September 2011
World Premiere!
Music Culture Technology MC 801 Power Amplifier
And MC 601 Preamplifier
Designed by Wolfgang Meletzky to high-end standards
as grand marvels.
Review By Anthony Nicosia
Company Background Information
Wolfgang Meletzky and three associates founded Music
Culture Technology just six short years ago in 2005. Visiting the Music Culture Technology United States website you will see they make
amplifiers, preamplifiers, CD players and loudspeakers out of their
manufacturing plant. Both amplifier and preamplifier for
review today are from their Elegance Line of products. MC products are available
for direct purchase in the United States through VSO Marketing where they offer an in home
trial period for potential owners to experience MC gear within the confines of
their own home. All products come with a two year warranty (see manufacturer for
details), with fully supported service here in the United States through their distributor VSO Marketing. Seeing that the company's Mission Statement was, "to bring exceptional sound to affordably priced components" I was eager to
hear the MC 801 amplifier and MC 601 preamplifier. If these products can fulfill
such lofty ideals they would of course be worthy of my high praise indeed. As a
footnote, the 801 and 601were already broken-in prior to me receiving them,
making my job just a tad less time consuming.
MC 801 Power Amplifier's
Physical Inspection
Enough background talk it was now time to inspect the
product and afterwards sit down in my favorite chair to listen to some of my
favorite musical pieces. First up for inspection was the MC801. This 120-watt
amplifier, at eight ohms/185-watts at four ohms, stands only 5.7 inches tall yet
18" wide and 16" deep. Distributing that weight as such gave it the feeling
of a much heavier and sturdier component than its thirty-two pound weight would
indicate. As for appearance, the front plate with the glossy black finish looked
fantastic. Of course if you prefer there is also an attractive silver coated
version as well. The front panel is simply elegant adorned with only a power
on/sleep mode button and some led lights. When lit up the blue LED's indicate
the power amplifier is on while yellow LED's signal it being in sleep mode.
While in sleep mode the 801 consumes only four-watts of power, making my wife
who watches things like that just a little bit happier. If you prefer leaving it
completely off then just reach around to the back of the amplifier where you
will find a switch. Speaking of the back panel there are inputs for RCA or XLR
connectors as well as a pair of terminals for left and right loudspeaker
connections. There is of course a fuse holder, as well as an IEC connector to
use with the factory supplied power cord or as I would suspect one of your own
choosing. I went with the later and a Cardas power cord was used for this
review.
The factory supplied feet were round and tall having a good
sized diameter about them with a soft spongy material on the bottom. Not bad at
all for standard feet and I felt no urge to change them out even though there
was plenty of aftermarket feet at my house. My Audio Research amplifier has
twenty screws to hold the top cover in place and it was a joy to discover that
the 801 could be "uncovered" with the removal of only six. For serious
safety concerns most people would probably not want to tinker around there
anyway. Of course with me a peek inside is always mandatory. Once there you can
see that it is divided into five main areas each separated by a good deal of
real estate. Behind the front face plate there is a simple circuit board for the
display and on/sleep mode button. There is also a section on the other side of
the IEC socket connector located in the center of the amplifier up against the
rear panel where the power enters and then moves on with wires to the left and
rights channels as well as the power transformer. The circuit boards for left
and right channels are found as far on the opposite sides of the amplifier as
they could be.
The 801's key switching contacts are made of
mono-crystalline (OFC/OCC) with gold-plated finishing. They claim to use a
symmetrical grounding system and the shortest signal path possible to minimize
interference and delay. Taking a moment to inspect the overall layout gave me
the sense this was a much uncluttered design with all wiring tucked safely away
from any fumbling fingers. Add this to the large power transformer located near
the front panel and in towards the center of the 801 pretty much wraps it up.
All five sections divided by lots of wide open space, simple but very effective
as we shall soon see.
