Rumney510, I have the MC402 for quite some time now - and had the Halcros at home as well. I have listened to the MC501s as well. My experience is probably more thorough and different from yours in every point. The mc402 is not worth looking at", you write. I have found it to be oe of the best-sounding amps I ever listened too, and one of the most priceworthy. Only thing is, they take weeks to burn in properly. They sounded awful at my place for the first weeks, before they reached the level TAS described recently. "The stereophile review on the 501's compared them to being very close to the Halcro DM58. The Halcros are so superior I just dont understand how that comparison could have ever been written.", you say. I understand. Event the comparison between the MC402 and the Halcros was a close call. Yes, the Halcro was slightly better - especially when laying so loud you could tear the house down with the level. But different from the McIntoshs the Halcro is ridicously overpriced.
