McIntosh Testimonials

Unsolicited Customer Testimonials - Every client has paid The Upgrade Company LLC in full.   No kickbacks, no commissions, no fees of any kind for recommending our products and services

September 2011

McIntosh MC-402 Power Amplifier "Signature Edition" upgrade

I'm selling my other amps.  I've never heard an amplifier make as much difference as this "new" upgraded MC-402.  It's really improved a lot over all the other high end amplifiers I've tried on my Wilson MAXX 2's. Made a big improvement in the sound of my system.  Everything you said turned out to be true:  much blacker background, far more transparent and detailed, deeper & stronger bass, pristine mids and highs, improved depth and imaging,  more musical, many veils have been lifted, a lot of grunge wiped away to reveal an entirely new experience over several stock high end amps I've run.  It beat my Mark Levinson 333.5 & Parasound JC-1 Monoblock amps so bad I'm wondering how much better a matching upgraded McIntosh preamp would sound?  This 402 upgrade was a really big jump, let me know.

Warren Hingst, NE
U.S. Air Force Officer (just retired)

McIntosh upgrades, JM Labs & Vienna Acoustics Mozart speaker crossover upgrades

Dear David,

I am enclosing photos of my JM Lab Focal "Alto" Utopia Be speakers, on which your company recently upgraded the crossover networks. I have been absolutely amazed by the transformation of these speakers. The Altos sounded pretty good, just from the factory, but with the upgrades, they have reached a new level.

Replacing the standard capacitors with the Mundorf silver+oil and the standard resisters with the Mundorf Supreme resistors, other tweeks to the inductors and adding other dampening & quieting elements, this has all allowed these otherwise excellent speakers to achieve the full measure of their potential. They are now so revealing, there is so much of clarity and definition. Instruments are separated.... Voices are rich and truthful. The background is so black.... The soundstage is so deep and spacious .... And the bass is incredible.

This is the second pair of speakers that i have had The Upgrade Company do for me. Now it is difficult for me to listen to any "factory" speaker, knowing what they could sound like if they were upgraded. Most companies, to meet a particular price point, can not include the highest level of components; they are good, but not of the audiophile quality. It is amazing to me what can be accomplished by these small upgrades.

The Upgrade Company has also upgraded many of my McIntosh audio components such as preamps, CD players and amplifiers...all with tremendous results. I am pleased to give my highest recommendation for David Schulte & The Upgrade Company. Not only is David extremely knowledgable in his craft, but he is a gentleman of the highest reputation.

Sincerely,
John R. Porter
Texas

Click image to enlarge

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June 2009

McIntosh MVP-871 and MCD-205 upgrades

I decided to drive to The Upgrade Company way up in Harbor Springs Michigan to colect my newly upgraded equipment in person, rather then risk shipping damage. I ended up spending a couple of days there comparing the sound of several upgraded players against some really high end stock Esoteric digital they had for comparisons.

On display were the stock $45,000 Esoteric P-03/D-03/G-0Rb 3-box CD/SACD set and a $14,000 Esoteric X-01 Limited Edition.  I verified under the covers that each Esoteric was stock/unmodified.  I looked carefully and could not see any signs of modification or upgrades from the brochure pictures.  We listened and compared the sound of many stock and upgraded players over the weekend  We were always careful to eliminate variables by using the same power cords and interconnects and resonance/shelf support rack for all of the comparisons. We adjusted the volume of the units with a handheld dB meter to make sure that all of the listening tests were fair.  There were 2 high end systems setup in different areas.   One of Upgrade Co's demo systems had an upgraded McIntosh C-200 preamp which has a digital readout input level trim,  which memorizes the trim settings for each input so it made it very convenient to A-B mutliple inputs at the same dB level quickly without having to adjust the volume setting.  On the other system, an upgraded Audio Research LS-10 had a similar input level trim feature as well as an A-B input instant comparison button on the factory remote control for instant level matched A-B comparisons. Any input & level can be programmed. 

