[Big Red Machine]

I dunno, I thought they gave plenty of examples of how it drove different speakers, talked a little about what to expect from tube rolling. I thought overall it was good. Some people want to know the history of an amp, it's lineage. Some people don't.

They outline some of the neat features, like the switch for vertical bi-amping and so forth.

A couple of things stood out in my mind. The bare copper binding posts. And the grounding issue, specifically the hum, and them having to run it on a groundlifted AC line to eliminate 50cycle hum. 

Overall, aside from the history lesson, which is on the Moscode website, I thought it was a well written review.

Cheers

I do not have any hum issues either and it is plugged directly into the wall outlet, not my line conditioner.  Extremely quiet amp with gobs  of power.  Sort of like the Corvette that you use 20% of the throttle normally, but when you tromp on it, it instantly can get out of its own way.

[Srajan Ebaen]

To Zybar re: Also, seems to me that when Six Moons likes something, they just make up a category so that it can get a Blue Moon award. Don't get me wrong, I love the Moscode and it is my reference amp, but an award for "for Ultimate Adaptability And Fun in the high-power hybrid amplifier category"?

Actually, we think of them as award captions just like a photo caption that helps you to know, in a nutshell, what you're looking at. It's not at all about "making up" categories. We've decided against the rating system of classes that are used elsewhere because "Class C" suggests something is less good than "Class A". We wanted to avoid that perception but if you just have one "class" of awards, it's meaningless unless you explain what the award is for - what made that component award material.

Stereophile uses brief summaries from their reviews to explain their rated components. That works very well.

In our case, we wanted something even shorter, hence these captions. They're attempting to capture the qualities the reviewer/s found most important. So in this case, M&H felt that the #1 reason to own this amp is the fun you can have with voicing it. Ergo, adaptability + fun. 200wpc = high power. Presto, the exact caption.

[zybar]

To Zybar re: Also, seems to me that when Six Moons likes something, they just make up a category so that it can get a Blue Moon award. Don't get me wrong, I love the Moscode and it is my reference amp, but an award for "for Ultimate Adaptability And Fun in the high-power hybrid amplifier category"?

Actually, we think of them as award captions just like a photo caption that helps you to know, in a nutshell, what you're looking at. It's not at all about "making up" categories. We've decided against the rating system of classes that are used elsewhere because "Class C" suggests something is less good than "Class A". We wanted to avoid that perception but if you just have one "class" of awards, it's meaningless unless you explain what the award is for - what made that component award material.

Stereophile uses brief summaries from their reviews to explain their rated components. That works very well.

In our case, we wanted something even shorter, hence these captions. They're attempting to capture the qualities the reviewer/s found most important. So in this case, M&H felt that the #1 reason to own this amp is the fun you can have with voicing it. Ergo, adaptability + fun. 200wpc = high power. Presto, the exact caption.

Srajan,

Thanks for the explanation.

George

[Srajan Ebaen]

My pleasure. I ain't saying it's the perfect system, mind you. Just that we gave some thought to how to spot-light deserving components to help people "pick them cherries" if they're in the market and shopping in a particular category. Yes, you have to cruise thru each year's list but they aren't that long, there's thumb nails of the components so you can see the amps or speakers or whatever you may be looking for, and the caption hopefully tells you whether it's worth reading the review again to get reminded whether that component should be on your shopping short list or not.

[mgalusha]

...oh, one of the Edison posts on my BEL 1001's is stripped out (previous owner), so torque those babies carefully.

Yeah, my LNPA's came with those as well. I really disliked them and thus they have been replaced. Sorry back on topic.

[smargo]

I would have liked to see them describe the sound and character of the amp more, instead of spending half the article talking about how it came to be.  Reading the review I don't come away with a good understanding of what the reviewers heard.

Also, seems to me that when Six Moons likes something, they just make up a category so that it can get a Blue Moon award.

Don't get me wrong, I love the Moscode and it is my reference amp, but an award for "for Ultimate Adaptability And Fun in the high-power hybrid amplifier category"? 

Anyway, I think the reviews in Stereophile and TAS are better written and more informative.

George

I agree i have no idea what the reviewers heard - and i too have a hard time with the "Ultimate Adaptability And Fun in the high-power hybrid amplifier category"?  I have an amp that i would like to give an award to "Best solid state amp to listen to in Pennsylvania after 10pm at night, if it's not raining and the lights are turned low category."

regards,
smargo

[zybar]

...oh, one of the Edison posts on my BEL 1001's is stripped out (previous owner), so torque those babies carefully.

Yeah, my LNPA's came with those as well. I really disliked them and thus they have been replaced. Sorry back on topic.

What didn't you like about the Edison binding posts?

