McCormack DNA 500

Hi Thf,

let me state it simply - yes.

I've owned McCormack gear in various forms for almost a decade and went from a stock DNA-1 through the upgrade cycles to Steve's most recent mods. My most recent DNA-1 mod was driving original Mirage M1's and while they sounded fabulous, I felt they needed more power to bring them alive and auditioned the DNA-2 LAE and finally, the DNA-500.

Well, I kept the DNA-500 - end of that story.

I have heard alot of very fine and very expensive SS amps mated with similar quality preamps, speakers, etc. Every time, I have been drawn back to Steve's sound and felt very fortunate for the modest sum it cost me to own it.

The final plus is, Steve eventually gets around to offering mods to all of his gear and, if you can afford his pinnacle upgrades, your in the elite end of high end audio - at a still modest sum. No doubt you can find better but believe me, you will spend alot more before you do - IMHO.

If your fortunate enough to live in an area with some good audio dealers, you should be able to bring one home and audition it over a weekend. If it's a floor model, that's better because it's well broken in so you can at least hear the DNA-500's potential. I find home auditions the true critical test because nobody else provides your combination of components and room accoustics.

I wish you the very best in your search.

Well, I wish I had an endless supply of cash as somebody up above said... :-)

I do own the DNA-500 and I am using it with a Tact 2.2x preamp, VMPS RM 40 speakers, and an Empirical Audio modified Sony S-7700 as a transport directly into the Tact.

The DNA-500 is effortless in its presentation while being very musical. It gets the harmoincs of the music right. The overall presentaion is well balanced and not any one area stands out or seems deficient.

I have found that it excels regardless of the music and handles whatever I throw at it. In a typical session it isn't uncommon for my to go from The Bad Plus to Tori Amos to Wilco to Ben Harper to Sam Cooke to Roland Kirk to Vivaldi. In all cases the amp keeps me emotionally involved in the music while squeezing out tons of detail.

Other amps I have owned or tried in my system include:

Kora Cosmos Reference Mono Blocks
Rowland 201's
Pass X250/350
Plinius 250
VAC 100/100
Sunfire Stereo
Mesa Baron
Krell KSA 100
Meridian (can't remember the model number but it was big)
Sherbourn 5/1500A
Adcom GFA 555 MK ii
Spectron (original model, not current one)

George

Zybar, that's an impressive list of amps! Does the DNA500 flat-out beat all of them, or were there any of those other amps that did some things better? Any you regret selling?

Overall the DNA-500 beats them all.

No regrets at all!!

THE Kora amps had the magic in the midrange that only Class A Triode tubes can produce.

The DNA-500 is very liquid without a hint of grain or harshness I usually hear in SS amps, but it isn't tubes.

George

(Chip Stern reviewed the DNA-500 at 6Moons, and basically calls the DNA-500 the best solid state amp he's heard).You think old Chip has heard a H2O or Audio Research T class amps BET NOT. I think McCormack makes great gear too. I'd like to hear the DNA500s.I did like the DNA225 but the ARC 150M was just a lot better amp.