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Ben Davis Unregistered guest | I am putting together my first hifi for college. I have an NAD c541i cd player and may add a turntable (probably a Music Hall MMF 2.1 or Pro-Ject 1.2). I do not have much money to spend and I am looking at trying to find a decent McIntosh MA-6100 after reading much about it on this forum or buying a new integrated amp. I listen to mainly indie rock and some jazz. Would the older Mac be a good amp to start out with for my needs? It has phono inputs which is definetely a bonus, but would a newer int. amp (NAD or Rotel or something) be better? I do not know what speakers I would use, I would match them to my front end. Thanks very much for the help. |
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J. Vigne Unregistered guest | Definitely buy the 6100 or step up to a 6200. Far superior to NAD or Rotel. |
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Bronze Member Username: CorneliusPost Number: 70 Registered: Jun-04 | Ditto. I have a 6200 (1991 - the last year they were made). I replaced an Arcam Alpha 8 with it a couple of years ago, and never looked back. Those old Macs sound really good - the phono stages too - that's when vinyl was king. The Arcam was a nice amp, but the sonic improvements made with the (older) Mac purchase were huge! |
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Silver Member Username: Rick_bNew York USA Post Number: 672 Registered: Dec-03 | The McIntosh will sound far better than anything you are considering. I love my 6100. |
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Ben Davis Unregistered guest | I just bought a McIntosh 6100 on eBay. It had a few dust bubbles and such on it, but it went for a pretty low price compared to what other similar 6100's were going for. Is there anyway way for me to easily remove them? Is there any cleaning and such that would be easy for me to do (what products are safe to use)? Also, I am now searching for speakers as well as a turntable to accompany this amp. Any reccomendations? I was thinking of either the Pro-Ject 1.2 or the Music Hall MMF 2.1 for the turntable and I don't really know where to start auditioning as far as speakers go so any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks much |
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J. Vigne Unregistered guest | Don't understand dust bubbles. Do you mean on the glass face plate? |
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Ben Davis Unregistered guest | I hadn't heard the term before either. I guess they are on the glass face plate where dust has crept in between the paint and the glass. They were pretty obvious in the picture on the auction but since the amp was in working order and much cheaper I didn't think too much of them. There were also several other amps that had the same thing listed on ebay. |
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J. Vigne Unregistered guest | There's no way to remove the bubbles once they are in the glass. The faceplate is silk screened by hand and the process isn't one that lends itself to repair. It would be up to you to try what you think you can accomplish. You can take the facplate off and try to scrape away the paint and do a touch up but I would think anything you do will be more obvious than the bubbles themself. You also risk breaking the glass face plate when you remove or reinstall it. A new face plate will run a few hundred dollars. A tech should install it unless you want to take the chance of cracking the edges. |
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Ben Davis Unregistered guest | Ok, I guess I'm stuck with the glass. Maybe I will eventually have it replaced. Is there any general cleaning I should do to the amp before using it? Also, what are a few speakers I might want to audition to use witht his amp? What would be a good fairly inexpensive turntable to add to this setup? Thanks much. |
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New member Username: BmwtgvPost Number: 1 Registered: Dec-04 | "Ditto. I have a 6200 (1991 - the last year they were made). I replaced an Arcam Alpha 8 with it a couple of years ago, and never looked back. Those old Macs sound really good - the phono stages too - that's when vinyl was king. " So if one had a choice between an MA 6200, an MA 6500 or an Arcam A32, what would the recommendation be? Peter |
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J. Vigne Unregistered guest | I have said on this forum, and to my clients, Mac is Mac. Meaning any McIntosh amp you purchase will have a sound that, once heard, can be readily identified as McIntosh sound. That is not to be taken as a slight in any way. Every piece of high end equipment has its own sound. Quad, Conrad Johnson, VTL, etc. What is, to me, a mark of a great high end company is when that sound is consistent over many years. When a company hunts for a sound that sells it is unlikely to stay around for too long. McIntosh has been producing the Mac sound for 50+ years. I own two MC240 tube amps, a MR67 tuner and a MA6200 integrated. I sold Mac for over 30 years and had many pieces of Mac in my system over the years. The integrity of the McIntosh sound is one of the marvels of high end audio. A reissued MC275 tube amp, originally designed in the early 1960's, is currently on Stereophile's Class A components list along with its more contemporary counterparts. Pick which product suits your budget knowing the sound you get will be one of the best availabale on the audio market. Technical advantages are available in the newer models