George

[TomS]

They strip VERY easily.  Only hand tighten, but even that requires a delicate touch.  The copper ones also need to be cleaned a lot.  I noticed the newer BEL MK V's use something else instead now.  Not sure what though

I'd much prefer the "Patented Cardas" ones like on my Merlins if I could change them.

[tvad4]

I'd much prefer the "Patented Cardas" ones like on my Merlins if I could change them.

The Cardas Patented Binding Post used on the VAC Phi amps is the best I've ever used. These would be at the top of my wish list for the 401HR.

[Rocket_Ronny]

Seems to me from the article that it is essentially a upgraded version of the original NY Labs Moscode amp.

"After twenty years, the time had come to revive the name and the tube/Mosfet hybrid concept. These 20 years hadn't just gone idly by. George had used them to play plenty of bass and to refine the original design. In reworking it, the strengths of the circuit have been left untouched. It is still a Mosfet power stage driven by tubes and it still sounds like how Gizmo originally voiced it. Today's incarnation simply uses modern fabrication techniques, current quality parts and then adds an important extra. ...the Moscode 401HR power amplifier is ultra modifiable."

A friend has a NY 300 Moscode amp. I did hear it in my system and liked it. Input tubes do certainly change the sound. It has plenty-O-power too. Unless they have made substantial improvements in it's sound I won't be migrating from my current amp. But for someone needing gobs of power, the new Moscode would be a very nice choice. Glad to see it back on the market.

He has since upgraded to this oriental monster,  http://www.thelsagroup.com/   Seems to be happy with it driving his highly modded Maggy 1.6s. Although he is not selling his NY Moscode. It's a classic for him.

I did enjoy the history of the company and Futterman in the article. Well done.

Rocket_Ronny

[tvad4]

Seems to me from the article that it is essentially a upgraded version of the original NY Labs Moscode amp.

"After twenty years, the time had come to revive the name and the tube/Mosfet hybrid concept. These 20 years hadn't just gone idly by. George had used them to play plenty of bass and to refine the original design. In reworking it, the strengths of the circuit have been left untouched. It is still a Mosfet power stage driven by tubes and it still sounds like how Gizmo originally voiced it. Today's incarnation simply uses modern fabrication techniques, current quality parts and then adds an important extra. ...the Moscode 401HR power amplifier is ultra modifiable."

A friend has a NY 300 Moscode amp. I did hear it in my system and liked it. Input tubes do certainly change the sound. It has plenty-O-power too. Unless they have made substantial improvements in it's sound I won't be migrating from my current amp. But for someone needing gobs of power, the new Moscode would be a very nice choice. Glad to see it back on the market.

He has since upgraded to this oriental monster,  http://www.thelsagroup.com/   Seems to be happy with it driving his highly modded Maggy 1.6s. Although he is not selling his NY Moscode. It's a classic for him.

I did enjoy the history of the company and Futterman in the article. Well done.

Rocket_Ronny

I told a friend I had just purchased a Moscode 401HR. He came over for a listen, and before we played any music he proceeded to tell me how he had an idea of how the amp would sound based on what he had heard twenty years ago. When he heard the Moscode, he admitted it was considerably different than what he remembered.

Just this weekend, another friend and I went to audition some loudspeakers. My friend, who also owns the 401HR, asked the salesman if he could bring along his amp. The salesman said his amp would likely mate well with the loudspeakers because of how the Moscode sounds. The salesman was basing his opinion on the amp he had heard fifteen or twenty years ago. Then he heard the 401HR. He said it was nothing like he remembered the Moscode sounding.

I find this a common and repeated theme. Those who choose to comment on the 401HR's sound based on how they remember the original Moscode's sounding.

[Rob Babcock]

I found the article interesting but I'd have never guess it was a review.  The history of Futterman and the Moscode was very interesting, but I have no idea what the peice might sound like, just the vague, tacked on comments that the amp was fun.

[Rocket_Ronny]

I heard the Moscode 300 in my friend's system last year, and in mine several years ago.

Glad to hear that the amp has made a good step forward. It was already a great amp.

Rocket_Ronny

[mgalusha]

What didn't you like about the Edison binding posts?

George,

The soft copper strips easily and oxidizes readily. In addition, one of mine rotated in the plastic base and would have pulled on the wire leading to the PCB. Talking with George Kaye he mentioned that the EP binding posts were soldered to the boards in the Moscode, so there is little chance of them turning in their base. If you could tighten them enough with spade lugs a gas tight seal could be obtained that would prevent oxidation but given the soft copper I don't think that would be a good idea.

I ended up replacing mine with Superior Electric binding posts. They're available from Allied Electronics.

Mike