McIntosh MC611and MC1.25KW-how do they sound compared to 601's and 1.2KW

I have a friend that had them less than a month and even after running them 24/7 with a signal for weeks he found them unlistenable at anything above low levels on both Strad's and Studio 2's.  He had previously owned 303, 452, 601's and 1.2kw's in the past along with multiple Mc tube amps so not a Mc novice. Even Ivan the owner of AA and long time Mc dealer prefered the 1.2kw to the new 1.25kw.  Take that un-altering praise of all things McIntosh on AA with a grain of salt at least as anything with Big Blue meters is good to many of them.  Also it takes a "big man" to admit you ordered amps in that price range unheard and then didn't like them as they are not an in-stock item to most Mc dealers.

I reached out to Ivan but haven't heard back.  Why not talk to Mike at Audio Classics and see what he says?  He is extremely honest and would never steer you wrong.  An example, I have a MC152 power amp and was going to go up to an older 250wpc power amp (MC252).  He advised me against it, said mine sounded much better.  He saved me a few grand after trade in.

Thank you guys.  Went over to AA and the conversation is very positive for the change to the 611/1.25KW's from the 601/12K's. Looks like most listeners agree the amps are an improvement not a step backwards. Not sure why some guys think it sounds harder than the predecessor. Subjective issues are tough to quantify.
 I spoke with McIntosh and they state that the audio circuity is the same.  Changes were increased reserve in PS (increased headroom), meter lights and cosmetics. They state they did extensive listing tests with various speakers. To my mind it defies logic for a company like McIntosh to come out with a product that is not (at least) as good as the previous model.  I have been to the factory and know they are an engineering based manufacturer. I going to go with my gut and trust them. I will write up a review after they are on line and broken in.  

Looking forward to reading your review.

I have had a pair of MC1000's in my main listening room for 15 years. They are flawless and sound great.I recently decided to purchase a brand new pair of MC1.25KW's .The only way to describe them is "nothing short of spectacular ".l'm using them to drive a pair of original Infinity 9 Kappa's using C50 pre amp MCD600 cd player .l played Andrea Bocelli "l found my love in Porto Fino" for my wife and she stared crying and said "it sounded like l was there.My audiophile friends are astonished at the sound of these amps and so am l.Every time l use them it's a real treat.One thing l must say most products over time get cheaper and lighter. ....not the case here! Got to tip your hat to Mcintosh...truly amazing audio gear.