such as Power Guard and better switching and connectors. But the sound you get is going to be McIntosh sound. I don't think there's any other quite like it. As far as cleaning the amp you will want to get a good contact cleaner such as Cramolin or Caig Pro Gold. One of the benefits of new gear is the connectors haven't oxidized ... yet. Take a Qtip and some cleaner and go over all the connectors on the back of the amp. Clean the inside of the RCA connectors by taking most of the cotton off the tip and running it in and out and around the + connector on the RCA. You don't need to be aggressive, just thorough. Clean the outside - connector as well as possible. It is unlikely you can make it shine like a new connector but you should be suprised at the gunk that comes off the metal. Don't use anything abrasive, you want the surface to end up as clean and smooth as possible for the best connection. If you want to remove the top cover you can spray some cleaner into the selector switches and volume control while giving them several quick rotations to break loose any accumulated dirt. Contacts continue to oxidizie over time and this type of cleaning should be made part of regular maintenance on your system. With my tubes I tear down my system once a year to clean everything. There are some products that will help a contact maintain its integrity over time. Look to the aftermarket suppliers to see what's available. The speakers are your choice, the 6100/6200 can drive all but the most power hungry speaker available to reasonably high volume levels. Turnatables are also a matter of choice. I sold many Dual tables with the Mac gear. The more recent 500 series in used tables is a popular choice if you can find someone selling theirs. Regas are considered the next step up, as are the many Rega clones and knock offs. The Mac phono section is good though not phenomenal, you will have to spend a good chunk of change to do better, a NAD phono pre amp will not do it. If you wish to use a MC cartridge with the Mac you can hunt for a McIntosh step up pre-pre amplifier. They will allow the use of any MC cartridge with the Mac pre amps and maintain the Mac sound, if that is what you are looking to keep. The Mac pre-pre amps are hard to find, they were only sold for a few years. Another decent addition to the Mac gear is a McIntosh equalizer. Originally made for Mac speakers, a unit was introduced when the change was made from the 6100 to the 6200 that incorporated the five band EQ from the newer amp into an outboard unit suitable for use with any speaker. Its center frequencies are somewhat unique in their position and the judicious use of this EQ can solve more problems that it creates. Again a hard to find item. Audio Classics is the best place to start for information, service, parts and equipment when it comes to vintage McIntosh. |
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Ben Davis Unregistered guest | Do you think that the Rega turntable I am looking at (P2) would be better than the Music Hall MMF 2.1 or Pro-ject 1.2 which I am also considering? I'm not really sure I will have a chance to audition these turntables and I may have to buy on the internet so I want to make sure that I make the right choice. As far as speakers go I am planning to audition Dynaudio Audience 52, Quad 12L, Spendor s3/5, and Epos M12.2. Hopefully one of those will suit my needs and give me deep enough bass as I do not plan on adding a subwoofer. We'll see. Thanks for the help. |
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J. Vigne Unregistered guest | The Rega tables have been the benchmark products for almost 30 years, that should tell you everything you need to know to make the "correct" decision. |
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Ben Davis Unregistered guest | I just want to thank everyone for helping me make the decision on this amp. It was a tough decision for me to get something 30+ years old instead of something newer but I am glad I did. Today the amp got here in beautiful condition, much better than I had expected. As this is my first system, I do not have any speakers yet. I just had a cd player (NAD c541i), and now the MA6100. I borrowed some crappy sony bookshelf speakers from my parents mini shelf system thing and hooked erything up with just to see how it sounded. Needless to say I was absolutely amazed. I started out by putting in the Pixies classic, "Doolittle". As soon as the bass started in "Debaser" I was completely taken aback. It sounded so much more real (for lack of a better term) than I had ever heard before and this was on the crappy speakers!!!! I skipped around "Doolittle" (and "Surfer Rosa", another Pixies ablum) for a while and then decided to put in Built to Spill's "There's Nothing Wrong with Love". It was equally amazing how clean everything sounded, the cello in "Car" was really incredible. I was also listening at some pretty decne levels and was impressed that there wasn't any distortion at all. Next I put in Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" to see how the amp handled jazz. Here, I think, the speakers really left something to be desired more than on the other albums. It still sounded outstanding and much better than I would have expected or hoped, but I wasn't amazed or anything. I wanted to finish up and to see how a poorer recording sounded so I put on "Slanted and Enchanted" by Pavement. It sounded about like I expected it to, but maybe a little better. I suppose nothing is going to work miracles on a lo-fi album. All in all I am indredibly pleased and I can't say enough about this amp. I can't wait to start audition and buy some real speakers and cabling, it should sound absolutely amazing. Thanks again guys! |
