Pass labs x350.5 VS. McIntosh MC402

Goodwr3nch

If you are serious about driving your speakers to those levels from time to time(and I think you are), you should be thinking minimum McIntosh 501 monos. The pass x350.5 would be pretty sick (as in good) as well. Methinks the McIntosh MC402 will not have the drive you are looking for.

I think you should seriously add Symphonic Line Kraft or the RG7 to your list. You have to hear them to believe what an amp can do. Organic, Structured, Real and Breathing...and it can drive any thing under the Sun.

I know Pass and Mac are good. A friend of mine just upgraded from his Pass Labs X600.5 to a Symphonic Line Kraft...and you know what, he has already ordered and second Kraft because his B&W Signature 800 is Bi-Ampable and he thinks even if a second Kraft adds a little more, he is ready to spend....because these amps are priceless.
Remember there is nothing called "enough power". But you have to stop somewhere and S-L can and had made people stop!! Just my 2 Cents.

Pani, thank you for the advice as I also had the MC501 and x600.5 amps floating around in the back of my mind. I do have a question for you on the Symphonic Line Kraft amp though.....this is a pure class A amplifier and I was wondering how much heat is an issue for your friend when driving difficult loads ?
My Infinity Kappa 9 speakers drop below 1 ohm and have a way of making most A/B class amps get very hot, very fast.

That being said, I would love to get the chance to hear any high end, full range loudspeaker with 300 watts of pure class A power behind them !

I re-read your post above about the Denon amp. Not knocking Denon, but 400 watts denon style, and 400-500 watts pass x250.5 style: no comparison. The Pass design increasingly makes more power into lower loads with ease and grace. I could not imagine a set of speakers that would tax this amp. I understand the K-9 are serious current suckers. You need a serious power supply to cope. I get it.

Pound for pound, dollar for dollar, my money would be on a used Pass X250.5 ~ around 4k. I too am a working stiff with kids and value is a factor in my audio toys these days.

The McIntosh MC501 monos will run you closer to 6k, for approx the same power into 4 ohm and lower loads.

Another steller set of monos for the price would be Parasound JC-1.

Another beastly and great value amp would be McCormack DNA500. Pretty sure that would light your speakers up when necessary.

And lastly the Bryston 14 B-SST....600 wpc into 8, 900 into 4...

Hi Goodwr3nch, My friend drives his Apogee speakers which again dips to 1 ohm and the Kraft does it effortlessly. Surprisingly the Kraft does not heat as much as some other pure class A amps. They stay relatively cooler...may be they dont have to try too hard while driving difficult loads.
The current capability and damping factor these guys have are almost infinite...and the way they make music breathing and real is only to be heard. My friends who own Kraft have tried top class amps like Pass Labs, Accuphase, Gryphon, McIntosh...but once they heard a Kraft..it was the end.
Man, you have to hear what the Krafts do. They are my dream amps and I hope to own them one day.