Natural presentation of recordings and tight bass.

None

This McCormack product was my 1st venture into "hi-fi" equipment. I guess it really depends on your budget, but I felt that the other amps that I used were lacking the neutrality of sound and were more "mid-fi", but the best I could afford at the time.

What a wonderful start! I strongly recommend this product.

Similar Products Used:

Harman Kardon & Denon

soundstaging to rival tubes, sweet top end, powerfull bass.

none.

The best amp I have ever owned. A great piece of true high-end magic at an affordable price. I have not listed similar product used as it is not my style to diminish the competition. The DNA-125 is in my humble opinion, the very best amplifier I have owned and a great and exciting bargain even if it was sold at twice the price.I am just wondering how much money is Conrad-Johnson, (the new owners of the McCormack company of Virginia), making on each unit? Not much I bet. Best thing they did is to keep good'old Steve McCormack as chief designer to improve on his own previous designs.This thing is a STEAL. The imaging is wonderfull and rich with details. Enough said. A great, no-nonsense amplifier and a tremendous value.

Lots of clean power, easy to listen to, robust build quality, great performance/dollar ratio

absolutely none

I am an early adopter of this fine amp, but wanted to have a few months experience before reporting. It is supremely musical with no major sonic flaws but a few minor ones. It will not go as a Krell, or soundstage like a Lamm megabuck tube amp, but it will do everything else as well or better than most amps at any price. At it's asking price, it is a phenomenal bargain. If one is willing to stop analyzing soundwaves and frequencies, and just let the music flow and enjoy it all, it should be the last amp anyone should need to purchase. At least it is the case for me. I am using my with a McCormack preamp, but I will sell it to get a Sim Audio P-5. I have heard this preamp in synergy with the McCormack and it sounds better than a Sim audio P5/W5 combination. Unreal. I also had the DNA-225 on trial before purchasing the DNA-125. This monster is also a fine amp, but the DNA-125 has all the power I need with a very musical beheviour. The styling is so-so, matter of taste. I could do without the congested lines and logo,and the big rocker switch but hey, it's the music that counts. Unbeatable, as someone said, a no-brainer!

Similar Products Used:

Sonic Frontiers Power 1

Crystal clear highs, powerfull, will easily drive most speakersé

none

I was in the market to upgrade and was ready to spend around 4k for an amplifier. Once I auditioned this fine amplifier, it became clear that spending more was futile. This is as good as it gets up to 3,500.000 and maybe more. It does everything well , with no particular sonic region being spotted. Very fine midrange, vocals sound natural, soundstage is as good as many fine tube designs. Anyone looking for an amp 4,000.00 and under should look into what this new McCormack design have to offer. Finally, an amp that can compete with the best at a fraction of the cost. I just wish Steve McCormack would make us benifit of this incredible value technology in cd players and DAC's....I dont care what kind of flashy audio brands (read:more expensive) one has. This stuff is too good to pass by. This DNA-125 will set the standards for some time as far as I'm concerned !

Very sweet midrange, powerfull lows, excellent soundstaging

Takes a long time to reveal it's full potential (100 hours in my case)

I have been buying hig-end gear for a long, long time, and this is the first time I agreed to pay full retail price for an amplifier. I had no choice, this amplifier is ridiculously inexpensive, I would have paid double for it(I hear a hefty price increase is in the works for this piece). It does everything well and one would have to work hard to find any major flaws. A good honest performer that will have me thinking twice about spending big dollars on flashy components in the future. The DNA-125 has a lively sonic signature.The comparison with my previous AR ca-50 seems unfair, as the ca-50 is much more expensive. But still, the DNA-125 has much more power, goes lower in the lows, and is almost the equal in the midrange.I found this wery puzzling. How can an "inexpensive" (by high-end standards)amplifier sound so good. I also used 2 "quiet lines" from audioprism in the ac outlet and voila, the cleanest, purest sound I ever experienced in my home. I beleive this amplifier is the best product in this price range by a wide margin. Give it a long burn-in, after about 100 hours, it will sing. Thanks Steve McCormack for bringing to market a magical yet affordable amplifier.
By the way, I totally agree with the previous review, what a bargain.

Similar Products Used:

AR ca-50 tube integrated amplifier.

Crystal clear mids, plenty of power, impressive build quality

Could be a bit less heavy, also, heatsinks are a bit sharp nothing to report as far as the sound.