Music With The MC 801
Moving from my Audio Research VT50 tube amplifier with its
forty-five watts per channel (eight ohms) and switching to the 801 with 120
watts (eight ohms) of solid state power brought with it certain preconceived
notions. The expectations were that there would be better control of the lower
frequencies with some sacrifice of three-dimensional depth. Much to my surprise
and delight the former occurred but not the later. "Snow in New York" found
on the Stone Rose CD[2L 48] is really such a beautiful piece of
music. Here the 801 laid out a generously wide and deep soundstage rivaling
truly good tube amplifiers. There was magic to the music with plenty of front to
back depth within the soundscape. Throughout the many songs recorded on this CD
individual piano keys rang out with correct truth of timbre giving each note,
clarity, focus and a proper sense of timing while the decaying of individual
notes had me begging for more. To create the illusion of a real piano is
difficult, yet the 801 allowed it to sound both vibrant and energetic. It drew
me into performances with a seductive manner leaving me satisfied on so many
levels. At times being so engrossed in the music it was actually quite difficult
to take proper notes as stopping to analyze the 801 seemed somewhat
inappropriate and almost rude to the quality of the event taking place. To say
the least the 801 touched me with its "liveliness" and overall tonal
qualities.
It was time now to move on to another recording from 2L,
The Nordic Sound [2L-RR1-SABD], where the choral arrangement from "Consortium Vocale" gave off a realistic sense of being inside the cathedral
to experience the original event. Open, spacious and magnificent are words that
best describe the way it sounded as the 801 from Music Culture Technology helped
me explore the music. The layering of the choir was distinct and exact painting
a picture of height, depth and width, while adding just the right amount of
recording hall reverberation. When listening to the duet between male and female
vocalists on "Kristiansand Symfoniorkester/Solistkoret" each performer was
seen neatly situated in a separate distinct space. It should also be mentioned
that the percussion section of the orchestra was also truly magnificent. During
certain passages the 801 flexed its muscles showing me how capable my Von
Schweikert VR-35 loudspeakers were in their ability to take things deep,
sounding thunderous and expansive. Yet on quitter passages, whether with string
or horn instruments, this amplifier from Germany was equally adept at showing
off its gentler side.
Turning to a CD favorite of mine YO-YO
MA & Friends [Sony Classical 88697-24414-2] on the opening song "Dona Nobis Pacem (Give us Peace)" the sound of the cello was divine. The
801 allowed for a warm soothing feeling rather than shrill or hollow. The cello
sounded vibrant and powerful, being full of great character and pleasing to
hear, allowing music to come alive with a realistic presentation of timbre. The
tone of the cello has always mesmerized me but now I felt even more drawn into
the music as each familiar piece was rekindled with a new spirit bringing new
imagery to old recordings. Vocals have a way of making a person stop to take
note, which comes perhaps from the social aspect of us loving communication
within the species. Either way to hear James Taylor's rendition of the George
Harrison tune "Here Comes the Sun" was a delight. The small
inflections revealed within his voice helped stamp his unique mark upon the
song. The 801 was able to isolate and bring out even small details of the music
allowing for it to be experienced with new more invigorating shades to the
performance. It was not overly analytical but rather balanced the intricate
details and the total underlying spirit of the event.
Searching through my collection of CD's to find the Diana
Princess of Wales Tribute [Sony C2K 69012] I felt compelled to listen
to Michael Jackson's "Gone to Soon". One thing for sure his voice
has an incredible tonal quality that this song seems to bring out. Most people
hearing this never recognize it as a Michael Jackson piece as this was not his
trademark style of singing. The 801 takes you on this songs sentimental journey
allowing you to hear his magnificent voice performing in an up close and
personal way. This was not only a quiet amplifier but it avoided the pitfalls of
overheating as well, never getting hot and always staying cool to the touch. The
801 provides you with plenty of good clean power, enough to drive most
loudspeakers, RCA as well as XLR inputs and an elegant looking front face plate.
There will be more on the 801 later as for now let us move forward to its "partner" the MC 601 preamplifier.
