I'm missing anything.

not exactly what u r looking for but i sold my DNA-1 to get the D-100s. In between i also had a stratos plus for a week for home audition.

i think the D-100 are one step forward in performance. there are more resolution and details from the D-100. despite giving away 50 watts per channel to the DNA-1, the bass response was better: a little rounder and faster, more impact, more dynamic, went a little deeper too. maybe the higher damping factor helped but i dun care. its just so good.

in the midrange, i notice the subtle yet apparant nuances and harmonics from voices and instruments that can easily captivate the listener. WS said something about startle factor in his stereophile review and indeed they are such gems.

preamp is adcom GFP-750 and spks polk LSi-15.

AB · « **Reply #7 on:** 10 Jan 2006, 01:51 am »

"*Special order means once the order is placed, no cancellations, exchange only if defective and not eligible for our 30-Day money back guarantee."

Bummer.

zybar · « **Reply #8 on:** 10 Jan 2006, 02:03 am »

Quote from: AB

"*Special order means once the order is placed, no cancellations, exchange only if defective and not eligible for our 30-Day money back guarantee."

Bummer.

Has this been confirmed by talking to Music Direct?

George

ted_b · « **Reply #9 on:** 10 Jan 2006, 02:33 am »

Quote from: AB

"*Special order means once the order is placed, no cancellations, exchange only if defective and not eligible for our 30-Day money back guarantee."

Bummer.

At least for the D100's that caveat is only for the special options (XLR or 32db hi-gain). I emailed them tonight to ask if that's the same for the D-200's, cuz they use the same asterisks and the "almost" the same verbage.

AB · « **Reply #10 on:** 10 Jan 2006, 03:29 am »

O Aye. I see that now.
The D100 page has the asterisk and the above quoted note.
The D200 page lacks the asterisk but retained the note.
I wonder which's the error; the note or the asterisk gone missing.
That email to MD should have the answer. Thanks for that.

eric the red · « **Reply #11 on:** 10 Jan 2006, 05:22 am »

Quote from: JerryH

I love my McCormack DNA 1 RevA Gold but am open minded. It's paired with the Modwright 9.0SE and Vandersteen 3sigs. I'm happy, but I'd like to know if I'm missing anything.

Am familiar with the Sigs. Would love to hear your set up with and w/o the D200s. Am in Eugene.

JerryH · « **Reply #12 on:** 10 Jan 2006, 06:26 am »

Quote from: eric the red

Quote from: JerryH
I love my McCormack DNA 1 RevA Gold but am open minded. It's paired with the Modwright 9.0SE and Vandersteen 3sigs. I'm happy, but I'd like to know if I'm missing anything.

Am familiar with the Sigs. Would love to hear your set up with and w/o the D200s. Am in Eugene.

Should be able to work that out. I have to sell an amp before I try the D200's, so may be awhile.
Would've been sooner if it was risk free though! I think CI could sell a lot more if they set up some dealers so we could hear them.

JerryH · « **Reply #13 on:** 14 Apr 2006, 09:10 pm »

Sorry for the really long delay, but I wanted to post a follow up to my comparison of the D200's and the McCormack DNA 1 RevA Gold.
There was one thing immediately obvious. The detail and resolution in the midrange was far outclassed with the D200's. I was hearing things only hinted at with the McCormack. The soundstage was clearly much wider. The McCormack at first seemed to have the deeper soundstage. I think it would be more accurate to say the McCormack wasn't able to bring low level resolution to the forefront, causing a deeper sensation to the presentation.
That wasn't a bad thing, and I had a dillemma deciding which was the more musical amp. My ears were very accustomed to the McCormack, which over all was warmer. The D200's soundstage was superior, with instruments hanging in defined spaces. Doubled instruments were more discernable, nuances in the recordings revealed. Upper bass not as full as the McCormack, but better control. Lower and upper octaves favoring the D200's slightly.
The best way for me to describe the differences is to compare going from standard tv to HDTV. When I got my first HDTV, I was amazed at the clarity and would tend to focus more on the clarity than the program. With the D200's, I also at first tended to focus on the details. It made it harder to connect emotionally with the music. But, again like HDTV, once you experience it, you really can't go back.
These amps are a revelation. Yea.. breaking up with the McCormack was hard, but when these showed up it was inevitable.

zybar · « **Reply #14 on:** 14 Apr 2006, 09:18 pm »

Thanks for the post Jerry.

Now I need to fire an e-mail to Steve M. and get his thoughts on how much of a difference there is between the Gold DNA-1 and the DNA-500.

Man, I really want to hear the D-200's, but I need them with xlr inputs and maybe even the 32db option since my TacT 2.2x bsically has litttle or no gain.

George

Charles Calkins · « **Reply #15 on:** 14 Apr 2006, 10:57 pm »

jerryH:
Welcome to the D-200 fan club!

Cheers
Charlie

studley · « **Reply #16 on:** 16 Apr 2006, 09:20 pm »

Quote from: zybar

Thanks for the post Jerry.

Now I need to fire an e-mail to Steve M. and get his thoughts on how much of a difference there is between the Gold DNA-1 and the DNA-500.

Man, I really want to hear the DNA-200's, but I need them with xlr inputs and maybe even the 32db option since my TacT 2.2x bsically has litttle or no gain.

George

George
As you know DNA 500 is acclaimed as being one of the best amps at any price and so your research re the D200 will be of great interest to many AC members - please do report back, particularly if you do get a chance to make a direct comparison between the DNA 500 and the D200s.

zybar · « **Reply #17 on:** 22 Apr 2006, 05:30 pm »

Ok, I have finally decided to give the D-200's an audition and I just placed the order with Dusty. Figure I will have them sometime during the first week of May.

My pair of D-200's will have XLR inputs and use the standard 26db of gain.

I will be directly comparing the D-200's to a stock McCormack DNA-500 with a VH Audio AirSine power cord.

I haven't yet figured out what power cables to use with the D-200's. It won't be possible to have a pair of VH Audio AirSine power cords, so I will not be able to do an absolute apples to apples comparison.

The rest of my system consists of the following:

Salk HT3's
TacT 2.2x (modified) preamp/dac
Squeeze Box 2 (modified) with Bolder "The Best" power supply
Gregg Straley speaker cable
VH Audio Symmetry balanced analog ic
VH Audio Pulsar Cryo'd with Silver NextGen connectors for digital
VH Audio AirSine power cord (on the Haley)
Supra Audio LoRad power cord (on the TacT)
Black Sand Silver Max power cord (on Bolder PS - on loan from Chris (aka lonewolfny)
Running Springs Audio Haley power conditioner
Monster AVS2000 power center
Sistrum and Adona Platforms
Realtraps minitraps (eight in total)
Siliclear used on all external connectors and pins

George

pugs · « **Reply #18 on:** 22 Apr 2006, 05:42 pm »

Quote from: zybar

Ok, I have finally decided to give the D-200's an audition and I just placed the order with Dusty. Figure I will have them sometime during the first week of May.

My pair of D-200's will have XLR inputs and use the standard 26db of gain.

I will be directly comparing the D-200's to a stock McCormack DNA-500 with a VH Audio AirSine power cord.

I haven't yet figured out what power cables to use with the D-200's. It won't be possible to have a pair of VH Audio AirSine power cords, so I will not be a ...

Great! I have been interested in the D200, and would like to know how they sound with the HT3's. My Odyssey Extreme Monos sound great with the HT3's now, but they are just too big for my current set up.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #19 on:** 22 Apr 2006, 05:57 pm »

Thats good news George....should be an interesting comparison...

Chris[/list:u]