I need feedback on the McIntosh MX134

I'm not real knowledgable about Mac gear or model numbers, but the one thing that i would be concerned about would be upgradability. Since Mac gear is not cheap ( what is anymore ??? ) and HT standards keep changing, this is a legit concern. I know that Mac had a pre - pro that they were upgrading for a short period of time and then stopped offering that service all of a sudden. A local Mac dealer told me that he had a ton of local's raising hell with him about this. They were VERY unhappy about being left out in the rain with nowhere else to go. All of a sudden, they no longer think of Mas as a company that stands behind their gear "forever". Sean
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There is a review in the latest Home Theater magazine of the 134. It really does a lot.

There is a NIB one on Ebay with a lot of info on it. Go to ebay.com and search Mcintosh.

To answer your question, the 134 does ALOT that the 132 does not. Both decode Prologic, DD, and DTS, both switch composite to S video, but the big differences are:

The 134 switches to component from any feed, it decodes 7.1, side channels, it has the means to be upgraded whereas the 132 does not (although they both have 6 channel analog ins for any decoder of DVDA/SACD) and thge like. The 132 COMES with a built in tuner (the 7084) but the 134 DOES NOT! It is an extra $500 module.

If you care a great deal about 7.1, the 134 is the way to go. If you are perfectly content with 5.1, the 132s are being sold very cheap, all things considered. The switching deal has NO value to me as I run all of my sources through a scaler or would go direct to the monitor anyway. McIntosh feels this is a big deal, but unless you are running 10 sources, no value to me.

One thing I can not stand about the 132 is the lack of any bass management. No crossover selections at all. One option I like is to run subs (at times) with stereo. This is NOT an option with the 132, unless running speakers in small, automatically crossed at 80. I do not know if they made any, in my mind, improvements in this regard to the 134.

The 132s can be had for about $3,500 and the 134 and $5,500.
My bet is McIntosh will come out with an external 7.1 module that will work perfectly with the 132s soon. The above pricing allows $2,000 for this unit, and it would probably sell for much less. Go with the 132.

MHO -

Dan

Thanks for the feedback. One more thing. If I do get a 134, but get it from the internet, will a dealer honor the warranty or the upgrades?

Well, I am not sure, but I don't think ANY dealer is allowed to sell on the net. That said, you best find out if they are an authorized dealer, NOT BY ASKING THEM, contact McItosh DIRECTLY and ask THEM. Chances are no, he/she is not a dealer. Now, if you buy a unit from one dealer any other dealer can offer warranty coverage and do upgrades. Any dealer will do upgrades for you, whether you bought it new, used, or anywhere in between. FYI, McIntosh gear is warranted for the ORIGINAL purchaser period.

At this price level, be careful. I have bought many items, McIntosh, new, used, etc. I happen to have had an issue with a MVP-841 DVD after 17 days. The transport died! Was I glad that was purchased from a dealer. I bought a McIntosh MX-132 from the original owner, and it had a DD chip issue. My only saving grace, a GREAT relationship with my dealer from many purchases in the past.
I have also bought many items without problems. Point is, if you go 'self insured', buying second hand/from an unauthorized dealer, you better save enough to cover the 'risk' factor.

Good luck.

Dan