Talk me out of buying Monoblocks and into a stereo amp instead

@dman777 

I believe my tastes have changed in regard to how music is presented. In my audiophile journey, I always preferred warmth. I loved tubes, but they have limitations. McIntosh was the closest solid state, sounding like tubes but with tremendous balls. The only other amp I have heard to provide bass similar to the MC 611s was a Gryphon Diablo 300. 

I did have a Luxman 590 AXII, which was a disaster in my system. My current McIntosh system is far superior. 

I believe the C12000 is a great preamp, and my recent audition presented as 'cleaner and more detailed than my C2700' albeit at a $16K cost. However, I did audition the Luxman M10X which sounded glorious. I believe the Luxman presents as the middle-ground between a McIntosh system and Soulution. Still, from what I recall, the Luxman did not provide the magic that the Solution did.

I would spend a lot of time auditioning different components to do it right the first time!

+1 for all of the above who voted for monoblocks. I love mine.

@dman777 'Warmth' and detail do not have to be a tradeoff. 

@mike4597 

Loves me some Odyssey!!

I have owned both. And I cannot rationalize the M462 over 611s if the cost is irrelevant based on performance alone. 

There are other implications including space, logistics of set-up and connectivity that could favor a stereo versus monoblocks. 
 

There are outstanding stereo amplifiers and McIntosh’s product line has many more monoblocks designs at its higher end lines.