I agree with the statements made by the other two reviewers, and i'd like to add that this pre-amp has, hands down, the best surround sound processor of any that i have ever heard. I do not have a clue as to how it works except that it is strictly analog with no digital processing. It makes both movies and music sound about as realistic, in terms of space retrieval, as anything you can buy. This unit is rock-solid reliable, and easy to use. The digital volume and balance display is quite straightforward. Mainly, however, this unit excels as a stereo preamp, and as such it can compete with the best. I am giving it 5 stars because i flat do not believe there is much room for improvement.

This is one clean sounding preamp. You can hear the clarity of this device from the first moment you cut it on. The MAP-1 is, according to its designer, a McCormack RLD-1 multiplied by 3. The bloodlines of this preamp are extremely impressive. It was designed by the one and only Steve McCormack, it is built in Fairfax, Va. at the Conrad Johnson facility. Due to the fact that this is not a preamp/processor, the controls are few and simple (no "on-screen" menus that demand a television monitor to n avigate through). For those who have an interest in multi-ch! annel au dio more than home theater, this is exactly what the doctor ordered. It is an audiophile level preamplifier that will allow you to get all the boops and beeps and zaps out of your Star Wars DVD, and not compromise the sound of your multi-channel SACD of Brothers In Arms in the slightest. Call it a "Big A, little v" A/v preamplifier.

The MAP-1 also has something called ARM (ambiance retrieval mode) that is a far cry from those preset modes that one finds on A/V receivers. Activating ARM while playing from a 2 channel source immediately routes a signal to the "extra" channels. Honestly, I have found this feature to be crap on everything I have ever listened to... until I heard McCormack's version. Wow. I don't know how it works, but it works. Somehow, McCormack figured out a way to send aspects of the audio signal to the center and rear channels without buggering up the main audio channels. The net result is you can get 5.1 audio from a 2 channel source and it doesn't sound like it's being squeezed into one DAC and out of another.

The design of the MAP-1 is such that it maintains a flow of current across its internal circuits as long as it remains plugged into an active outlet. This means no "warm up" time at all when you power it fully on for some listening.

This is a pre-amp that is not for everybody. It is almost Spartan in its functionality. As this is a matter of design, I hesitate to call it a "weakness", but a buyer should be aware that this unit is not designed to be the heart of a home theater system, rather it is designed to be the heart of an excellent multi-channel audio system that has the ability to playback your favorite movie in surround sound, provided that your DVD player does its own processing (look for the various Dolby and DTS logos on the face of your DVD player if in doubt). It does not have any provision for HDMI. Again, not what I would call a weakness, but I do wish to give people a heads up.

In my original review of this preamp,! I dinge d the MAP-1 a full point because the remote would not cut the unit off and on. Over a year later, I have discovered an undocumented function of the remote: the mute button, when held down for 2 seconds, will power the preamp on and off. This effectively removes the only item I had identified as a “weakness”, and I now give the MAP-1 a Five Star rating.

The McCormack MAP-1 is a single-ended 6 channel analog preamplifier. All the processing/decoding of playback must be performed by the CD/DVD player. There is NO analog/digital conversion done by the MAP-1 at all. This lends itself to some remarkably clean playback of multichannel audio SACDs and audio DVDs. The MAP-1 has 2 six-channel inputs, 1 six-channel output, 1 two channel tape-output, and 3 two-channel inputs. A phono stage is an option for an added cost of approximately $500.

Customer Service

Calling McCormack is a pleasure. Whoever answers the phone knows their business or knows who you need to speak to. At most you will get transfered one time. They know and are serious about what they build and sell.

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Very pure and detailed sound and easy to use. The ARM mode on 2 channel sources works great and you have the choice of using the subwoofer with it if you want.

There are a few: It could use another couple of 2 channel inputs. It will lose it's settings if there is a power failure and we have lots of those here in the lightning capital of the world. No power up button on remote so I've not bothered to set up the trigger for my amp. If I have to get up to turn the pre-amp on I may as well turn on the amp also. No bass management but I was already planning on buying the Outlaw ICBM for all of the flexibility it provides.

I ran across this pre-amp one day while surfing the net and thought it was a great idea if one want's the purest sound without all of the gimmicks and on-screen menus to wade through. At $2400 it was a little more than I wanted to spend. There was a promotion on a dealer site on the net for the NAD S170i brand new for $1850 along with the matching S250 amp for $1200 so I bought them. I guess maybe NAD is going to discontinue the line or something. I ended up being disappointed with the NAD and it went back. I'm mostly into music and concert DVD's. I only throw in a movie every once in awhile. A couple of months later I ran across the MAP-1 on audiogon for $1850 new in the box. I emailed the seller and asked if it was possibble to get the factory warranty. He agreed to pay a $50 re-stock fee to the dealer for a new receipt and he also picked up the shipping. I was really happy with the deal. It's just about all I could ask for; sounds great and is simple to use. The remote has a grand total of 11 buttons on it! Quite a difference from the NAD HTR-2 remote. I've since purchased the B&K Reference 200.5 amplifier to pair it with. The ARM mode is spectacular on 2 channel sources if one takes the time to adjust the speaker settings as they suggest. I find myself using it all the time now on my CD's. The manual as previously stated is only 4 pages but it's all there if one reads carefully. I don't agree with a previous reviewer saying the volume is confusing. A volume setting of 051 and one half will read 051., not 051.5 as is clearly stated in the manual. Now I need to upgrade to a better DVD player since the MAP-1 depends on the player to decode DD and DTS. My Toshiba only passes thru DTS, it will not decode it. I'm giving it an overall rating of 5 stars and 5 for value since I see it now retails for $2495.

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1. Build Quality 2. Sound is very clear, delineated and tonally correct, matches very well my Rogue Tube Amps. 3. Ease of use.......once you figure it out in-spite of the owners manual....guess McCormack thought the MAP-1 operation was obvious.

1. Owners Manual Sucks.....must have been written by an Engineer... 2. LED Readouts....EX: the McCormack Pre-Amp RLD-1 has volume readouts that might read 51.5 left & right...my unit is 051. The owners manual says they are just like the RLD-1....they aren't.....thought something was broken. Asked McCormack about this they haven't answered....been 30 days. 3. Suggestions for setting the volume levels of the MAP-1 when also setting the volume levels of the DVD Player....you must figure out something yourself....no way to know it is really correct.....sounds great but maybe it could be better???.

This is simply a pre-amp (expanded Pre-Amp RLD-1) that has the standard inputs and outputs and those that are necessary for routing Home Theater but it offers no DAC's, Bass Management. etc. The focus of this unit is music....Home Theater is 2nd. The build quality is excellent, the sound is excellent this unit distributes the signals to all of the necessary speakers whether it is Stereo -or- Home Theater. I have marked this overall rating down because of the lousy owners manual. I would buy it again. System: MAP-1 Rogue Magnum 120's B&K 3 Channel Amp (Center and Surrounds) Toshiba DVD (9200) Nakamichi Dragon Vandersteen 3a Signatures 2 Hsu Subwoofers (1220) Son of Ampzilla (Sub-Amp) Nordost Blue Heaven Interconnects Kimber Bi-Wire........ Vandersteen Center and Surround

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