[Biggalo]

Has anybody heard any of the McIntoshlabs Amps driving VMPS Speakers? I presently own Mcintosh and have ordered different gear to arrive within a week or so. I have also read extensively about the VMPS "RM30M". My application more liKely will be the RM30M W/ (2) Larger SUBS. I am wondering which of the larger/higher powered amps could I use? Will the MC 1201 be over-kill, or will the MC600 be more than enough power? Appreciate any ideas?

[john1970]

The MC602 (or MC600) with 600 W / channel is more than enough power to drive the RM30Ms.  In fact you could easily use the MC402 (at 400 W/ch) and not have any issues.  The MC1201 at 1200 W/ch with 200 A current is overkill!

To put things in perspective, the local MA VMPS dealer (Scott Mayo at Obsession Audio) drives a pair of VMPS RM/X speaker in a large dedicated listening room with a Bryston 6B SST (500 W /ch into 4 ohms).

Good luck,

John

P.S. You might want to consider Bryston amps over McIntosh.  I listened to both at a dealer and they have very similar sound and THD specs.  The Bryston 4B SST (2 channel with 500 W /ch @ 4 ohms) retails for ~$3K and would easily power the RM30Ms.

[zybar]

The MC602 (or MC600) with 600 W / channel is more than enough power to drive the RM30Ms.  In fact you could easily use the MC402 (at 400 W/ch) and not have any issues.  The MC1201 at 1200 W/ch with 200 A current is overkill!

To put things in perspective, the local MA VMPS dealer (Scott Mayo at Obsession Audio) drives a pair of VMPS RM/X speaker in a large dedicated listening room with a Bryston 6B SST (500 W /ch into 4 ohms).

Good luck,

John

P.S. You might want to consider Bryston amps over McIntosh.  I listened to both at a dealer and they have very similar sound and THD specs.  The Bryston 4B SST (2 channel with 500 W /ch @ 4 ohms) retails for ~$3K and would easily power the RM30Ms.

Hmmm....

I think others on the board would express a very different opinion on Bryston and McIntosh amps sounding similar.  Maybe we can get them to comment in this thread?

George 

[PeteG]

I’ve never heard both amps together but I’m not a big fan of the Bryston sound,
I’ve listen to McIntosh amps quite a few times.

To me, I don’t see how they could possibly be even close in sound if heard together.

Pete

[ted_b]

I drove my RM/X's with a single Krell KSA-100, but that's not my recommendation . 

I vote heavily toward the autoformer series of McIntosh amps (MC252, MC402, MC501).  The 252 would be fine, really; the 402 would sound incredible with the RM30's, and a pair of 501's....absolutely!  I'd save my money and stay there...the 1201's would be over-kill IMO.  To my ears, and in my opinion, this autoformer series is McIntosh's comeback of the year (I didn't like Mac in the last 20 yrs). I haven't heard the latest Bryston amps WITH a VMPS speaker, but I've heard them otherwise.  Apples to oranges are bad comparisons...but I still vote for McIntosh.
     
Heck, maybe biamp with a pair of 252's even.

[fredgarvin]

I would agree with most here that the Mac amps mentioned would match better with VMPS than Bryston, at least according to my tastes. I'm a former VMPS owner and I found that brighter amps are not the best with those wonderful, revealing ribbon mids. High current brings out the best in the woofers.

[OTL]

I would agree with most here that the Mac amps mentioned would match better with VMPS than Bryston, at least according to my tastes. I'm a former VMPS owner and I found that brighter amps are not the best with those wonderful, revealing ribbon mids. High current brings out the best in the woofers.

High current pretty much brings out the best in anything 

[warnerwh]

I've heard a Mac amp on some other speakers along with the Bryston and the Mac amp had a much better top end and a more relaxed, smoother presentation.

A 400wpc amp would be plenty of power for any of the Vmps speakers in any room.

[Carlman]

I am thoroughly enjoying my new MC402 at the moment, which is still breaking in.  I would have no reservations recommending it to anyone, on any system, even after only 50-60 hours of break-in.  I have not (yet) directly compared the 402 to a pair of 501's but I would imagine there might be a slight difference.  I think going to 1200wpc is a little excessive but if you want the best, the 501 mono's are probably about as good as I would ever want.... followed very closely by the 402, which is a better value proposition... and is still as good as I foresee myself ever wanting.

I think the Mac gear presents music with a 'confidence' I've never heard before.  Details are all there but they're not in your face, and the music just sounds 'right' to me.  The 501's especially are a finesse amp with balls... the 402 is in the same ballpark but I'm not going into tons of detail until it's fully burned-in... at which time I'll provide a full review with comparisons to some other amps.

To me Bryston gear is for people who don't believe in 'hype'.  It sounds like good hifi, but I find myself listening to the gear rather than the music with Bryston.  I like the music to 'live and breathe' a bit more and I enjoy the presentation of a performance by a McIntosh... and several other amps over the Bryston... whose presentation I found simplistic and a bit sterile.  This is just my opinion.. I've never owned a Bryston, just heard them at a few people's homes and at dealers. 

I can't imagine you could go wrong with any McIntosh, they get great reviews and I can hear why!

[Thebiker]

I haven't heard the Macs with the RM30Ms, but I have always found Mac to present a much smoother, more effortless sound than Bryston.  I'm not knocking Bryston, just stating a personal preference, which is what this is all about anyway.

[meilankev]

Biggalo,

I own VMPS RM40s, and 2 years ago, I was fortunate to try out a McIntosh stereo amp as a two-week loaner.  It sounded pretty good.  Note I have had trial periods with two other solid state amps, but never at the same time with each other.  One of them was most pleasing to me (Audire Parlando - 100W Class A), but that was back when I was first putting my system together, and I was working through some problems with my preamp.  So my preference of this amp over the other two SS amps I've tried may be misguided and based on poor data.

However, the other two were a little easier to compare (because my reference system has remained constant), and I preferred the McIntosh amp (250W if I remember correctly) over the 300W Classe Audio amp.

Good luck in your search!!!
Kevin

[Hantra]

I think the Mac gear presents music with a 'confidence' I've never heard before. 

That confidence you hear now will actually increase as the amp breaks in.