Mccormack DNA-1 describe the sound characteristics

I certainly appreciate the plug for my upgrade services, but dvdgreco needs to get his system basics working to his satisfaction before he thinks about having work done. A stock DNA-1 sounds quite good, has plenty of bass depth, power, and punch, is pretty neutral tonally, with a slightly "forward" perspective. If it is working properly, it will not sound like the description given. They are also quite stable and reliable, but it's always possible that there is a problem of some kind - it's impossible to be sure without testing.

The heatsinks are supposed to be black, of course, but some anodizing was not done properly and faded over time to a sort of purple. This has no real effect on their cooling, but it looks crappy. And yes, both sides should produce the same amount of heat. The DNA-1 normally gets fairly warm at idle, but you should be able to leave your hands on the sinks. If there is an obvious difference, it could indicate a problem with either the amp or speakers...maybe. Unfortunately, I have also seen uneven heating caused by defects in the source, preamp, and cables (and dogs, cats, and lizards).

Bottom line: if your DNA-1 is working properly, you need to look elsewhere to fix your issues. You ought to be able to bring in some other amp to see if the sound suddenly improves, or stays about the same. Likewise with your other components and cables. Check all your connections carefully for proper termination and no corrosion. MAKE SURE both speakers are wired in the SAME phase. You might even connect a battery, briefly touching the terminals to make sure that both woofers move in the same direction with a given connection polarity. They certainly should, but you never know...

I hope it goes well!

Best regards,

Steve McCormack
SMc Audio

I connected the speakers to my luxman receiver while maintaining the same configuration on the speaker terminals. Connecting the Jolida CD palyer to the auxillary input on the receiver the sound is full-very nice. So this verifies the speakers are connected correctly as well as the cd player connection is a-ok.

Now how do I challenge the pre-amp, can I connect the pre-amp to the aux input on the reciever then connect the cd player to the pre-amp????

Having owned stock and modified McCormack gear, I would say the upgrades are well worth the cost. Unless you want to dabble in the tube arena, I would say stay with your DNA-1 and get it upgraded. It's pretty darn good SS sound to my ears.

Shakey

Are you leaving the amp on all of the time? I have a DNA 05 and although I never found it to be anything other than very balanced and enjoyable the sound definately improves after a few days of being left on. I would also try using jumpers on your speakers and just using one leg of your speaker wire. Some speakers sound better not biwired even though they offer the option.

Dvdgreco, you can't connect the preamp to the aux input on the reciever. The only way you can hook it up to the receiver is if it has preamp in/power amp out. Then you could connect the pre to preamp ins.