REVIEW SHOP SHARE LEARN
McIntosh XRT20
McIntosh XRT20
MSRP: $

More Products from McIntosh >>
Search AudioReview forums for the McIntosh XRT20 >>
   
Top Ranked Products from McIntosh.
McIntosh MC30
Rated: 5 of 5
McIntosh MC150
Rated: 5 of 5
McIntosh MC2205
Rated: 5 of 5
McIntosh MC-420M
Rated: 5 of 5
 |  Sorted by Latest Review |  Sort by Best Rating >> |  Sort by Worst Rating >> | 
Rating
Reviewed by:
paul p
(AudioPhile)

Review Date
September 14, 2006

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Rate this review?

Review 1 of 4

Price Paid:  $4000.00 from audiclassics

Summary:
years after my reviews the detail problem was not in the speakers but was the mc 2205 amp the 2255 makes a big difference in sound the new mac amps are even better the double balanced ones i still believe in these old speakers i woudnt consider anything unless they were another linesource type speakers roger russel has a new linesource they must be awesome if youve never heard these before sucks to be you ive heard many so called high end speakers lately wheres the bass or efficiency two traits that are opposed to each other these speakers are classics dynamic range i suspect most audiophles have never heard the xrt20 have it in spades roger russell is a super genius theres more to sound than accuracy but then again if a speaker is acurate and still sound bad i dont need acc. dont fool yourself the xrt20 are very accurate i was almost fooled i tried too fool myself needed new amp i call protection mode we like to believe our gear is good enough its cheaper that way but whats more important money or pleasure

Strengths:
imaging dynamic range smouth they sound real

Weaknesses:
big but if you have the room that could be a strenght


Would you like to Comment?
Join audioReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.

Rating
Reviewed by:
1967z28
(AudioPhile)

Review Date
September 21, 2002

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
4.50 of 5, 2.00 votes

Rate this review?

Review 2 of 4

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
The XRT20s exhibit awesome imagining and a well-defined sound stage. They were designed in the late 70s using a column of 24 soft dome tweeters in conjunction with a cabinet containing an 8" midrange and a pair of 12" woofers. The paper cones provide a soft natural and well detailed sound. This approach may not satisify those searching for bright metallic sounding highs, airy midrange and the thump of newer designed subs. The XRT20s are very capable of showcasing almost any stereo system. They will require a serious power amplifier such as a McIntosh MC2500 or larger for optimum performance. Very comfortable listening can be achieved with less than 1 watt. Rated at 300 and fused for protection they a capable of creating lease breaking sound levels.

Strengths:
Natural non colored sound Clean highs Awesome imagining and sound stage Real wood cabinents McIntosh quality and support Value

Weaknesses:
Size and weight May require amp upgrade for optimun performance Foam speaker surrounds may require replacement after 12 to 15 years. (typical for 70s and 80s speakers) Tweeter placement some what critical. This may be my fault due to lack of room. Over all very forgiving.

Similar Products Used:
Focal, Polk and various McIntosh speakers McIntosh MC1000s amplifiers McIntosh MX130 preamp


Would you like to Comment?
Join audioReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.

Rating
Reviewed by:
paul p
(Audiophile)

Review Date
March 24, 2001

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Rate this review?

Review 3 of 4

Price Paid:  $4000.00 from audio classics N.Y.

Summary:
These speakers have 24tweeters per side
2x12 inch woofers and an 8 inch midrange in
a separate bass module.These speakers sound
best placed against the back wall this way
they only stick out 12.5 inches,while they
take up lots of width they really don`t
take much space.

