Don’t let anyone here talk you out of it either. McIntosh makes world class amplifiers and I’ve yet to find one that could better a Mc. There’s a reason why Mc is generally looked down upon by the audiophile community - the designs have a neutral sound. As in, void of flavor by the designer. In contrast, my Krell KSA-300S was just the opposite, so every Mc amp I own was its peer.
On to a solution to your dilemma. You’re likely not aware, but many McIntosh preamplifiers and integrated amplifiers have this super cool feature called PASS THRU which permits them to be used in conjunction with any brand of AVP which has a 12V trigger output (most do). This allows you to eat your cake and have it both. So, just for argument’s sake, let’s say you purchased a McIntosh stereo integrated amplifier with that feature. Here’s how it works:
- Your main (L&R) speakers connect to the integrated amplifier as well as your 2-ch sources. You switch it on, drop the needle in the groove and you’ve got this simple little 2ch system powered by the Mc.
- Your AVP connects (line level) to an input on the Mc that you designate as the PASSTHRU input in the setup process.
- Switch on the AVP and the integrated shows PASSTHRU on the display and none of the controls on it work any longer. It’s gain goes to unity (1:1 input/output) and the L&R output of the AVP is fed directly to the power amp and then on to the speakers.
To restore 2-ch operation, you simply turn off the AVP and then turn back on the McIntosh (I typically wait a minute). The nice thing about this is that the simplicity of using the system is exactly as it is now - the wife and kids won’t even notice any operational differences.
I’ve been set up this way with a C200/ MC2600 and an Integra DHC-80.6 / DTA-70.1 for over 5 years now. They work together as a complete Atmos system and I’ve got the best 2ch system I’ve ever assembled. Analog sources are all connected to the C200 (tape machines, turntables, etc). Digital sources are connected to both preamps (analog to the C200 and digital to the DHC-80.6 - CDP, Bluray, Cable Box, TV, etc).
As for sound and enjoyment, there’s a reason why the McIntosh audience is so hard core. Let me be the one to invite you on-board.