McIntosh Tube vs SS w/ Sonus Faber Aida II

Amp selection depends on many factors. 

1. What type of music do you mostly listen to? Classical/jazz/rock? 
2. How loud ? 
3. How big is the room? 
4. Whats your experience with Tube amps? What do you like in Tube vs. SS? 
5. Have you ever heard SET tube amp? 

Your speakers are some of the best sounding on the planet, I wouldn't limit them with Mac. Don't get me wrong, Macs are superb, I have a full Mac system with SF.   Mac tubes sound very much like SS. That's why I ask what you value in tube sound. All tubes sound different as well. Over the years I've experimented with many tube amps so I have an idea what a modern SF would sound like with each respective tube amp. 

@ei001h

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Actually, I decided to go a slightly different route. The final system I ended up going with is:

• Sonus Faber il Cremonese ex3me
• McIntosh MC901 (x2)
• McIntosh C2700
• McIntosh MS500
• McIntosh MCT500
• McIntosh MPC1500
• Nordost Valhalla 2 speaker cables, interconnects, power cords for everything

To answer your questions:

1. I mostly listen to folk / americana / acoustic. Followed by instrumental / classical, and a little jazz. A little bit of rock every now and then too.
2. Loudness varies from moderate to loud. But I don’t live alone so I usually can’t blast it.
3. The room is 18’x17’ with 10’ ceilings. Room size is the main reason I did not go with the Aida’s. They would have just dominated the room, and tbh the ex3me’s are probably pushing it.
4. These will be my first tube amps, always used ss prior.
5. No I have not heard a SET tube amp.

Do you think this system will limit the ex3mes? How would you describe the MC901 tube sound? Which SF do you have, and what are you pairing it with?

Never a fan of McIntosh especially the way i was treated with the purchase of a new mc402 years ago but i suggest checking out Jays audio lab videos...with all the highend stuff hes owned and reviewd Mac was given worst of amp list...my thoughts to a tee.

You certainly can't go wrong with the all Mac system. I am sure it will sound amazing. Mac and SF go hand in hand and have amazing synergy. The amps are incredible, you have the best of both worlds, SS to low end and sweet tube sound for the mid and tweeter. It will be hard to beat this set up. Although I disagree with your assessment that Aidas would be too large for your room. I've heard them in much smaller rooms and they sound mesmerizing. You can always upgrade in the future if you decide to go that route. Remember, speaker is the most important component of your system and you should maximize your spending here. Also, don't let anyone degrade Mcintosh, they're beautifully made and bulletproof. Of course, they do come with their own house sound, which is why they polarize people so much. It's a very rich warm and detailed sound. Slightly colored ? Definitely. But who cares, they sound wonderful. SF used to have a reputation for sounding too warm, but modern day SF are a different animal. 

I also use Mac gear for my SF set up. I have SF Elipsa SE with MC452 and C2600, along with turntable and streamer. Sound is very pleasing, warm and detailed. 


Mac tubes don't really sound much like tubes. So 901 will sound very close to Mac SS amp. I could hardly tell a difference between Mac SS and tubes. I wouldn't say you're gonna limit your speakers, 901 are fantastic, but you should also try a full tube amp at some point. 

However, if you ever want to hear what your speakers are really capable of, you should try a SET tube amp. SET (single ended triode) is the most pure form of class A amplification. Tube amps have different configurations, as you will read and learn, (pull-pull, pentode, ultralinear etc).

SET will give you the most tube like sound possible. However, it is very very expensive if you need a powerful amp. I also have an Italian  Mastersound 845 tube amp, which uses 845 tubes in SET. For your speakers you will need massive power, most likely Mastersound Pf100 mono blocks in SET (120W/ch). They are about 50k plus you'll need a preamp, another 10-15k.  Once you hear this, you will not want to listen to anything else. For now, you should enjoy your new rig. You may never want anything better after this. It all depends how infected you get with the audiophile bug. 

@ei001h

Okay, you just convinced me to switch back to the Aida! I called my dealer this morning and made the change! :)

I’ll give McIntosh a fair shake for now. May switch out later. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts, much appreciated.