MC 601 Preamplifier's Physical Inspection
Like its companion the MC 801, the MC 601 also comes with a
beautiful matching black glossy front faceplate which is sure to catch the eye
of your friends. Again a silver plated finish is also an option. Glancing at the
601's front panel, from left to right, there is the normal power on/off button
as well as input selector buttons for two CD players, a tuner and an auxiliary
input (which I used for my phono stage). Located in the center of the face place
is a good sized digital display to inform you of the functions. Beneath the
display are volume control buttons for manual adjustment when the remote is not
desired. Using this manual override helps extends battery life and as we know
green is good. To the right of the display is the function buttons one of which
controls panel brightness. This was a desired feature for me as sometimes a
manufacturer uses a display that is too bright which at times, after a very hard
day, can be quite annoying. As for the remote, I like the solid heavy feel of
it. There was nothing flimsy or cheap about this remote and it was comfortable sitting
in my hands when in use. As for the feet underneath the unit, they
reminded me of those on the 801 but slightly different as it need not support as
much weight. The 601 being similar in outward size to the 801 standing a little
shorter at about 4.675" inches tall, 18" wide and 16" deep also needed
only six screws to hold the top plate in place.
Finding your way to the rear of the unit there are RCA/XLR
inputs and outputs. With ample RCA inputs there was just one XLR input. For me
this was plenty as my turntable uses RCA cables and only my CD player had the
balanced output option, which was used for this review. There is an IEC power
cord, a ground connector and a fuse holder on the back panel. Again I shelved
the stock factory supplied power cord for an aftermarket one as I suspect many
end users might when buying preamplifiers in this price range. Lifting off the
top cover (again for safety concerns most people will never venture inside the
unit) there is a layout similar in simplicity to the 801 amplifier.
While I do not like repeating myself often it must be said
that the 601 has these similarities with the 801. They both use key switching
contacts made of mono-crystalline (OFC/OCC) with gold-plated finishing. The 601
like the 801 uses a symmetrical grounding system and the shortest signal path
possible in an effort to minimize both interference and delay. Behind the front
face plate is a circuit board for the display and function buttons. Where the MC
601 differs from many others I have seen is that the circuit boards are raised
up considerable suspended between the top cover and the bottom platform. Looking
underneath as best I could there were a few wires hidden from view making for a
very clean organized appearance when looking down from the top. Overall there
was about one third useable space available for qualified technicians to perform
any necessary repairs if need be. For the next part of the review, out came the
801 power amplifier and the Audio Research VT50 tube amplifier was placed back
into its normal position within my review system along with the 601
preamplifier.
Songs Through The MC 601
To listen to music after the 601 was inserted into my system
it became evidently clear it was closely related to the 801. I hesitate to say
Music Culture Technology products have a house sound, but for sure music played
through the 601immeadiatly had that similar clarity I found when using the 801.
When Andrea Bocelli sings, my wife and I stop to listen. With the 601 the Verdi
DVD Audio CD [Philips B0001292-19] recorded with the Israel Philharmonic
Orchestra and conducted by Aubin Mehta, sounded simply enchanting. On "Di
quella pira Il trovatore" the power and clarity of this opera is difficult to
realistically reproduce yet the 601did surprisingly well. Vocals sounded
uncongested and free from restraint even at high volume. As for the soundscape
it was vast and reminiscent of tube components. When reproducing large
orchestral passages the 601 had no trouble separating vocal content or
individual sections of string and percussion. To characterize its sound as
smooth in no way means to say it was the opposite of detailed but rather less
cluttered, without coloration and truer to the original source. Music flowed
forth with great passion not sounding artificial but rather organic in nature.
Wondering how it would do on rock and roll music Queens
Greatest Hits CD [Hollywood Records 2061-62465-2] was selected. Here
on "We Will Rock You" the sound of that large group of people clapping
to the music was realistic. The 601 had the singers clearly planted in front
while the audience remained appropriately in the background. Like the 801
amplifier, the soundscape tended to sound delightfully a little larger than had
been expected. Roger Taylor's drum breaks on "Fat Bottom Girls" was
wonderful, letting you hear all the little intricacies of this drum performance.
