I'm a bit disappointed. It sounds like 100 "McIntosh watts" is less than 75 "JL watts". There's just no volume. I listen to everything at 35 now where on my 6 channel JL 20 was loud and 30 was uncomfortable. It's maybe as loud as the stock system, maybe.

SQ at first seemed the same but I do notice in the more demanding music with lots of highs the McIntosh retains it's composure and does not get "bright" for lack of a better word. Some Lincoln Park songs seemed to blend together on the high notes but it's noticeably improved now. I always thought these were just bad recordings but it seems the amp may have been the cause.

Midbass seemed lacking but what I've noticed is not as much punch but instead a warmer sound, yet more detailed. I almost prefer it this way since my subs can cover 80hz with a ton of punch so that's not an issue.

Overall I can't say that it was worth it for sure. It's a small improvement in SQ in most music, a fairly significant improvement in the demanding heavy metal/rock music but this is a 15yr old amp that's HUGE and has a price tag as high as today's mid to higher end amps. It looks cool but I prefer my stuff hidden. Part of the reason I originally went Infinite Baffle was to have a usable trunk and this amp takes up a ton of trunk space and there's no chance in hell of it fitting in the spare tire well in the current configuration.

I may just bridge the working channels on the JL for midbass and have the McIntosh cover the mids and tweeters. I still feel like I took a step back. The plan was to have only two amps, a 5 channel and a 4 channel with lots of clean power.

The thing I love about the Dyns is you can really pick out the smallest changes in your setup. I doubt I would be able to hear the SQ differences if I still had my IDs.

FWIW, the "equalizer" that plugs into the center of the amp has to be installed in order for it to work. I don't have the plug in controller for it so who knows what's going on. I know the MS8 can smooth the frequency response and it does sound good but I wonder if that's contributing to my lack of power in some way... It has plenty power for the highs but with the mid bass gains maxed out, it's just not there.

One other thing the Mac cured is the "unstable" sound I've been getting. The JL already lost channel 3 completely. I've noticed that the sound tends to go in and out almost like a surge. Or a better way of saying it is the SPL changes sometimes a couple times a second. I checked grounds and all of the normal stuff. The Mac does not have this problem. I wonder if every channel on the JL is about to fail.

 

clear out you pm box matt. Pretty good review of the amp i find. Just remember me telling you everyone listens to their music differently. Don't get me wrong, this amp probably sounds great in a different way than what you are accustommed to hearing.

 

Wow I am speechless. Is the JL fully regulated? And the Mc amp has lasted for 15years? JL what 2 yrs max.... Not questioning your opinion, just surprised. And if you sell let me know.

 

Not sure about the JL being fully regulated. It's the cheaper e6450 amp. I've had it for a little over 3 years. Pretty disappointing that it's dropped a channel already. It runs very hot too while the McIntosh runs cool all day long but it also has two fans. The Mac has a different sound, less harsh but more detailed. I've always been from the school of thought that an amp does not change the sound. Maybe it's time to re-think that.

 

I just think that since you have such a good front stage, it'd be a shame to not spend proportionally on amping it. And yes Macs have the rep for being a mellower sounding amp.

 

What does the Fosgate sound like?

 

Do a 360A duyanudio crossover and use both your amps, put tha MAC on the Mid-Tweeter, c/o tweak is pretty easy, and can be done to your 360 c/o lots of info out there,

 

What are the gains on the Mac set at?

 

I have them all the way up, .2mv or .3mv I believe. I tried doing the MS8 setup with the gains only halfway and letting the MS8 boost the signal but at that setting you can't hear the mids during calibration.

There was no manual and it seems impossible to find a manual online. I bridged it and then set the switch to "2ch" vs 3ch and 4ch. I can only assume this is what it's supposed to be set at in bridged mode...

What's weird is it has a ton of power for the tweeters and ok power for the mid bass. By ok, I mean it can almost keep up with the 75w JL amp.

 

Does it require Ys for the bridge, or will it take each side from channel 1 and 2 left and right?

Did you try and email or call them for a manual?