MC402 vs FPB 300cx

System matching is very important so you either have to hear the pieces in your system or in a system the same as yours. Bringing the amp home is obviously the safest bet, the results others have with it with different gear may not be duplicated in your system. As Arthur stated, you are ahead of the game because you know what you like. Not only will you garner thoughts of the Mac while using it, you will learn more after you switch back to your own amp for a couple days.

We all are entitled to our own opinion. I agree with your dealer about the B&W and Mac matching, so if there is a mis-match it is elsewhere, in my opinion.

Again, the issues you describe such as those with Cassandra are simply not issues for me.

I think in the long run I would be very happy with the MAC, especially since I would be getting a killer deal. But I would always wonder what the Krell would have sounded like in my system.

Welcome to the never ending "tail chasing" of audio!

Brian

Jc51373, I commend you for knowing what you like, on the other hand I cannot agree with your brutal assessment of McIntosh as a whole. I mentioned above the imporatnce of system synergy and you agreed, I suspect there may be a lack of this in your system with this amp. I am not trying to make excuses for the amp, but rather own it myself, with totally different gear, and "sterile and uninvolving" is not a problem for me.

Others can explain the autoformer better than I, but in a nut shell it allows you to best match your amp to speaker impedance.

I am wondering what the next steps will be as I want to eventually move toward 802d's.

I had the 802D's with the MC402 and didn't like it, I have heard/read that the 501's do much better with them.

Now you heard what I was talking about when you heard the 402 with 803D. I guess now you know why I'm not much of a 402 fan.

I see this situation reversed. Having owned 802D's with the MC402, and other amps, I agree that it isn't best case scenario. Numerous people, including those here, have said that the 501's sound much better with the D series. The MC402 is a fine amp, it is too bad the B&W's don't sound good without massive amps.