McIntosh MC152 vs MC162

The 162 is pretty old, I would say 20 years since it was made. It goes back to the days when Clarion owned McIntosh and they offered a number of products that were a step back from the front line. The one way that they kept 5he cost down was not using the autoformer output stage and not dual balanced circuitry. The 152 is a current product and does employ both dual balanced circuitry and autoformer output stage. I don’t recall the specs of the 162 but one tell tale spec is the weight. The new 152 weighs in at 75 pounds which is heavy for a small amp. This weight is attributed to the hundreds of feet of copper in the autoformers. The new 152 will sound much better than the 162 for a number of reasons, but the two listed are primary contributors.

Thanx, Theo, for the detailed answer. I wonder if you can suggest a better power amp then MC152 for my 3.5K budget? I use Mac C22 pre.

   As a long-time owner of many McIntosh components, I concur with theo. What power amp can you get for $3,500? You could look for an older but in very good condition Mac amp with autoformers. I use a MC2205 in a Martin Logan system. I am using the C2300 preamp.  I also have a MC2255. Don't be put off by their ages...if they have been upgraded, you won't be unhappy. 

vad58: I think Scorpio makes a good point. With Mc amps, used are usually in very good shape and can last for years. At your price point you might find a good used MC402, I have owned mine for years and it still sounds good. I know it may be more power than you need, but it has the quad balance and autoformers. There are some Mc amps that have autoformers but not the quad balanced e.g. MC252, you will want research that before you buy. Good luck.