McCormack DNA 500

There is a guy at the audiocircle forum with a very good system and apparently no shortage of cash. He has had many high quality amps in for a ride...he says the DNA 500 tops them all.

I can't remember his name but a search at that fourm should turn up his posts. You could then shoot him an e-mail regarding all the amps he has compared in his system.

His name may be Zybar?...not sure

Dave

I'm always amazed at the reaction of so many people when they all shift their attention to "the-best-I-ever-heard" product reported by a reviewer or two. We all have our preferences and compromises and of course a brand or two that we have been very successful with. But the IAR situation just simply gets old after awhile. The ridiculous VTM200 amp review is a case in point. Gosh, does this publication ever change?

Yes, ARC and McCormack do indeed make some great products, but when they come out as the best by one reviewer year after year after year, this indicates a few things: 1) are all the other designers of audio gear unable to produce "equally" musical gear? 2) is the reviewer simply having a tough time getting out of his/her little box? - almost sounds like religious devotion instead of subjective reviewing; 3) and when such "best" claims are made, what context is this? .... a brief listen of each in completely different rooms and setups? ... or was it an extended session where one amp was exchanged for the other a few times?

And is the McCormack the best SS amp to drive something like Apogee Scintillas or the MBL 101 speakers? Or was it found to the prefered amp to drive the reviewer's favorite Vandersteen or Thiel speaker? Choosing an amp has everything to do with the speaker it is to drive.

Without the reviewer listing the competitive products in the comparison, such "best" statements are of zero value. And even then, it is in the context of the reviewer's priorities that are often far different than our own.

Using the "live performance" as the definitive reference is a fine goal, but I can't get the orchestra in my room nor can I get my system into the orchestra hall. And the room is a huge factor in itself. So this ultimately does not work very well either.

John

I'm wondering how it compares to the Mcintosh MC402? (400wpc; price $5100. Rave review in TAS 147). A Mccormack at $7000; or a Mac (with the beautiful build quality, looks, etc.) at $5100.......hmmmm. I like Mccormack gear, but for $7K, it would be nice if they at least gave you cosmetics equal to Levinson, Pass, etc. The older Mccormack amps at least had a beefy, industrial look; the new Mccormacks "look" like budget gear, Creek for example. Just my 2 cents,

This amp is at the top of my (very) short list for a near-future amp upgrade, so I am very interested in the responses to this thread, not only by those who have read the reviews, but by those who have actually heard (or preferrably owned) one. I did notice the Kraft and Moncrieff reviews referenced a slight lack of focus in the HF, that wasn't mentioned in the 6Moons or Jim Merod Onsoundandmusic reviews. Can anyone shed light on what would seem a deficiency? I liked Chip Stern's 6Moons review the best because of the interview with Steve McCormack, and because I thought the article was well done. Other amps I am looking at in the price range include the SimAudio W6 monos, and the Belles 150A Reference monos (see gushing review by Doug Blackburn in Soundstage).