Denon and McIntosh
Denon
After Scantech, it's up to the top floor where there are only two exhibitors: Denon and McIntosh, which is in fact really only the one, since McIntosh is part of
D&M Holding, the holding company created from the merger of Denon and Marantz.
So, seventh heaven or seventh circle...
As it turned out, not a lot was going on in the Denon room when I visited. The temporary partition between Denon and McIntosh provided no insulation.
Several sets of rather awkwardly setup Dali speakers with two sets of Denon amps and SACDPs.
On the left, PMA2000SE amp with DCD1650SE SACD. On the right Denon's TotL PMA-SX amp and DCD-SX SACD player. As usual it's the "budget" 2000 and 1650 models that get useful goodies: tone controls for the amp, USB input for the 1650. At current exchange around 1k UKP each. For the SX series at around 5k UKP each, sir gets no tone controls, no USB inputs, but he does get digital inputs on the SACD for other "proper" sources.
Oh yes, and gorgeous wood side cheeks. Stunning
PMA2000 internals. This side input circuit and eq, that side the power section.
How does it sound? No idea, although I've listened to plenty of Denon and Dali in my time. No doubt it's all fine.
McIntosh
McIntosh Labs President Charlie Randall was on hand (as every year...) to present the latest and greatest from the storied US manu.
New this year are a new mono toob amp, a two-box pre that comes in valve and toob variations, an update to the "mid range" M6600 integrated, a new SACD player and a "power controller". Whatever. It's all gorgeous except for the TT, which isn't.
Sadly, it's also quite tricky to photograph dark equipment in dark rooms, so I don't have too much photographic evidence to share.
This is the new MC2301 mono power amp from the top. It's big and shiny. McIn know their audience.
I like McIn, and fortunately for the company so do an awful lot of Japanese - and not just died-in-the-wool audiophiles. This is the reason there is still a McIntosh and it is still made in New jersey.
D&M also own the famous Snell speaker brand (acquired as part of Boston acoustics IIRC).
THe big speakers on the side are Snell A1s, apparently. Don't know the name of the ones on the inside, though this is what was being demo'd. Shame as the sound was really rather good - - even at the back.
Part of the reason it sounded good was that the volume was kept under control. The reading above gives an indication of volume from where I was listening at the back of the room. Not only was the volume bearable, but it didn't excite the room overly. Not sure the Snells would work chez moi, but there didn't seem too much wrong with them or with the McIntosh kit. Even the TT sounded pretty good.
The seventh floor was closer to heaven than purgatory. The seventh circle would have to until rather later in the day...
