McIntosh MA5100 Integrated Amplifier

(not photo of actual unit)

Make / Model: McIntosh MA5100
Year: not sure
Purchased: Ebay, 2001
Price: $200

I got this amp in 2001 or so, used, as the basis for a home stereo. It was OK. Sound reminded me of a old Crown amp, like a DC300 or something from the 60s. Being old, mine had some pretty horrible tracking occuring on the volume knob (You’d have to turn it up, then down a little to get stereo volume to align).

For a few months I used it in my editing room as the power amp with a pair of B&W 602s2s, and it was ok for that.

Eventually I sent it out to get re-capped/cleaned, and when it came back it was a LOT better.

After the upgrade, what it REALLY shined as was a headphone amp. And the phono preamp was very very good.

But I wouldn’t buy one again, except for as a headphone amp, which, at the prices they are going for, the money would probably be served better by spending it on something else.