I had purchased the DNA-125 as a second system. My main system consists of the Pass Labs X-150 for it's amplification needs. After 2 weeks of owning the McCormack, I dropped it in my main system, and from now on this is where it will reside. Incredibly clean and pure, lows, mids and highs, although there are amps out there probably better at one or more of these,everything mesh seamlessly in the sonic picture. This is a very well balanced and nuanced amplifier. I was going to try tubes as it has been on my mind recently (for my main system) but with sound this good and especially at this price, this amp is nothing less than a steal. It's all the amp I need (in my humble opinion) after trying many more prestigious brands out there. Match your source carefully, this amp likes a very resolving cd player. Spend less on your amp (with the McCormack) and with the money you save, buy the best source you can afford. That's what the dealer recommended. I'm glad I followed his advice. Congratulations Mr. McCormack for a well designed, modern product. Keep'em coming!!! Audition twice-the-price amps before you buy. Some of these megabuck amps out there are downright frauds. I also agree with previous posts that this amp is gorgeous in style and build quality, more than anyone can expect at this price point.Hope my review will be of help to anyone.

Similar Products Used:

Pass Labs X-150

Liquid, stunning female vocals, impressive build quality, overall well-balanced and gracefull

none I can think of

Bought this in the States.The best purchase I ever made in my 10 years in this crazy hobby. Steve McCormack has outdone himself this time (again). This amplifier is a great and gifter performer. Mainly at home with blues, jazz, large orchestras, not so much with small scale classical or chamber music as it may be too polite. Wait until you hear Mighty Sam McLain! (on JVC's XRCD release). This amp will truly bring the performers in your listening room. Crisp transients, air to spare, and power that sounds bigger than the rated 125 watts. A true high-end bargain at last. Nice cosmetics too, with the machined aluminium styling. Hey this is too beautifull, I'm out to buy more cd's....!! 5 well deserved stars all the way. This is a class act !

Similar Products Used:

Krell 300i, Cary integrated, Bryston 4B st,

Beautifull soudstage, organic, natural sound, impressive build quality

could have balanced input, but not a major problem

Just upgraded to this new model. I beleive it is a terrific value, beating other "famous" names at twice the price easily. Low end could somewhat be more tight, but the midrange is pristine and palpable. Excellent low level resolution. Keep it on at all times, it improves greatly after a week or so. I auditionned many before I made the purchase. What can I say, I love the McCormack sound. By the way , it's a good looking unit too, with the machined metal styling to give it that refined appearance. I auditionned the new 225 also, more power, but the DNA-125 is just as refined for a lot less money. This is a keeper. Buy a Birdland ( or Bel Canto )upsampling DAC and a DVD (for transport) with the money you save. It's a killer combination, you must go out and experience this for yourself! My old (2years) McCormack DNA-1 is for sale by the way, also a terrific amp if you can find one at a good price. Looks like Steve McCormack is finally ready to play in the big leagues...go news for us music lovers!

Similar Products Used:

McCormack DNA-1

Crylstal clear, balanced sound, tubelike midrange, solid feel, very quiet.

None so far so good, but I could wish for balanced connections.

Replaced my Pathos (nice but not powerful enough)with the DNA-125. I am not saying it is superior, but it is up there with some of the finest I have heard, at this price and beyond. It's all the amp I am likely to need for a long while, peace and music at last! Dont go for the more expensive DNA-225 until you give the 125 a listen. Impeccable looks and design, quite an improvement from the previous dull-looking generation. There are probably better amps out there, but for a lot more loot.It's a soundstaging champion also, cutting 3-D images like no other solid state I had before, and surpassing a couple of not-so-bad tube amps also, much to my surprise.I waited 3 weeks for the delivery, as the dealer was out of stock, but it was well worth the wait. A true winner all the way by my standards anyways.

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Pathos Twin towers,

Great price, great power, good sound.

Not at this price.

I started with a Rega Planar-25, Grado Platinum, Quicksilver
preamp and phono stage, Paradigm Reference Studio/100 speakers, and dropped in the DNA-125, DNA-225, and
Arcam FMJ P25 amplifiers. I don't listen at deafening
volume, and the two McCormack amps were both excellent,
couldn't distinguish between them. The Arcam simply
didn't have the juice to drive these speakers - even at
what I would call "loud" but certainly not "ouch" volumes.
The sound couldn't touch the McCormacks, and eventually
it just cut out completely in some bass-heavy symphonic
pieces. This amp is a great value.

Similar Products Used:

Arcam FMJ P25, McCormack DNA-225