accuphase compare to mcintosh

I switched from McIntosh to Accuphase after I did some side-by-side comparison between my MC202 and my friend's A20. The MC202 is rated at 200 wpc (smallest model with autoformers), and the A20 is rated at 20 into 8 ohms and 40 into 4 ohms.

I was shocked at the improvement I got from the Accuphase. Maybe it's because it's class A, or maybe it's just because I like the sound signature better, but after a couple of days I couldn't go back to my Mac. The Accuphase was just so much smoother and more pleasurable to listen to. Hardly any drop of in the bass department, either, which I found most impressive.

I wound up buying an A50 here on audiogon. New, I could never have afforded one. One of the best purchases I've ever made.

MC202 and Accuphase A20 or A50 is not exactly apples to apples.

I wasn't comparing anything to the A50, and the MC202 is as close to a match to the A20 as you're going to see. Remember, Accuphase is grossly marked up here in the US. The A20 was built in 1995 and listed for approximately 320000 yen, which is around $3900 US. The MC202 was built in 2003, and listed for $3300. Both fall at the bottom of their respective manufacturer's amp line-ups.

Also, I'm not saying one is better than the other. I'm only saying that, to my ears, I thoroughly enjoyed the Accuphase over the McIntosh. YMMV..

Audiozen,
You'll have to forgive my skepticism. 'Quality' as NASA defines it has nothing to do with the sound quality of a part in a particular application. Parts' 'efficiency' in dealing with extreme conditions has nothing to do with electrical 'efficiency' and has only to deal with reliability in meeting specified electrical properties/values within an acceptable minimum range of error under a variety of adverse conditions. The fact that all those parts you mention are 'considered NASA grade quality and classification but are not used in military or aerospace programs but for high end audio products only' means what exactly? Who determines that they are 'NASA grade' if they are not so deemed by NASA?

Nevertheless, I agree that Accuphase uses better-sounding parts, on average, than McIntosh.

Boy...how dumb can you get?..quality as NASA defines it has nothing to do with sound quality ?..Dead wrong..example..a medium NASA grade capacitor from V-Cap can cost up to $ 300 per cap..due to its dielectric materials..speed..and clean sound they are known for..more liquid..a lower grade cap with the same capacitance with cheaper dielectric materials costs $ 30.00..who determines their NASA grade?..the circuit and layout designers and the companies they work for..thats who..why do you think 100% OF ALL HIGH END COMPONENTS HAVE NASA GRADE PARTS.. BETTER SOUND QUALITY..if that were not the case the high end market would be dead and Audiophiles would just buy their electronics at Radio Shack...