MC402 vs FPB 300cx

Lack experience? I lugged this crappy amp home, listened critically for days and hours, and I lack experience? Hey Florian newsflash, you sound like an offended Mac owner. Rather than arguing and stooping to your level I will simply say, that quote was from my "First Impressions". So take what you want from whatever I wrote, where ever you want to, I could care less. The Mac is totally inferior in my system, and in comparing an FPB to the Mac is in FACT not completely accurate. One is Class A and the other Class A/B, case closed. There is a major difference in sonics.

Let me sum this up for you so people don't get the wrong message here on what I am and have been trying to say. The sound signature of the Mac amp is simply not for me. And any Krell, or Levinson amp I have EVER listened to in all my many years of experience in this hobby (not matter what the peripherals were) sounded better and more natural than the Mac. Which leads me to say the Mac is inferior in it's presentation of music in comparison to the amps I am considering.

One other point I would make here Florian...Have you listened to Krell and Mac, and literally A/B'd the two? If you have please forgive, but it seems you lack the experience and only have printed reviews to give you ANY insight into the Krell sound. I have put all these products in my system and listened, and take reviews at face value.

Jc51373, So are you keeping the Krell? I love my Krell and would never sell it. Well, maybe for a Pass Labs amp ;-)

JC51373,

You are certainly entitled to your opinions and I think the reason many Mac users here are having a hard time with your observations is that they are exactly opposite of all other Mac users. I don't think I have ever heard anyone, either in a professional review, this site or AA, describe a Mac amp as harsh in the mid-range, or sharp or raspy. This leads me to think there may have been a problem with the unit you had at home. I am familiar with your Krell, having auditioned one in my system. It is indeed a very good amp but to call the Mac a tier below it and an entry level piece is certainly not my experience at all, which again leads me to believe there was some serious issues with that particular Mac amp or synergy in your system. Anyway, good luck and enjoy your amp!

Mike

Hi Mike, you make some good points, there may have been something wrong with the unit. It's certainly a possibility. Although it didn't sound like there were any major problems, which you can usually pick up on that pretty quickly. There was one other person here who had the exact same impression of the Mac that I had though, and I am not surprised there are more Mac owners responding than people with the same experiences that I have had.

When I described the amp midrange I also said it sounded etched, which is probably the most accurate adjective I used in describing it. It just didn't sound smooth and rhythmic to me at all, and I don't think this was because it was broken, just the way it sounded in my room etc.

When I say the Mac is a different amp than the Krell, I mean to the FPB line up, not my current Kav. I think the FPB is a different class. Neither here nor there though, as long as people like what they have is all that matters.