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Is McIntosh really Hi-Fi, finally MC452

OK, I'm about worn-out looking at hi-fi amps, maybe not super hi-fi, but what 8K can get you as a new reference point.

So many amps have serious user shortcomings. They either eat your power lines to putty at idle (X350.5) or get so hot they likely wear out in short order (Plinius SA-103 and even the X350.5).

Parasound Halo JC-1's and ANTHEM P2 seem to be more reasonbable on the idle power and heat equation as far as "typical" consideration go....Then I come across the McIntosh MC452.

I know, McIntosh makes romantic "feeling" amplifiers. But wait...the MC452 seems to have turned a tide of sorts. It's NOT your fathers McIntosh. But which son or daughter's piece is it?

The MC452 unit make tremendous sense on paper. Good current (I use C4' series II speakers), reasonable price, seems to be power efficient at idle (I don't mind using power WHEN I'm listening to it!), USA manufacture with superb build quality.

How does this unit's sound fit into the world of modern SS amps, though? Putting aside lousy usability and just listening quality, what's the score on the MC452's sound compared to Plinius SA-103, PASS LABS X350.5 or the Ayer V-5xe?

I like a sound that is NOT impressionistic and blurry, and where the music sounds like it went through the chamber in the "fly" movie, where everything that went into the time and location chamber is fused together on the other side. No, I like a more rich deliniated sound. More red than pink if you will. Pink doesn't know what color it wants to be, it's "fly" created with white and red blended). I like red to stay red if that's what it is.

Is the MC452 amplifier really fast and detailed relative to what is expected of SS designs? Is McIntosh really letting lose of the old house sound with a real contender? I know, you don't think of McIntosh with detailed accurate sound. Are we missing something? Are we being fair with this new amplifier that seems to have changed it's spots?

Those who bought this amp, what were your experience? I have to drive awhile to get near a dealer, so a spot check of general consensus would be nice before I waste gas that could be put in the bank for an amplifier.
rower30
doggiehowser
672 posts
 
How is the SA-103 short lived? I have seen very old variants of the 102 and 100 still pumping to this day.
gshepardbuster's avatar
gshepardbuster
620 posts
 
FWIW I am a longtime Mcowner. I have had their amps since around 96. The new 452,601,1.2 and the like are of a different pedigree than the 402,501, and 1201 that they replaced. I had owned the MC 500 since the 90's and it is warmer and of the old house sound. With each new series Mac has moved a few steps away from the house sound of the past. One thing remains constant is they are all easy on the ears being never bright or too aggressive. I have heard the 452 with Focal, current model and unknown but this amp is transparent, faster, tighter, and more tonally neutral than the series it replaces.
rower30 OP
211 posts
 
...How is the SA-103 short lived...

Easy, have you tried to TOUCH one? Heat is the nemesis of longevity, regardless of how good it sounds prior to wear. Heat is heat. The top and bottom of the unit get very, very, warm too. It isn't isolated to the hat sinks.

As far as the MV452 goes, speakers have two insidious behavior issues that amps do not like.
- Thermal compression caused by the voice coil heating. This changes the speaker impedance with respect to current.
- Impedance and phase fluctuation with respect to frequency.

Both issues happen simultaneously in a speaker under power, which is NEVER a set impedance. The Autoformer set-up isolates the amp from this bad stuff, but at a price compared to direct-coupled amplifiers. The frequency response of the amplifier will vary more depending on how well the three (2,4 or 8 ohm) binder posts match the speaker impedance. Bass and Treble will change some and never be exactly right looking into the speaker. The speaker won't allow it. You can get close, but never as exact as a direct-coupled amplifier.
whart's avatar
whart
3,036 posts
 
Rower, talk to A-ball here, whose system thread is 'To see the Music,' he uses that amp among 4 or 5 others with his horns, and loves it. And, he's probably had some of the others you mentioned.
Me, I owned my first Mc piece in 1973 or so, and have had equipment from a variety of different manufacturers, mainly tube gear. As you will see, I have no Mc in my current system, and tend toward the esoteric, so I'm not saying positive things because I currently use their gear.* I would have no concerns about whether it is "high end,' particularly given the flavor of the month approach- witness Halcro, the best amp in the world 5 or so years ago, now dimly viewed. (I'm not dumping on Halcro, just using it as an illustration). They may not be the last word in one or another hi-fi attributes, but that's hardly the test of whether they make music. I do think the amp-speaker relationship is synergistic, though, and you should listen to them in your home for a week or more before you buy. (And yes, in some ways, they do play to that Harley type image of an old line, traditional American brand that has a distinctive 'look,' but when I used to have bikes, I also owned a Harley among some Italian exotica and enjoyed the hell out of it).
And, whoever said resale value is strong is right. They have a loyal following. There's a lot to be said for 'set and forget' rather than tweaking to death.
Good luck.
*My big home theatre electronics are Mc- after years of running ARC tube amps and Meridian processor for a large projection system. Their stuff is pretty bulletproof on that front too.
doggiehowser
672 posts
 
I have the SA-Reference and I use it in Class A mode for serious listening and yes it does get hot. But I have seen friends with much older SA-100s and 102s that have stood the test of time.

The Macs run in AB mode I think which helps to reduce heat output. The SAs can also run in this mode. Not too bad too IMHO and I use this mode for background listening (like now) or during summer :)
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