Looking for a McIntosh amp that gives a great example of the “McIntosh Sound”

You are being presumptuous to declare that there is a McIntosh sound that everyone loves.

I own the 162, 152 and a bunch of 252 amps. The MC252 in my opinion was one of Macs best SS amps. Used they can be had for $3500. They pair well with many of the speakers I have owned but have made all the Klipsch Heritage speakers sound phenomenal. The MC152 is their best deal for new choices but do not have enough headroom for my purposes. Good luck, and a great choice in amps. After 40 years of sampling, McIntosh is my home for amps.

I've got an MC302 and two MC7100 units.  Both models have the "McIntosh" sound to my ears.  A 9 point 302 might be a bit rare at your price point, but you could easily get two 7+ point 7100s and use them as dual mono units for ~300 WPC.  They have a comparatively compact footprint and the second generation units offer XLR inputs. The 7300 or 2100 are also possible alternatives.  All of them are nearly indestructible.  

There is also the MC2500 muscle amp out there and they can be found in the $3500 range.  Definitely has the house sound and is a real beast. Dual cooling fans, full commercial rack construction, black anodized finish.  Classic.

I did take a look at your speaker specs as I'm not familiar with them.  They're comparatively efficient, so you may want to reconsider the potential for going tube.  If you are willing to be patient, the MC275 III, IV and on rare occasions even V can be found near your price range and are part of the world-renowned touchstone series that is the MC275.  A more McIntosh-sounding McIntosh amp was never made.

@stereo5 mentioned Audio Classics.  I also know them rather well.  Do yourself a favor and give them a call before you decide which way to go.  They are the premier information resource for everything McIntosh.

Good luck in your quest and happy listening!

I have had a MC352 and currently use a MC402. I feel the 402 does sound better than the 352. More speed without sacrificing warmth, I talked with 2 dealers about trading up to the new 462 and told the 402 sounds better and has a build quality that has not been matched since. I would say the McIntosh sound is well represented with the 402. I also have a MC205 and it sounds a less musical or involving. I think the Autoformers are a major ingredient to the Mc sound.

The McIntosh sound that I enjoy is not Solid State but Tube.

The Mc30 or 60 monoblocks would be my go to.

But alas McIntosh is not something I covet thank goodness.

I have enough of those already.