All of the comparisons used the same brand/model power cords and the same brand/model interconnects with dual or triple copies of the same discs for instant accurate comparisons. 

The first unit that I listened to was an upgraded McIntosh MC-205 CD changer they use for background music during upgrades, versus the stock Esoteric X-01 Limited Edition and the stock Esoteric P-03/D-03/G-0Rb set.  I could tell right away the upgraded McIntosh MC-205 player provided more detail, with far better highs, midrange, and bass along with a huge soundstage, precise imaging and far greater micro/macro dynamics over the Esoteric X-01 Limited Edition or the expensive Esoteric P-01/D-01/G-0Rb set.  We also A-B'd an upgraded McIntosh MVP-871 and upgraded Denon DVD-5910Ci fitted with optional balanced outputs, and other units stock and upgraded, but I dont want to speak out against too many manufacturers.   

The stock Esoteric units might sound acceptable to someone unfamiliar with upgraded/modified ultra high end performance, however, in direct side-by-side comparison they sounded dull and flat.  Even the $45,000 Esoteric set did not have near the detail, body, transparency or resolution any of the upgraded players exhibited.  This may sound like a big fat lie, but it's absolutely the truth.  Additionally, the stock Esoteric's tended to sound constricted, weaker bass,  small soundstage, “nasal”, much harsher and more strident than the upgraded players.  

It's a shame what these manufacturer's are charging. I witnessed firsthand many Upgrade Company upgraded players surpass the $45,000 Esoteric setup by a wide margin, and they only costs a fraction of the cost in comparison.  Almost a crime. To top all this off, the Esoteric 3 box player required 3 expensive MIT Oracle power cords, (2) MIT  Oracle 110 ohm AES-EBU digital cables and (2) MIT clock link BNC cables to operate.  That's a huge additional expense right there in cabling.

I understand the high priced Esoteric models after being upgraded perform in an entirely different league above everything we heard, but there were no upgraded Esoterics on hand at the time to double blind A-B.    

I'm truly impressed. 

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Richard Nelridge  

Fine Art Photographer  

www.nelridge.com 

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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Rich has continued to purchase Upgrade Co. upgraded components.  Rich trekked back up from Pennsylvania the following summer in July 2010 to collect more upgraded gear in person.  Rich purchased an upgraded NuForce Edition 83SE BluRay Universal player, upgraded Lavry DA-10 dac, upgraded amplifiers & power conditioners, TimePortal Reference power cords & interconnects & speaker cables. 

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November 2010

Hi Dave,

I really can't believe how good the upgraded 871 sounds!

Your upgrade is super.  Before it was difficult to crank up the old CD player, always preferring vinyl.  Now it is a different story.  Just super.

Thanks,
Jeff Foster 

 October 2010

Classe SSP-800 Prepro, Classe CA-5200 Amp, Cable Box upgrades, McIntosh MCD-205 CD player upgrade & NuForce Oppo BDP-83SE with Signature Edition Upgrade

Hi David,

Here is a long overdue update:

The Classe SSP-800 prepro upgrade exceeded my expectations. The naturalness, the ease of the music, the accuracy of the midrange and highs and the clean, tight bass is quite apparent.  The NuForce Edition Oppo BDP-83SE with your Signature Edition upgrade also exceeded my expectations: it's now got a pristine picture and hits way above it price point. The noise reduction techniques you focus on in your upgrades are readily apparent to me over everything else I've tried.  Do not let the crap on the internet from wanna-be competitors posting on forums as consumers dissuade you. You are really onto something here.  Even my Classe CA-5200 Power Amp was dramatically transformed by The Upgrade Company's upgrades & shielding.

The upgraded McIntosh MCD-205 CD changer sounds superb.  Some of the cleanest, blackest, most transparent sound I have heard from CD's.  I can just imagine a new upgraded McIntosh 881...

