McIntosh MA252 Hybrid Integrated Amp


Does anyone own or have heard this integrated?Is it Mac light or the real deal?Also, for those that know, how does the on board phono pre sound or compare to an outboard. Thanks Paul
scarbpaul12
I was also curious to how much grunt this amp has. Can it grab control and drive relatively in efficient speakers?
On the McIntosh forum, the guys that have the MA252 absolutely LOVE it.  Green LEDs or not, that has nothing to do with the sound and the Mac is definitely better than a cheap Schitt Mani phono and has 3 times the power of a Prima Luna HP integrated.  The resale value is also much better as well.  Lastly, it sounds fantastic as I heard it at Audio Classics.
Tried it out for awhile. Is all SS. Even my dealer said the tubes are just jewelry.  Ended up with the mc275.
One of my audio buddies who is not a McIntosh fan heard the MA252 driving a pair of Focal Kanta speakers (not sure if they were the 2's or 3's) and reported that they paired very well.

I have McIntosh separates driving a pair of Focal Sopra No2's, speakers that need a more "warm" sounding amp, and it appears from my friend's comments, that the MA252 drives the Focal's very well.
I wasn't impressed. I bought one of the very first units that hit the market. It didn't have enough juice to drive my Gemme Audio Katana speakers. I replaced it with Gold Note IS1000, a much better integrated amp.