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Silver Member Username: Rick_bNew York USA Post Number: 700 Registered: Dec-03 | Ben, Glad to hear you are enjoying the Mac sound. Enjoy the speaker auditions. I paired my 6100 with the S3/5 Spendors and it sounds terrific. Enjoy the music. |
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Ben Davis Unregistered guest | I am also looking at the Spendor s3/5s as well as the Dynaudio Audience 52 and Quad 12L. I cannot wait to start! Hopefully one will emerge a pretty clear cut winner. Thanks! |
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Silver Member Username: Rick_bNew York USA Post Number: 703 Registered: Dec-03 | Ben, All 3 were on my short list. Fine speakers all IMHO. In the end for me, the S3/5's had a mid-range that was smooth as silk, and a timberal accuracy that I have never heard matched in any other speaker, at any price. Matched with the McIntosh, it's a tough combo to beat. Post back with your impressions. Have fun. |
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Ben Davis Unregistered guest | I'll have a great time I'm sure. I've heard great things about the Spendors the only downside being they may lack a little "oomph" at times. Today I hooked up my parents' PSB Image 4t's and they sounded really good. As good as they sounded, I really cannot wait to hear what some of these other speakers will sound like!!! Thanks again! |
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Bronze Member Username: CorneliusPost Number: 77 Registered: Jun-04 | Welcome to the club Ben! I have a feeling the Spendors will sound very good with the Mac. I had some 4t's hooked up to my MA-6200, and found the amp was much happier with high quality monitors. I have a Planar 2 that I bought a few years ago and really like it. Like your amplifier - it's a classic. |
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Ben Davis Unregistered guest | Ok, problems now. Everything seemed to be working fine until just now when I powered the amp on. There is a lot of static coming out of the right speakers. The cones seem to be moving a lot. I tried several different speakers just to make sure it was not a problem with the speakers, and it wasn't. Since this is a fairly new item should I try to return it to the seller? Is this something that is easy to fix? I would really appreciate help from someone with a little bit more knowledge! Thanks. |
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J. Vigne Unregistered guest | First, what input are you using? Have you tried to correct the static by moving the selector switch, balance and volume rapidly with the amp turned off? Otherwise ... Sounds like it could be a power supply problem. The filter or coupling caps are probably leaking and are passing low frequency information. This is common with older amps if they haven't been used regularly for awhile. The cap will "set" as it warms up the first few times its been turned on after sitting and eventually opens the circuit. Normally there is a 60Hz hum that accompanies this. The amp shouldn't be used until this is repaired unless you want to take a chance on damaging the speakers and other components in the amp (you can take out the output transistors). The static could be several different things, more than likely a bad solder joint that has opened from the shipping movement. It could just be a dirty switch or connectore but that is less likely to cause constant static. It will take a technician going through the amp to solve your problems. I would plan on at least a $75 bill depending on parts. How you want to deal with this is a matter of what the seller has told you before the sale and what recourse you might have with Ebay. |
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Ben Davis Unregistered guest | I am using the auxillary input for my cd player right now. I tried to remove static using the method you suggested (thanks), but the problem persists. I am talking to the guy who sold it to me (who happens to be a professor of audio engineering and Penn State) so hopefully I can get something worked out. If not, I don't know what I'll do. I don't really have much money for repairs. I am still saving for speakers and a turntable!! |
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Room101 Unregistered guest | Ben, I suggest you ask the seller to go halves with you on a diagnoses from Audio Classics and take it from there. Hopefully you haven't left feedback yet. In the future, always use www.escrow.com when buying expensive used goods online. There is a reason Audio Classics charges so much more than Ebay. I think a thorough tune-up by them would be a good investment for your amp. If that means you have to wait longer on the speakers, your patience will reward you. If Audio Classics finds a significant problem, maybe you can convince the seller to refund a hundred bucks. By the time they finish with your amp, you may end up with a much nicer unit than you bargained for, in spite of the extra cost. |
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Room101 Unregistered guest | Ben, if worse comes to worst, and you can't afford proffessional repair, you might find this link useful. It has downloadable service manuals for McIntosh gear. Be careful! http://www.berners.ch/McIntosh/en/Matrix.htm |
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Ben Davis Unregistered guest | Thank you very much for all of the help. I'll definetely try all suggestions and try my best to get this sorted out for the least amount of money that I can. |