My system sings a very musical, accurate and detailed presentation of a live event. I've also been venturing into NYC HiFi showrooms and the trade shows for years and I'm telling you I'm not missing anything now.  What I have now with your upgrades sounds better.

Raymond Sarno, NY

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January 2010

McIntosh MVP-871 Signature Edition Upgrade as posted by it's owner in an online chat forum:

I must publicly confess . . . I have committed an unpardonable sin for which you McIntosh purists will probably demand my immediate excommunication.

I bought a brand new piece of McIntosh gear and sent it to the audio equivalent of a chop shop, otherwise known as an equipment modifier.

I had read an online review posted by a customer extolling the virtues of a McIntosh MVP871 which was modified by The Upgrade Company.

I read the review several times, contacted the author and several other individuals who had experienced Upgrade Company modifications, found them all to be extremely pleased, and decided to bite the bullet myself.

As you are no doubt aware, brand new MVP871 machines have recently been offered on Audiogon for around $2,000 - not a bad price for a really excellent universal player which had originally sold for $5,500.

Anyway, I purchased a new MVP871 for $2,000, had it sent to David at The Upgrade Company for his SE mods and I am absolutely astonished.

I really don't know how good the machine is in comparison to the MCD500, or other Mac machines, but I can tell you from long experience, that the modified 871 is one of the best sounding CD/SACD players I've ever listened to. (I'm using it along with SF Mementos, McIntosh MA-7000, and JL Audio F112 sub). I actually replaced an Esoteric UX-3 with the machine because, when I installed the SE upgraded McIntosh 871 in my system, the modified Mac left the Esoteric in the dust.

I also believe that it sounds better than the Esoteric X-03 (modified - by Reference Audio Mods) that resides in my "other" system.

I fully believe that the 871 images better than any other machine I've owned. Male and Female voices are extremely realistic. When you start a disc with a solo singer, magically the singer actually stands up in front of you and opens his/her mouth and starts to sing. Vocal groups are spread out in front of you - just like the real thing. Orchestral music is incredibly lifelike. Instruments are properly placed and sound like they are supposed to sound. Resolution is exemplary, the total picture is one of refinement. Not too bright, not too dull, just right.

For a total cost of slightly under $3000,(The modifications were $995, and took less than a week to perform.) I believe I have a truly superior machine. The 871 does not have several features that the MCD500 offers; but it does play HDCD, HDAD, DVD-Audio, DVD-Video as well as CD and SACD.

I have actually compared my upgraded 871 directly to a stock McIntosh 871. The things I notice most are:

1. Better imaging - more exact placement of voices and instruments within the soundstage.
2. A fuller soundstage - wider, taller and deeper. The stage now extends outside of the speakers - closely akin to the soundstage that I am accustomed to hearing from my LP's on an excellent turntable.
3. Better tonality, more exact reproduction of voices and instruments. My "tests" in this regard are the human voice - especially female - (try Rob Wasserman Duets, Jennifer Warnes Ballad of the Runaway Horse. For male voice, anything by Neil Diamond - (his voice is hard to get). I find that the Oboe is also difficult to reproduce properly and I listen to several good recordings featuring that instrument. I have spent the last 50 years trying to properly align phono cartridges and use the same recordings, along with many others to gauge correct VTA etc. I've listened to good audio for many years and, while I don't profess to have golden ears, I have a fairly good handle on what sounds good and what doesn't.
4. Improved overall resolution, more refined presentation. In massed orchestral recordings, the individual instruments are more distinctly presented as are individual voices in a choral work.
5. I just like it better, it sounds more musical, and I am happy that I had the work done.
6. I now have a couple hundred hours of playing time on the unit and it continues to get better and better. Soundstaging, Imaging and Tonality are all outstanding - almost better than vinyl!!!!

I really feel that The Upgrade Company worked magic on the already very good 871 machine. It has turned it into a truly world class player. I would heartily recommend that you take a look at The Upgrade Company!

