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Feedback on McIntosh Mc-402 amplifier

I have a pair of Aerials model 9's spaekers, Krell KRC-3 pre-amp, Adcom 5800 amplifier, Krell 300cd cd player, Rega planner 25 turntable with an Ear tube phono pre-ampa and MIT 750 speaker cables with matching interconnects. I'm looking to upgrade my amplifier (I bought the Adcom to use as a temp. amplifer) I have read the the Mac.has the control and bass of a high current ss amplifer but also the magic of tubes in the vocals. A high current ss that sounds like a tube amplifier is this true? I have owned a Audio Research vt100 mk 11 (an excellent amplifer) which had a great resolution and detail but the sound was a hair to the side of analyical. (no tube warth or "tube magic")
How is the Mac with resolution and detail? I quess I'm looking for an amplifer with a Krell like bass but with Conrad Johnson vocals and Audio Research resolution. Now I relize that this is probably impossible but how close does the McIntosh mc402 come to this?
mmurphy

Showing 1 response by hantrax

hantrax
36 posts
 
I am a happy 402 owner. I went through 2 dozen or so amplifiers in the past year and a half. The McIntosh will be my last for a long, long time.

It has the magic of tubes IMO, and it has utmost control of my very hard to drive speakers. Strangely enough, it is not only as magical as the most magical amps I've heard, but it also has insane amounts of detail and lacks the veil that comes along with that magic most of the time.

It garners my highest recommendation and is truly one of the best amplifiers in production today, IMO.
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