The McIntosh autoformer amps are widely compatible with many loudspeakers but special synergy seems to be common with relatively simple speaker configurations, including "voiced" speakers. The most startling combinations have been when Mcintosh autoformer amps have been paired with Sonus Faber (especially Cremona), Vienna and Zu. The crossoverless Zu with its full-range driver is especially musical with McIntosh and vice-versa, and the other two lines feature crossovers with simple networks and mostly gentle slopes. You can pretty much pick your price point in any of these three lines and get an excellent pairing with your MC252.
Phil
Phil