These speakers patents is called stereo
speaker system for creating stereo images.
And do these speakers image,not only do
they have good width and depth they also
get the height properly and that the height
that is is very hard to find in speakers.

one of the things i like doing is to sit
some unsuspecting friends in the sweet spot
play something that starts say with an
acoustic guitar at full power and wait till
it kicks in, the looks and expressions i`ve
gotten over the years was worth the price
of admission

Strengths:
will handle lots of power even at 20khz but
sound real sweet at 1 watt orless

Weaknesses:
takes up a lot of floor space 45 inches
lack a little bit in detail on voices but
that could be my room,the tweeter columns
sit in the corner of the room mac does not
recommend you do this,but to place the bass
bins in the corner affects the bass too
much,need a bigger room

Similar Products Used:
MACml4c,xrt
18`s,xr240`s,mc2205,mcd7007,mr78,mr65b,c37,
c28,c26,marantz model 150w/scope


Would you like to Comment?
Join audioReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.

Rating
Reviewed by:
paul p
(Audiophile)

Review Date
March 24, 2001

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 6.00 votes

Rate this review?

Review 4 of 4

Price Paid:  $4000.00 from audio classics N.Y.

Summary:
These speakers have 24tweeters per side 2x12 inch woofers and an 8 inch midrange in a separate bass module.These speakers sound best placed against the back wall this way they only stick out 12.5 inches,while they take up lots of width they really don`t take much space. These speakers patents is called stereo speaker system for creating stereo images. And do these speakers image,not only do they have good width and depth they also get the height properly and that the height that is is very hard to find in speakers. one of the things i like doing is to sit some unsuspecting friends in the sweet spot play something that starts say with an acoustic guitar at full power and wait till it kicks in, the looks and expressions i`ve gotten over the years was worth the price of admission

Strengths:
will handle lots of power even at 20khz but sound real sweet at 1 watt orless

Weaknesses:
takes up a lot of floor space 45 inches lack a little bit in detail on voices but that could be my room,the tweeter columns sit in the corner of the room mac does not recommend you do this,but to place the bass bins in the corner affects the bass too much,need a bigger room

Similar Products Used:
MACml4c,xrt 18`s,xr240`s,mc2205,mcd7007,mr78,mr65b,c37,c28,c26,marantz model 150w/scope


Would you like to Comment?
Join audioReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.

Popular Floorstanding Speakers

more...

Latest and Greatest

Marantz SA-7S1 and Cary 306 Professional CD/SACD Players

Review of the wonderful Marantz SA-7S1 and Mini-Review tease of the Cary 306 Professional CD/SACD Players

Emotiva ERC-1 CD Player Review

The ERC-1 CD player is in a class by itself for price/performance.

IMAX: How to Ruin a Great Product

Unfortunately, it seems that IMAX has embarked on an expansion strategy that risks watering down a premium brand that took 40 years to establish.

Axiom Millennia M60 Ti

Yes, Axiom speakers are as good as you have read about.

Magnepan Magneplanar MG 1.6 User Review

In my judgment the advantage of the MG 1.6 (and other Magneplars), stems from the following: = It is a full-range dipole, and = It has uses low-mass, planar drivers for the whole audio spectrum. These attributes account for its extraordinary clarity, coherence, “air”...

News & Reviews

Submit Content Here
Come join the community. Comment on the blogs.
Sony and NetFlix jump in the same tub
NETFLIX ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH SONY ELECTRONIaq: NFLX) the world’s largest online movie rental service, today announced a partnership [...]   more...

Onkyo A-5VL and C-5VL SACD and amp combo
Onkyo has released a SACD/Amp Combo aimed at audind allows for bi-wiring. The cost for the A-5VL and C-5VL combo is around £350. read some more [...]   more...

Used Gear Wednesday - Don’t Pass It Up!
Did you know that audioREVIEW has a classifieds sals and gear from it. Every Wednesday we’ll select classifieds to highlight all over the [...]   more...

Hi-fi Home Theater Speakers Meets Abstarct Modern Art
This beauty, 42 inches long, is designed to fit “artistic” speakers and the normal design can be found here at bornrich.org.  Even [...]   more...

Marantz SA-7S1 and Cary 306 Professional CD/SACD Players Review
I had just about given up on CDs. There were somem like second class citizens. Sure they have a place in the audio landscape, but for enjoying [...]   more...