The same could be said for the opening guitar chords of "You're My Best
Friend". Reproducing those deep low drum sounds on Janis Ian's "All
Road to the River" from the CD Breaking
Silence [Morgan Creek 2959-20023-2] proved no problem as the 601
never missed a beat (excuse the pun). The sound of the bass guitar on the
opening of "Guess You Had To Be There" was tight and powerful, very
close to what it might sound like played in my living room live. Music passed
music through the 601 with great realism and clarity. The many intricate
performances found on this CD played right into the strengths of the 601. Music
sounded intimate as if sitting in the fifth row.
On "Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars)" from We
Get Requests [LIM Records B002HTWYZ6] we find Oscar Peterson on
piano, Ray Brown on Double-bass and Ed Thigpen on drums. To have all three of
these masterful musicians playing together on one CD is a thrill enhanced
further when played back through the 601. A little history first on this
memorable CD, Oscar Peterson was a Grammy Awards winning Canadian jazz pianist
known the world over. Ray Brown played Double-bass with the likes of Frank
Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughan and more. As for Ed Thigpen he was a world
renowned drummer playing with the Billy Taylor trio and Ella Fitzgerald. While
it is difficult to describe the sound of instruments, once you hear their magic
nothing else need be said. The 601 gave me the feeling that a three-dimensional
image of Oscar Peterson on piano was right there before me. The ability to
reproduce the lightening quick attack of piano notes was amazing. As for the
triangle playing softly in the background, courtesy of Ed Thigpen, it had a very
clear high pitched solid sound to it. Drums came alive with details and when
closing my eyes could be perceived as if in the corner of my room playing just
for me. Let us not forget Ray Brown on double-bass with that full bodied mellow
sound capping off this fine musical event. All three musicians were correctly
situated on the soundscape with relation to left and right placement with just
the right amount of depth thrown in.
This is a good sounding preamplifier with RCA/XLR inputs and
outputs, a sturdy remote control with ample of functions, an attractive front
display, plus enough inputs to satisfy most of us. If that is not enough there
are several kinds of phono modules available for your record collection (moving
magnet, moving coil and one that has both moving magnet and moving coil). The
thought of placing both the 801 and 601 together in my review system has been
nagging at me since the UPS driver first dropped off these two packages. This
now seemed the appropriate time to pair them together for my final listening
comparisons.
The MC 801 and MC 601 Together As They Were Meant To Be
With the electrifying Aaron Nevels singing "nobody plays
the fool" on the promotional CD A gift
of love from Mercedes-Benz [MC-97821-230] these MC products displayed
much that was good about them. This New Orleans tenor knocks it out of the park
here with the help of the 801/601 combination. There was plenty of clarity,
depth and spaciousness yielding a lifelike quality to the performance. That
glorious voice which is unique to Aaron Neville filled the space between both
loudspeakers with a purity one would find hard to challenge. Using both
amplifier and preamplifier together was starting to make me understand just how
good these components actually are. On Elton John's "Your Song" vocals
were real and quite stunning while the piano had an organic tonal quality and a
life-sized sense of depth. If you like playing your music loud the MC components
will not disappoint as the event felt richer and deeper with each increase in
volume. It was not that it ever sounded poor at lower volumes, au contraire, it
is just fine for that late night evening session designed not to wake the
family.