MAIN SYSTEM: Avalon Eidolons and/or Audio Physic Caldera 3, Spectral DMC 30SL, DMA 360's, Spectral/MIT cable, Basis Debut V vacuum, Graham Phantom, Graham Nightingale, PASS X-ono, Esoteric X-03
UPSTAIRS SYSTEM: Sonus Faber Guarneri Memento, JL Audio F112, McIntosh MA7000 Integrated, McIntosh MVP871, VPI Scoutmaster, Koetsu Pro IV cartridge, Mark Levinson No. 25s phono stage, 14,000 LPs

J. Price, GA

April 2009

McIntosh MVP-871 Upgrade Co. SIGNATURE EDITION Vs. stock McIntosh MCD-500

Hello Everyone,

I'm not new to audio (3 decade’s worth) and I would like to share my experience with my new McIntosh MVP871 upgraded by The Upgrade Company to their "Signature Edition" upgrade versus my MCD-500 I bought new.

I have owned many CD players including the following models that were upgraded by David Schulte of The Upgrade Company - Denon 3910 SE then a Denon 5910 SE then a $14,000 Exoteric X-01 Limited SE upgraded. As I moved up, I've always been very satisfied with The Upgrade Company's work and recommendations.

After buying a McIntosh C-2300 preamp and MC-252 power amp, I decided that it would be nice to have a full McIntosh system, so I bought a new MCD-500 CD/SACD Player.

I listen to all kind of music but mainly to Jazz and Blues such as Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Keith Jarrett, Diana Krall, Doug MacLeaod, etc.

The MCD-500 is a fine player indeed, but I was clearly missing something that really connected me with the music that I had previously enjoyed in all of the Upgrade Company players I'd owned.

So I contacted Dave at the Upgrade Company to see what he had to say, and he mentioned that the McIntosh MVP-871 once upgraded to their "Signature Edition" is an amazing player that had held its own with some of the most expensive 2 and 3 box players made.

After many discussions with Dave and verifying The Upgrade Co's 7 day in home money back guarantee that states they will buy back the unit if I'm not satisfied, as well as reading the posts here by Viktor, I decided to buy a new McIntosh MVP-871 and send it over for The Upgrade Company's "Signature Edition" upgrade.

The 871 sounded like a great idea to me because I wanted to have an "all McIntosh system" and because the 871 is a true Universal player so I can play my DVD-Audio and HDCD Disks which I really missed listening to.

I received the 871 in about a week and let it play for only 48 hrs before I tested against the MCD500 because I couldn't wait any longer - you know the feeling!

Well, I'm very excited by the outcome as the MVP-871 SE easily outperforms the MCD-500 in direct side-by-side comparisons on the same cabling.

The 871 SE has superior resolution, weight, transparency and a jet black background. All of this with increased musicality. The voices are just in front of you, you feel closer to the musicians and much easier to connect with the music.

After one week of burn-in, the SE upgraded 871 is becoming even more refined and resolute overall, and bass notes are deeper and better defined as well. Big improvements over the MCD-500.

I never thought a McIntosh player could be upgraded and certainly not to this level of performance. Also, I prefer the sound of the 871 SE to the $14,000 Esoteric X-01 Limited that was also SE upgraded.

There is something about the McIntosh sound that is difficult to put words around - overall ease + musicality.

I'm sharing my experience here for those who perhaps would like to dramatically improve their McIntosh player without losing money selling their old CD player and then buying a new one like I did, which turned out to be nowhere near as good as the upgraded 871.

Before someone asks me: I have no experience with upgraded Mac preamps and amps - at least not yet!

Anyone who lives in the Philly area, please feel free to drop by for a listen or do some A-B comparisons.

Cheers,
Dan Comeau, PA

McIntosh MVP-871 Upgrade Company "Signature Edition" upgraded, McIntosh MCD-500, Rega P5 turntable, McIntosh C-2300, McIntosh MC-252, Montana EPS2 speakers 

SEE PHOTOS