McIntosh MT5 Setup and Stunning…
We’ve just finished setting up and tweaking McIntosh’s MT5 turntable in our Wellington demonstration rooms and are suitably impressed.
First impressions matter, we’ve been waiting to set this turntable running for quite a while now, and finally hearing it operating was every bit as exceptional as we have imagined.
The unboxing process was a bunch of fun, McIntosh include every accessory imaginable, but setup was surprisingly simple. The counterweight already had it’s ideal position marked. The cartridge was aligned perfectly out of the box (We checked for good measure anyway…)
Because the included cartridge is a high output moving coil type, it plugs directly into any good Moving Magnet phono stage, which means there was no drama connecting it to the existing system. (Turns out the McIntosh C2500 Pre-Amp in the system has a very good phono stage indeed)
“Switching the player on causes the platter to light up with a classic green glow…”
The first record we spun up was Fat Freddies Drop’s modern classic Based on a True Story. Switching the player on causes the platter to light up with a classic green glow! The first track jumped to life straight away, with a wide full soundstage, layers upon layers of detail and a very full bottom end. I can’t wait to hear what this thing sounds like once it’s had a fair few hours on the cartridge…
Next up on the system was Bob Dylan’s Modern Times. This pressing seems to preserve the character of Bob’s voice better than any of the Digital Masters of this album I have ever heard. Playing this through the MT-5 seemed to bring a new dimension to the recording. It was a genuinely spellbinding experience.
“It was a genuinely spellbinding experience…”
Compared to the Pro-Ject RPM9.2 that was in the system previously (with the lovely Ortofon 2m Bronze), there was substantially less surface noise and a more accurate soundstage. This is a turntable to be truly proud of.
Our Wellington Demo rooms have recently been rennovated and the Sound Treatments rethought. If you want to hear a great system operating at it’s best, come into the store and see what you’ve been missing.
Richard