For duets and female vocals give "Girl from Ipanema"
with Al Jarreau and Oleta Adams a listen. Having heard him at an outdoor concert
in Berkeley California, a long, long while ago, it was easy to remember what
there was to like about him. The MC products did well to represent this duets
sultry combination of vocals making me feel a bit younger than I had a right to,
ah to be able to turn back the clock. Now for something a little different
let's take the vinyl recording of Bo Diddley
In The Spotlight [MCA Chess Records CH 9264] for a spin on my
turntable. Since the review sample did not have the optional phono stage
everything was run through its auxiliary port from my Whest phono device. The
lyrics on "Story of Bo Diddley" was fun and the music exciting featuring
Bo Diddley on vocals/guitar with Otis Spann on piano. Once again things were
quite intimate feeling as if one was sitting in a small club at a weekend late
night showing. If you really want to get up to dance though try listening to
"Scuttle Bug", same musicians but with an unknown bass player thrown
in. This was all music and did they jam, oh yes. The pianos ivory keys
"singing" a duet with Bo Diddley's guitar was masterful as the attack
of notes were not lost on this expressive combination from MC.
It was nice to stumble across a vinyl version of the classic
"Thick as a Brick" on The Best of Jethro
Tull [1975 Chrysalis FV 41078]. It was at a concert in the Fillmore
East December 6th 1969 that I heard them for the first of two
separate occasions. That particular day they performed as the backup band for
Blood Sweat and Tears (they also opened for Jimi Hendrix among others during
those early years) but the status of being a backup group quickly disappeared as
people quickly grew to love their music. Ian Anderson shows his many talents
doing vocal, flute, guitar, saxophone and mandolin. The opening flute piece
swiftly grabbed my attention with its truth of timbre and vocals that were
astonishingly clear as well as powerful. This combination of electronics
provided a platform for which Jethro Tull could be heard at its best.
"Leaving On A Jet Plane" on Peter Paul and Mary's [Warner Brothers BSK
3105] (Ten) Years Together is also
a personal favorite album of mine. This trio of folk singers exhibited proper
individual soundscape placement as well as good vocal tonal qualities. Here
again the emotional content of singers shown through uniting listener with
performance.
Finally we come to, "Puff the Magic Dragon", a true
classic. Hearing it played back on quality equipment gave the song that magical
quality it deserved. The 801 amplifier and 601 preamplifier combined the
richness and depth of tube magic with the majestic power of solid state audio
gear without using tubes or a hybrid design. How it did so baffled me but surely
it must be found in the engineering. Being a lover of music the bottom line was
what it did for me and less how it did it. Preferring to leave the technical
design to the engineering experts at Music Culture Technology it was easy for me
to sit back and just enjoy the music. With the 601 and 801 everybody wins as
both vinyl and CD playback camps were the better when inserted into my home
audio system.
In Summation
Audio playback versus live music is like looking into a lake
to see a treasure chest resting below at the bottom of the water. Sometimes the
water is cloudy and obstructs your view yet other times remaining quite clear,
but there will always be something between you and the treasure. That is just
the way it is. My search is to find a body of water so clear the treasure chest
would look as if standing beside me with nothing between us. Impossible, of
course, as the water is always in the way but the search goes on nevertheless.
Obviously my analogy with water relates to the mechanical aspects of our audio
gear and as long as music is passing through wires, capacitors, circuit boards,
etc. things will change. With the MC 801 and MC 601 I found the changes to be
quite pleasant and the water very clear. What really surprised me was that it
did so in exchange for such a modest sum of expense. At $3495 apiece there is no
hesitation on my part to highly recommend either or both to friends and
audiophiles looking to see that treasure chest just a little more clearly.
Designed by Wolfgang Meletzky and by high-end standards a "steal" at this price, what are you waiting for? You can buy either and be
happy or better yet get both!
The Listening Environment
The review room is eighteen feet eight inches long by thirteen
feet wide with loudspeakers and equipment kept on the short wall. The cathedral
ceiling starts at eight feet from the short wall slopping upwards to reach a
height of thirteen feet in the middle than returning to eight feet at the
opposite end. The hardwood floor is partially covered by a nine by six foot
oriental rug lying down the long ways facing toward the loudspeakers, placed
dead center between but not under the listener or the audio system. The room has
no doors but there are two openings. One opening is in front of the right
loudspeaker giving access to the hallway while the other is behind the
listener's position opening to a formal dining area. There are three floor
standing acoustical panels one in each corner behind the loudspeakers and
another in front of the fireplace with numerous Auralex Studiofoam panels placed
around the room. All the audio equipment is located in a Synergy Twin S30
Salamander audio rack placed about a foot away from and in the middle of the
short wall opposite the listening position. Power conditioners are all located
on the hardwood floor behind and to the left of the audio rack with the
exception of the Audience Ar2p-T0 which is plugged directly into the socket
behind the rack.
