Allow me to clarify things a bit.
Both the DNA-225 and DNA-500 are fine amplifiers in stock form. SMc Audio offers a variety of upgrade options above and beyond the stock versions for those audiophiles looking for even higher levels of performance. These upgrades are outlined on our website - www.SMcAudio.com.
Although the DNA-500 is not mentioned, I have developed an upgrade package for it and have done several. The owners have been very pleased. Please call for additional details if you are interested.
The input impedance of *all* stock McCormack amplifiers is 100K, except for the DNA-500 which is 10K. For DNA amps upgraded by SMc Audio to include balanced inputs or monoblock configuration, the input impedance is usually 10K (with a small number of amps configured for 40K).
Still_Learning, your Anthem D2 processor will drive any of these amps properly. As I outlined to you in an earlier e-mail, I suggest the addition of a good quality 2-channel preamp simply because I believe it will give you an overall improvement in sound quality. Any regular preamp can be used in a surround / home-theater setup, but this does add a minor (in my estimation) bit of complexity that you may or may not be comfortable with. I mention this because I took sound quality to be your main goal.
With a 10K input impedance, you do have to pay some attention to the output impedance characteristics of the preamp you choose. All solid-state preamps will work well, as will most tube preamps and TVC-type (transformer or autoformer-based) passive preamps. Tube preamps with an output impedance of 800 Ohms or less will work well.
The DNA-225 Platinum will outperform the DNA-500 in overall transparency, low-level resolution and detail, top-end extension, harmonic texture and richness, and toe-tapping musical engagement. Subtle dynamics and inflection are also rendered with greater clarity. The DNA-500 is obviously more powerful, and its sense of authority, bass weight and impact, and sense of ease in driving difficult speakers is world-class.
Neither the DNA-225 or the 500 gets particularly hot under normal use. The 500 runs a bit cooler at idle because it has a lot more heat sink area. The 225 gets rather warm, and if you locate it in a small enclosed space, you might need a small fan to keep the air circulating (but this is rare in practice). The 500 is considerably larger and heavier - check the specs for the details.
As mentioned by other posters, either amp will do a superb job for you.
Best regards,
Steve McCormack
SMc Audio
Both the DNA-225 and DNA-500 are fine amplifiers in stock form. SMc Audio offers a variety of upgrade options above and beyond the stock versions for those audiophiles looking for even higher levels of performance. These upgrades are outlined on our website - www.SMcAudio.com.
Although the DNA-500 is not mentioned, I have developed an upgrade package for it and have done several. The owners have been very pleased. Please call for additional details if you are interested.
The input impedance of *all* stock McCormack amplifiers is 100K, except for the DNA-500 which is 10K. For DNA amps upgraded by SMc Audio to include balanced inputs or monoblock configuration, the input impedance is usually 10K (with a small number of amps configured for 40K).
Still_Learning, your Anthem D2 processor will drive any of these amps properly. As I outlined to you in an earlier e-mail, I suggest the addition of a good quality 2-channel preamp simply because I believe it will give you an overall improvement in sound quality. Any regular preamp can be used in a surround / home-theater setup, but this does add a minor (in my estimation) bit of complexity that you may or may not be comfortable with. I mention this because I took sound quality to be your main goal.
With a 10K input impedance, you do have to pay some attention to the output impedance characteristics of the preamp you choose. All solid-state preamps will work well, as will most tube preamps and TVC-type (transformer or autoformer-based) passive preamps. Tube preamps with an output impedance of 800 Ohms or less will work well.
The DNA-225 Platinum will outperform the DNA-500 in overall transparency, low-level resolution and detail, top-end extension, harmonic texture and richness, and toe-tapping musical engagement. Subtle dynamics and inflection are also rendered with greater clarity. The DNA-500 is obviously more powerful, and its sense of authority, bass weight and impact, and sense of ease in driving difficult speakers is world-class.
Neither the DNA-225 or the 500 gets particularly hot under normal use. The 500 runs a bit cooler at idle because it has a lot more heat sink area. The 225 gets rather warm, and if you locate it in a small enclosed space, you might need a small fan to keep the air circulating (but this is rare in practice). The 500 is considerably larger and heavier - check the specs for the details.
As mentioned by other posters, either amp will do a superb job for you.
Best regards,
Steve McCormack
SMc Audio