2. amps-preamps
  3. 1067519769

Melos SHA-1 Gold vs McIntosh C2200 sound quality?

I currently have a Melos SHA-1 Gold preamp, Sunfire power amplifier and Legacy Classic speakers (bi-wired). Primary source is Sony SCD-XA777ES. I find the overall sound characteristic to be somewhat analytical/bright. I am running NOS 7308 tubes in the Melos which was an improvement over the stock 6922's. I have tried both balanced and unbalanced cables between the preamp and amp, and find the unbalanced to sound slightly better (not quite as bright). I have been considering a McIntosh C2200 to replace the Melos, but would really appreciate any input you might have on what results I might expect.
tcvis

Showing 1 response by tcvis

tcvis OP
1 posts
 
Thanks for the helpful responses. I have tried several different interconnects between the XA777ES and the SHA-Gold and found that the Cardas QuantumV's gave me the "fullest" midrange. The unshielded Pandora S 1/2 meter IC was very bright sounding. I have some new ICs coming but I still think the McIntosh C2200 may be my best solution. The only problem I have with that possible solution other than cost, is the nearest dealer is 175 miles away. My main consideration for the C2200 is that many recordings could use a judicious amount of tone control to tame some of the source brightness.
Thanks again for your inputs -- Tim
More to discover