Review Equipment
Von Schweikert VR-35 Export Deluxe Loudspeakers
Aesthetix Saturn Calypso Tube Preamplifier
Audio Research VT50 Stereo Tube Amplifier
OPPO Digital BDP-95 Universal player
Oracle Delphi MK 1 Turntable, Grace 707 Tone arm with custom
made interconnects
Audio-Technica Prestige AT33PTG Moving Coil Cartridge
Whest PhonoStage .20+MsU.20 Power Supply
VPI 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Audience aR2p-T0 power conditioner
PS Audio UPC 200 Power Conditioner
PS Audio Power Port Receptacle
Loudspeaker Cables: Cardas Golden Presence (2 pairs for
bi-wiring)
Interconnects: Acoustic Revive RCA cables (phono stage to
preamplifier, Acoustic Revive XLR Balanced cables from preamplifier to
amplifier, Monarchy Audio XLR DAB-1 Balanced cables from CD player to
preamplifier
Power Cords: Cardas Cross, Cardas Golden, Mr. Cable
"The Musician" and
Cherry
Synergy Twin S30 Salamander audio rack.
Specifications
MC801 Amplifier
Peak Pulse Power: 500W
Rated Power: 2 x 120 W (8 Ohm), 2 x 185 W (4 Ohm)
Output Voltage max.: 35 V peak
Output current max.: 20 A peak
Input Impedance: 10 kOhm (RCA), 10 kOhm (XLR)
Input Sensitivity: 1,5V, 185 W, 4-ohm
S/N ratio unweighted: 111 dB
S/N ratio A-weighted: 115 dB
Frequency Response Mono/Stereo: DC to 130 kHz
Distortion: <0.006%, 4 Ohm, 1 kHz, 50 W
Damping Factor: 300 (4 Ohm)
Weight: 32 lbs
Dimensions: 18 x 5.7 x 16 (WxDxH in inches)
Warranty: Two years parts and labor included
Price: $3495
MC601 Preamplifier
Inputs: XLR (1x), CD (2x), high level (2x), processor (1x), Option (1x)
Outputs: RCA (2x), Balanced (1x)
Frequency Range: CD - DC to 600 kHz, High Level - DC to 600 kHz
Output level: 1Veff - 10Veff max.
Output Impedance: 100 Ohm
Noise Distortion @ 1 kHz, 2V: <0,0007%
Input Sensitivity: High level - 315mV
Signal to Noise: CD - 98/101 dB, 1V/25W, High Level - 105/108 dB, 1V/25W
Maximum loading level: 10 Veff
Input Impedance: CD - 10 kOhm, High Level - 50 kOhm, processor - 10 kOhm
Channel separation: High level - 100 dB
Weight: 24 lbs.
Dimensions: 18 x 5.7 x 16 (WxHxD in inches)
Warranty: Two years parts and labor included
Price: $3495
Company Information
Music Culture Technology GmbH
Reuchlinstr. 10-11
10553 Berlin
Germany
Voice: +49-152-28 967 567
Fax: +49-30-484 98 35 50
E-mail: Contact@music-culture.com
Website: www.music-culture.com/germany
United States of America Distributor
VSO Marketing, LLC
Fairfield Industrial Campus
16 Passaic Avenue. Unit #6
Fairfield, NJ 07004, USA
Voice: (973) 808-4108
Fax : (973) 808-1055
E-mail: moltz@vsomarketing.com
Internet: www.music-culture.us