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ben davis Unregistered guest | Whew! Not sure exactly what happened, but the guy I bought from suggested turning the input slector to Tape Head. I did this and it cleared up the problem. Boy am I happy. Now I'm off to listen! |
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J. Vigne Unregistered guest | Did he suggest you leave it on "tape head"? Or is this a temporary fix? |
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Room101 Unregistered guest | Ben, the fact that this guy had that solution at the top of his head suggests that he probably knew about this problem before he sold the amp to you. I think you should question him about this. If I were in your position, I would not be satsified with an amp that has one or more faulty inputs. I would also take this as a warning sign and try to get him to refund your money and take the amp back (offer to eat the cost of shipping). If he knew about the problem and didn't disclose it in the auction, he is obligated to do that. Of course, that doesn't mean he will. Have you left feedback on Ebay yet? |
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Ben Davis Unregistered guest | No, he did not suggest I leave it on tape head, I did not leave it on tape head. I currently have it plugged into the tuner 2 input but the aux input it was originally in worked fine as well. He says that the amp has "self-cleaning" pots and there was a bit of dust or something in one of them and by turning it all the way to tape head it was able to shake this bit of dust loose. He also said that he has never had any problems with the amp making bad sounds at all. This is not the first thing he suggested either. He first suggested a procedure very similar to the one suggested by Mr. Vigne. The guy I bought it from is a professor in audio engineering at Penn State University and after describing the problem to him, he diagnosed it as just a dirty pot. He has been great to deal with througout the whole transaction and I really doubt he is trying to pull one over on me. I did already leave positive feedback on ebay. I did this shortly after I received the amp, looked it over, and fired it up to see what it sounded like. I really don't think this will be a problem. The whole ordeal was a little frustrating because I paid a bit more than a lot of other MA6100s went for on ebay because he had been so great through emails during the auction and the amp seemed to be in great shape. I actually bought two of them, and this is the second. The guy I bought the first from says he still had not received my payment. I payed paypal immediately after he contacted me. FRUSTRATING! Oh well, hopefully I'll get everything sorted out soon. |
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J. Vigne Unregistered guest | Ben - It sounds like you've found a temporary fix to what may, may, be a recurring bother. It isn't at all uncommon for older amps to have dirty connectors and pots. Most can be cleaned with a simple bit of cleaner and some elbow grease. The problem becomes one of recurring dirt that is typical of older products. It is probably nothing to concern your self with immediately. Older pots and connectors do wear out eventually and your temporary fix may one day be less that adequate. Buying the McIntosh is a bit of insurance against the ravages of time. Mac has more used product still working than most companies have product all together. You will probably get many more years of use out of the 6100. I would get someone to show you how to clean the pots and connectors and have some cleaner handy. I would also put a bit aside to get the amp gone over. This is no more than I would do if I was buying a 30 year old car. Capacitors do wear out and solder joints do get bad connections from constant movement. These are things that can show up at any time when dealing with older equipment and is the nature of the product. Some general maintenance is a good idea. |
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Ben Davis Unregistered guest | I emailed the guy who sold it to me asking him to either a)take it back or b)pay for me to get it checked out. I would probably meet him 50/50 on getting it checked out but I'd rather he pay for it or let me send it back. We'll see what kind of response I get. Thanks much for the help. |
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J. Vigne Unregistered guest | 50/50 is fair, I would say. |
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Ben Davis Unregistered guest | Ok...hopefully he will be willing to do that. |
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Room101 Unregistered guest | Ben, I take back what I said about the seller probably knowing about the problem based on your response, esp. the fact that he's an engineer. I would say that it is well worth the money to save up for a thorough going-over by Audio Classics. That will prob. cost you as much as $200, but your amp will be practically brand new when you get it back. I would venture that this could add numerous years to its lifespan. Just something to think about for the future. |
