NAD: Wizard MC2

godgrinder

godgrinder

Active member
PK1EZuG.jpg


I bought a 100w MC1 a few years ago and really liked it. Always fancied a MC2 since I'm quite curious about what the contour control does. Having a master volume on channel 1 sounds useful too.

Got the chance to pick up this 2020 MC2 50 watter. Channel 1 is definitely a lot more usable than the MC1 with the addition of master and bright controls. Channel 2 sounds somewhat less raw to me than the MC1.

I only like the final 20% range of the contour control (where it sounds closer to the MC1) so it's a bit useless to me. The loop level controls are quite useful for fine tuning the overall volume since the master volume is a bit touchy on the lower range.

Overall I guess I'm happy enough with the purchase so I can have a Wizard in the studio at work and another one at home. But if I have to let one go the MC2 will likely to go first.
 
Congratulations brother!
The one difference, in my opinion between the new MCII, the MC1 from before 2016 has the C Transformers, maybe there are other changes, someone here more knowledgeable might know.
Rick changed to the new V transformers, which are a bit more modern sounding, less raw, less bite, a little more even response instead of that classic Wizard raw upper-mid ‘Marshall kerrannng’ barking attack…
I had a 2012 Wizard MTL (C Transformers) and it sounded completely different from my 2016 and 2021 (V Transformers) Wizard MTL’s.
All that said,
Rock that thing!!
Any Wizard is a winner👍
 
Last edited:
godgrinder said:
PK1EZuG.jpg


I bought a 100w MC1 a few years ago and really liked it. Always fancied a MC2 since I'm quite curious about what the contour control does. Having a master volume on channel 1 sounds useful too.

Got the chance to pick up this 2020 MC2 50 watter. Channel 1 is definitely a lot more usable than the MC1 with the addition of master and bright controls. Channel 2 sounds somewhat less raw to me than the MC1.

I only like the final 20% range of the contour control (where it sounds closer to the MC1) so it's a bit useless to me. The loop level controls are quite useful for fine tuning the overall volume since the master volume is a bit touchy on the lower range.

Overall I guess I'm happy enough with the purchase so I can have a Wizard in the studio at work and another one at home. But if I have to let one go the MC2 will likely to go first.
Click to expand...
congrats... you still have the white one right?
 
Congrats on the new amp!

I have a 2021 MC 6L. It's a killer amp. I preferred it over the 2022 el34 MC2 I had. I find the contour is best when maxed out...so it has basically no effect or off. I do have a 2021 MC2 mk2 KT150 as well and that amp is very aggressive. It's definitely a big improvement over the 2018 MC2 KT150 I had (which I never really liked in comparison to the 2014/15 el34 MC2 I had at the time). That older el34 MC2 was definitely more aggressive than the first KT150. My new MC 6L and KT150 MC2 mk2 are much closer to that old amp. There's definitely some variation in different years.. I wouldn't necessarily says it's all related to the v transformer as that first el34 MC2 had a v transformer an it ripped.
 
Congrats on you MC2. I have an MC1 and always wondered if the contour control on the Mc 2 would be that great of an improvement.
 
mhenson42 said:
Congrats on the new amp!

I have a 2021 MC 6L. It's a killer amp. I preferred it over the 2022 el34 MC2 I had. I find the contour is best when maxed out...so it has basically no effect or off. I do have a 2021 MC2 mk2 KT150 as well and that amp is very aggressive. It's definitely a big improvement over the 2018 MC2 KT150 I had (which I never really liked in comparison to the 2014/15 el34 MC2 I had at the time). That older el34 MC2 was definitely more aggressive than the first KT150. My new MC 6L and KT150 MC2 mk2 are much closer to that old amp. There's definitely some variation in different years.. I wouldn't necessarily says it's all related to the v transformer as that first el34 MC2 had a v transformer an it ripped.
Click to expand...
Yeah I prefer the contour on max too. The lower settings might be useful for lead guys like Neil Zaza?

From your experience it definitely seems like Rick keeps tweaking the amp under the hood.
 
godgrinder said:
PK1EZuG.jpg


I bought a 100w MC1 a few years ago and really liked it. Always fancied a MC2 since I'm quite curious about what the contour control does. Having a master volume on channel 1 sounds useful too.

Got the chance to pick up this 2020 MC2 50 watter. Channel 1 is definitely a lot more usable than the MC1 with the addition of master and bright controls. Channel 2 sounds somewhat less raw to me than the MC1.

I only like the final 20% range of the contour control (where it sounds closer to the MC1) so it's a bit useless to me. The loop level controls are quite useful for fine tuning the overall volume since the master volume is a bit touchy on the lower range.

Overall I guess I'm happy enough with the purchase so I can have a Wizard in the studio at work and another one at home. But if I have to let one go the MC2 will likely to go first.
Click to expand...
Man that is beautiful. I love the large logo and Marshallish knobs and gold motif.

I teetered back and forth over the EL34 and KT88 version. Ended up with the KT150.

PzN7Zb6.jpg


My MC1 50W (updated by Rick to 2021 specs) get more use though. Something about it that keeps drawing me back when I need a Wizard fix.

Rp1NciF.jpg
 
SQUAREHEAD said:
Congratulations brother!
The one difference, in my opinion between the new MCII, the MC1 from before 2016 has the C Transformers, maybe there are other changes, someone here more knowledgeable might know.
Rick changed to the new V transformers, which are a bit more modern sounding, less raw, less bite, a little more even response instead of that classic Wizard raw upper-mid ‘Marshall kerrannng’ barking attack…
I had a 2012 Wizard MTL (C Transformers) and it sounded completely different from my 2016 and 2021 (V Transformers) Wizard MTL’s.
All that said,
Rock that thing!!
Any Wizard is a winner👍
Click to expand...
Do we know when he switched transformers? Or what to look for?

I'm keeping an eye out for a used MC2 and wondering if I should care about this.
 
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