Mcintosh Separates...


Hi Folks,

I am considering a Mac C220 pre amp and an MC 252 power amp to match it to from my dealer. Is this a good upgrade from an MA 6500 integrated that I've loved/owned? My dealer says separates are better sonically than the integrated. I want to believe him, but I also hear integrateds have come a LONG way! So, please share your ideas/thoughts on this, and what advantages I could expect by upgrading. Many thanks...Brian.
trumpetbri
in the world of ss mcintosh, the autoformer models generally 'sound' like a true upgrade over the models that don't have them.
I agree with Jaybo I have owned many Mc amps in the past and the models w/autoformers far exceed the performance of those without. As a side note a recent thread here asked about the 252 vs. the 402 and you may want to look at a used 402 before you buy or if you can buy the new 402. The double balanced circuitry quiets the noise floor, the 252 does not have this circuitry. Just an opinion of course.
Thanks Folks. What are the sonic advantages with the autoformer's that you've found?
In other words, what sound wise is better with autoformers? Smoothness, transparency, openness etc? I own Magnepan MG 12 speakers that mated well with the MA 6500. Thanks again...Brian.
I listed to the MA7000 and the C220/MC252 combo a couple of weeks ago at a dealer. I thought the MA7000 sounded better, even though its based on the same amp. It was clearer in the highs, more detailed, but still very refined sounding. I thought the C220 sounded un-naturally warm by comparison.