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J. Vigne Unregistered guest | Ben - What you purchased is a 30 year old amplifier, you knew that when you made the deal. In my opinion, it would be fair to ask the seller to go 50/50 on the initial cost of a service check up. Unless a specific problem is found that relates to a condition you and the seller have discussed up to this point, I don't feel it would be fair to ask the seller to split the cost of the entire repair bill - should one be created. In other words, you've had a minor problem with the product you purchased. The problem was solved (at least temporarily) by a simple, repeatable action that cost you no more than the telephone calls. If the amplifier is checked and you're told the selector switch has finally worn out, then you can negotiate further with the seller. You are at a disadvantage of having little to no recourse if the seller should decide this problem is something anyone purchasing a 30 year old amplifier should reasonably expect to encounter. (My opinion is, he would not be incorrect in that assumption.) Since there is a simple, temporary fix that will get you through until you can set aside enough money to fix the potential problems that might show up, you are in no need of immediate action unless otherwise instructed by the technician. As I said, buying the McIntosh is a good bet against the typical problems of a 30 year old amplifier. To ask the seller to pay for any more than a portion of the intial check out fee would be the same as buying a used car and, having taken delivery of the car, asking the seller to replace all the tires. Part of buying used equipment is assuming some of the risk yourself. If you want a warranty you buy new. The intial fee for the tech should be around $75 to check it in. Some shops will do a reduced estimate fee of $40-50, if no problems are found you don't pay any more than that. I wouldn't push for the seller to take back the amp. You now have a somewhat known quantity. Another 6100 may have real hidden problems. You pays your money, and you takes your chances. You have a very good amplifier that should provide you with many years of listening pleasure. It is unlikely any of your friends that prefer to buy a new Yamaha receiver will not notice how much better your system sounds than theirs. Use this experience as something to learn from. Both a lesson in how to buy good equipment and in how to buy used equipment. It would appear, from what you have stated here, the seller wasn't trying to get away with anything. Just use this as learning tool for your next purchase and move on. Be fair and expect the same from those you do business with. Listening to your music will be more enjoyable than haggling over a few dollars. |
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Ben Davis Unregistered guest | Thanks everyone, everything said makes sense to me. I of course knew there could eventually be problems with this amp but I honestly did not expect any problems within a week of having it delivered at my house. The "temporary" fix turned out to be just that. The problem came back with a vengance! The static was even louder than before and nothing seems to stop it. Obviously I will have to do something about it. This is very frustrating. I had already emailed him by the time I read this thread again, probably asking too much of him, but he is away for a few days. If he reads what I wrote and offers me more than you suggest I should've asked for, would it be wrong on my part to accept? Also, should I look for a repair shop or send it to Audio Classics? I would not feel comfortable to take it to a repair shop that isn't McIntosh authorized and an authorized repair shop would probably be quite a hike from where I live. Audio Classics would definetely be more expensive but that would be for a full restoration, right? That would fix any problems inside the amp, rust, and everything, correct? Do you think this would even be worth it, should I just spend a lot now to get the whole thing redone knowing that I will be fine for a while? I already paid more for this amp than the one I bought previously (which the guy is just now shipping) and I did this figuring I wouldn't have to sink any more money into it for quite some time. I actually may be able to make a small pofit on re-selling the other amp, I got a better deal on that one. This would certainly help the cost of repair. I suppose I may just have to suck it up spend, a few more dollars on the amp than I had planned, and wait a little longer on new speakers. Oh well, not the end of the world. Thanks very much for the help and I'll be sure to keep you posted on what happens. |
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Silver Member Username: GhiacabrioletNC Post Number: 542 Registered: Apr-04 | Ben, I hope you get everything straightened out with the 6100 since the Mac is an excellent amp! In the past couple of months, I purchased an MA6200 on eBay. The seller shipped it without any packing materials and it arrived with a broken faceplate and bent control knobs. But, despite that, it sounded fantastic. I negotiated with the seller to either return the amp for a full refund or to get a substantial portion of my payment refunded to me (and I keep the amp.) We came to a settlement and I ordered a second MA6200 from a seller on Audiogon. The second MA6200 is in pristine condition (better than the first one even if it hadn't been damaged in shipping) and the sound is nothing short of glorious! In fact, the MA6200 is now used as my main system instead of its original intended use as a bedroom system. I removed a NAD T763 multichannel amp from the main system and went back to a stereo only system driven by the Mac. Mr. Vigne is now the owner of the first, shipping damaged MA6200. |
