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McIntosh Audio A Tradition of Excellence

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  #31  
Old 04-19-2019, 09:33 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by robfine View Post
All things considered, I think the McIntosh is the better unit and likely to outlive the Bryston as well as having much better resale value.

As far as I'm concerned, there is no contest for the small difference in price.


I’m not so sure about outliving Bryston. I’m 59 and have 2 Bryston amps (2B, 3B) still working from when I was an undergraduate, and one I bought used. The 20 year warranty speaks for itself.[/QUOTE]

No doubt that's true but it also depends on how the equipment is used. In that regard, McIntosh is more likely to prove more reliable under extreme duress than the majority of amplification equipment from competing manufacturers. This is one of the main reasons McIntosh enjoys the resale value it does.

If you wanted to drive a 2 ohm pair of Magnepans for instance, I'm sure the MC1.25KW would be better suited for the task than the comparable Bryston model over time without failure. This is due to the autoformer design allowing for the coolest operating temperatures under extreme duress.

The weight of the respective units (93 lb vs 158 lb) should bear witness alone to how "overbuilt" the McIntosh is - which is the primary reason McIntosh is held in such regard which is reflected in its unusually strong resale value.

Last edited by 62caddy; 04-19-2019 at 10:01 AM.
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  #32  
Old 04-19-2019, 09:49 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Charles View Post
Paul, aren't you comparing apples and oranges? You went from an older Mac stereo amp to the top line PS mono amps. What would you expect? If you had chosen the 611 the story would be different.
Hi Charles. This is very true. The 611’s were most definitely in my radar. The decision came down to price. While they might be the same MSRP the actual price to be paid was not even close.

Then there was the preamp. If I would have stuck with McIntosh I would have chosen the c1100. The BHK preamp was considerably less as well. So basically the decision came down to price.
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  #33  
Old 04-19-2019, 10:28 AM
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Default MC 462 Stereophile Review -May '19

This has become a great example of how to puke on a thread.

Want to add relevant commentary to the original post? Great, add it here.

Want to speak about other products or direct comparisons of the MC462 to other products, start another thread.

(Rant over)
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  #34  
Old 04-19-2019, 10:41 AM
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STUDIO - McIntosh C1000C/P, MC2301 (2), MR88, Aurender N10, Esoteric K-01X, Shunyata Sigma spdif digital cable, Sonos Connect, PurePower 2000, Stillpoints, Furutech Flux 50, Michell Gyro SE, Michell HR Power Supply, SME 309, Ortofon Cadenza Black, Wireworld, Sonus faber Amati Anniversario
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  #35  
Old 04-19-2019, 11:03 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by crwilli View Post
This has become a great example of how to puke on a thread.
Earlier in the thread the MC462 was being compared to the Bryston 28B-3 (albeit loosely) which is not a logical apples-to-apples comparison to make. Price was also cited (although it wasn't clear which was presumed to hold the advantage in that regard).

A little further delving was in order to shed some light on the matter. After navigating Bryston's site (with some difficulty), I was unable to find a comparable unit to the MC462 therefore proceeded to find the closest comparable McIntosh unit to the Bryston 28B-3 thus being in a much better position to compare the the respective offerings which was intended to prove enlightening to the reader, not destructive.

It's also commonplace for discussion to deviate from the OP and as all commentary thus far has been respectfully & thoughtfully presented, it's difficult to understand the reason for such a characterization.

Last edited by 62caddy; 04-19-2019 at 05:10 PM.
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  #36  
Old 04-19-2019, 01:51 PM
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I hope many will read the Stereophile review. Basically, the 462 is a 500 W/ch stereo amp that will compete favorably sound and spec wise with any 500 watt stereo amp on the planet. Cosmetically, it has no peer. It is both beautiful and functional. I find the meters very useful. I try to listen to my Alexx between 1.2 and 12 watts unless I realy want to crank it up but never over 120.

However, the Thor is very different. For example I was watching Aquaman. The low frequency effects of this movie are amazing. I noticed this from the outset. I had the volume set on 45 which just about brought down my room. During the fight between King Orm and Aquaman at about the midpoint in the movie the needle flew past 1,200 watts. It was difficult to appreciate there was a particularly low note that set the needle off. The whole fight was quite loud and amazing in terms of sound effects both low and higher frequency. It surprised me. I don't want to damage my system. I turned the volume down to 44. My Alex were hitting 240. I would never have know this without the Mac meters. I want the movie to be loud but under no circumstances to damage my speakers. Clipping can do this.

Dag meters are very insensitive I understand and basically useless for this reason. Mac meters are extremely sensitive and therefore very useful. To develop their meters from scratch would add thousands of dollars to a rival amp. Ditto for autoformers, etc. You get so much more with a Mac amp than any other amp but competition and opposing opinions make the world go round. I want folks to buy and love their gear. It makes my Mac gear all the more special.

Last edited by Charles; 04-19-2019 at 02:05 PM.
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  #37  
Old 04-19-2019, 02:07 PM
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  #38  
Old 04-19-2019, 10:33 PM
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Great review! Though I have to say, other than the measurements (which are great), the review really only shows how great the MC462 pairs with Harbeth or B&W speakers. The B&W sounded like were on loan and new to the reviewer. It's really hard to do any comparison when they don't keep their speakers, preamps, etc. consistent across their amp reviews. Don't get me wrong, it is a great read and a good data point.

In my opinion, McIntosh + B&W sounds great. B&W speakers tend to be on the brighter side. It would be awesome for them to try pairing the MC462 with equivalent sized warmer sounding speaker. That would make an awesome review/comparison, at least for me.
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  #39  
Old 04-21-2019, 09:00 PM
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I just read the Stereophile review elsewhere. The one interesting thing I read was at the end during the Q&A with Charlie Randall. In it, he mentions they are working on a new of amplifier for introduction later this year.

From the article:

“....We are going to work on a crazy amplifier towards the end of this year that will bring both worlds (my edit - Tubes and Solid State) together. From a performance standpoint, it is purely subjective—it's what you like to listen to. I like them both. I think vacuum tubes do a better job in some areas, and solid-state, same way.”
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  #40  
Old 04-22-2019, 08:49 AM
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The complete review is now up on the Stereophile website.
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