MAC Autoformers?

go with a model with autoformers.

The MC7200 is one of the finest amps ever made by McIntosh BECAUSE it does not have autoformers (another being the MC122 - no meters though, 80w).

You have to admit this is confusing. Now it seems that Mac uses the autoformers in the "higher end" units. Why would the do that if it hurt performance? I can't imagine they don't have technical competence and the autoformer is some kind of bandaid for inferior SS design chops. Aball, where are you?

I would guess that that a Mac with autoformer will sound good => better => best depending on the speaker load. A very demanding speaker load, the autoformer will be of a benefit, therefore, in theory, better sounding. A speaker with a very benign load will sound better when used with a non-autoformer amplifier due to the simpler topology. Or, you can listen to both amplifiers and pick the one that sounds the best to your ears, but that makes for a very poor forum discussion.

If it gives such great benefit why don't other companies use them? It is quite true that transformers are a mature technology so if they gave an improvement in this area it should have been seized on by many of the "cost no object" amplifier designers. Krell , for example, will drive very low impedance loads at least as well as the Mac without transformers. The question here is whether their prime purpose is to improve the sound or protect the amplifier. Since the transformer is the prime weakness of tube designs it is hard to see how it will help SS ones.