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Room101 Unregistered guest | Ben, here's my advice. 1) Ask the guy to take the amp back and return your money. If he accepts, pay for shipping as an act of good faith and cut your losses. Ebay offers many very good deals but with very real risks. If you are savvy on Ebay, you should come out ahead far more often than you come out behind, but not every time. So if you waste $75 on shipping, I would say that's unfortunate but acceptable. If he takes the amp back, put the one that is coming in the mail right back on ebay and buy the MA6100 Audio Classics has available for $600 (of course, there's no harm in trying to negotiate a slightly lower price). {Ben, if you do this, email me at riddlegeoff@yahoo.com for some Ebay advice on how to get the most $ for your amp} The unit they have is rated C1: "C" is for cosmetics and it means good condition; "1" is for functionality, and it means as new or better. Based on their reputation and my father's experience with their service work, I bet that amp will go another twenty years problem free. What they call "good" cosmetic condition is probably what others call "great" (ask AC for details). 2) If the seller won't refund you for the amp, ask for $100 back towards the refurb- that would pretty much cover diagnosis and shipping. If he says no to that, hopefully he will at least pay for half the diagnosis. As. Mr. Vigne recommends, the results of the diagnosis may give you some leverage for further bargaining. I also agree w/ Mr. Vigne that you should not be greedy; acknowledge the risk you took buying on Ebay. Of course you should negotiate for your interests, but don't try to rake the guy over the coals for something he had no control over. If the auction described the sale with the terms "as is," that technically means you assume all the risk, so bid accordingly. In that case, any concession he does make is generous, but that doesn't mean you should not accept it graciously. 3) If you end up keeping the amp, yes send it to Audio Classics. I guessed $200 for a full restoration, so that your amp will be functionally as new or better (keep in mind it's only a guess, and it could cost more- I think my father paid $300 to refurb his receiver, but he bought it at a garage sale in non-functioning condition). In the end you may spend more than the $600 it would cost to buy from Audio Classics, but you will have an amp that will perform beautifully for a long time. However, that is based on one qualification: with respect to precisely what the refurb would include and what flaws might not be economically fixable, I would discuss that directly with Audio Classics before you authorize the service. Once they have looked over the amp, talk about this in depth with them, ie. what will they repair, what can they not repair for reasonable cost, how much life would the amp have left after repair, did they notice any potential future problems, etc. Those guys are straight shooters; they won't try to gouge you. You may a lower price for the same work elsewhere, and the quality may be just as good; however, you WILL get a fair deal from Audio Classics, as well as excellent work and honest answers. I would be willing to pay for the confidence I have in them. I don't know if amps are like cars in the sense that ignoring a small problem could create a much more expensive problem down the road. Thus, I suggest the cautious alternative: don't just fix the problem, get the full restoration. My thinking is, even if you do negotiate a return and the other amp shows up working perfectly, you should even send that one in for inspection. Others with more technical understanding may tell you this is a waste of money, and maybe it is. To me, peace of mind is worth paying for. Maybe Mr. Vigne has more technical knowledge that could shed some light here. Ben, don't get upset about this ordeal. Just remember that even if you end up spending $800 by the time this is all sorted out, you will have an amp that is better than anything else that is available for that amount of money. |
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Bronze Member Username: CorneliusPost Number: 82 Registered: Jun-04 | I bought mine from Audio Classics - they're pretty good over there. 101, is it better to send an amp there, or directly to the factory? The shipping would be the same. Eventually mine is going to need a refurb. |
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Ben Davis Unregistered guest | I heard back from the guy who sold it to me today. He is not willing to do anything. I suppose this is only fair of him, it did say "as is" in the auction. His only guarantee was the amp would not be dead on arrival, which it was not, it worked for a day and a half. He did say, however, that all of the controls were all "dead silent". He said there is not a hint of "scratch noise" but no guarantee was made for any of this stuff and he still I guess sold it "as is". Do I have any options of action I could take through ebay? I suppose he does not have to do anything, but it sure would've been nice. This leaves me with two MA6100's, one with a less than perfect face plate, one that works less than perfectly. Which should I sell on ebay? Which could get me more money? Any thoughts or ideas what I should do? Thanks much for all of your help. |
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Silver Member Username: EdisonGlendale, CA US Post Number: 596 Registered: Dec-03 | You can take the thing apart, and get an electronic cleaner from radioshack, or a hardware store - it comes in a spray can. Behind volume control pots, and balance pots, there should be an opening where you can squirt the cleaner in. You don't have to use much - but turn it both ways after you have squirted it many times - to clean all the grease and dirt out. Unplug it first - and don't touch other parts - can be dangerous even with power off. Just squirt it in, and don't make contact with any electronic parts. This might work - let it dry for a few hours, and repeat a few times till you get the static out. If the dirty pots are the problem, this will be your solution. Squirt it in volume, balance, and any other control you can get your hands on. Hopefully this will work, James |
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Silver Member Username: GhiacabrioletNC Post Number: 550 Registered: Apr-04 | Ben, If the auction said "as is" you probably don't have much recourse through eBay but it is probably worth it to check with them. You may also want to change your feedback for the seller to reflect your current level of dissatisfaction. Give Audio Classics a call (607-766-3501) to discuss the two 6100's you have. They can probably give you feedback and price quotes on refurbishment that will help make the decision clearer to you. For instance, it might cost less to replace the faceplate on the working amp than it would be to repair the amp with the good faceplate. However, the faceplate is a fairly expensive item and it might be more cost effective to get the amp with the good faceplate refurbished. Frankly, that's the route I would take. Assuming the two options cost approximately the same, I'd rather get the cosmetically good amp refurbished so it is back to Mac's specs and then sell the other amp on eBay. I would think you'd get more out of a functional amp on eBay than an amp that you'd have to sell "as is". Whatever you decide just make sure you end up with a Mac! You won't regret it. Good luck! |
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Ben Davis Unregistered guest | I will probably contact ebay today just to see if there is anything I can do. I sent audio classics an email and I will probably end up getting the cosmetically better amp restored and selling the other on ebay. I would definetely like to change feedback on ebay, how do you do it? I left positive feedback right after the auction was completed, but I can change now? Thanks. |
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Silver Member Username: GhiacabrioletNC Post Number: 551 Registered: Apr-04 | It looks like the feedback can't be changed after all. It looks like there is a feedback withdrawal process which would change the ratings but the original comment is left there with a notation that the feedback was withdrawn. Here's a link to more information: http://pages.ebay.com/help/account/withdraw-feedback.html You may also want to check into a dispute resolution service. It sounds like you've already made attempts with the seller but, if you involve a 3rd party mediator, the good professor might develop a new perspective on the problem: http://www.squaretrade.com/cnt/jsp/odr/overview_odr.jsp?marketplace_name=ebay&ca mpaign=EBY_OD_1 |
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ben davis Unregistered guest | Thank you very much for the advice. I contacted ebay to see what they had to say about it. I will definetely look into square trade if that comes out unsuccessful. I see no harm in trying everything I possibly can, maybe I'll get lucky and one of them will work. If I can't get anything, I suppose not being able to buy speakers for a little while longer than I had planned will not kill me. Are speakers a good thing to buy used on ebay or audiogon, or is it better to save up and buy them new? |
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Silver Member Username: EdisonGlendale, CA US Post Number: 604 Registered: Dec-03 | Buy them on audiogon - more reliable than ebay. I would recommend Green Mountain Europa (around $700 used) Your speaker selections were good too - I think you are on the right track. Speakers are good items to buy used - just make sure the woofers are all working and in good condition. Might want to contact the seller and get his phone no. and his address, and talk to him about the deal before - if you can return them within a week. Post here and let me know if you are going to put the non-working one on ebay - I will bid on it. Gonglee1@hotmail.com |
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Ben Davis Unregistered guest | I'll make sure to audition the GMA's, I've read lots of good things about them now that you mention it. I will probably end up buying used, do you think that the dealers will have a problem with me auditioning stuff there that I have no intention of buying from them? Still haven't heard back yet from ebay. I did email the seller telling him what I was doing and I haven't heard back from him yet either. Doesn't really matter though, probably won't do too much until after Christmas. I may start my speaker auditions this week though. It is a little tough because there aren't any decent shops in my immediate area and none of the others I know of carry all the speakers I want to listen to. Even though I may start to audition, I will not buy anything until I get this amp thing figured out. Thanks everyone for the help! |
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Ben Davis Unregistered guest | Just got word back from Audio Classics. They said that the problem I'm having is a pretty common problem with the MA6100 and it will cost between $300 and $500 to fix!!! I'm pretty sure I will not be able to sink $500 into this amp so I am really hoping I can get some help from the seller. I will try ebay and square trade and everything but at this point it looks like I'm going to have to sell this one and keep the other. |