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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
rower30 OP
211 posts
 
The KISMETS are crystal clear when auditioned against big name amps like the MOON W-8 and Boulder 1060. Where they fall short, as you might expect, is in dynamic compression at louder volumes. The soundstage gets smaller, and instrumental precision gets less separated, hurting purity of placement of each sound at higher volumes.

175 watt / lower voltage rails can only get you so much headroom. But keep it near realistic and they are really open and sweet sounding. I have no complaints about these KISMET amps. Highly recommended for smaller amps.

So, for a small amps, these are nice sounding. The C4's just pull too much from them too often. You just got to know that you can't run with the big dogs with small amps! That isn't the amps fault.
mclsound
159 posts
 
Odyssey is nothing more than a great HT amp unless your reference speaker is from the Anthem house or simular.I tried Klauses gear(4-mono's(2-red boards and 2-blue boards) and a HT-3) and only ever had one amp work flawlessly.Lost $1200 at the boarder and never looked back at Klause and his gear.I bought a Bryston 14bsst and never had a problem with it for the 3 yrs of ownership.I have since had Classe(CA-300/400),Simaudio(7ch Titan,P-8),Pass Labs(X-250),Mark Levinson(ML-333),Theta(Dreadnaught-4ch),Krell FPB-600c,600(still have these) and KSA-250,300s...Hot-yes sir but these are a amp and a half in one chassis.Try a Simaudio W-6 or W-10 mono's..they are much cheaper than the Ev series.
Ag insider logo xs@2x
edwyun
244 posts
 
As for your disdain for Class A SS amps and running hot:

They have the same longevity (and sometimes longer!) when compared to other non-Class A SS amps. I've got some Class A amps (all Nelson Pass designs) from the 80s and 90s that I still use several hours for a few days almost every week. They are still running strong. Of course, after about 15+ years of ownership, I had the supply caps replaced (as you would have to do with any amp) but that is it. They've been rock solid. I don't think running hot has anything to do with longevity in modern Class A amps.

Now, if you don't like them because they are not eco-friendly, that I can understand. But the sound is oh so good.

In any case, have fun listening to them all - including the Mac.
whitecap
120 posts
 
We have had the MC452 for six months and enjoy it tremendously. It is neutral, very clean, detailed, and overall plays back exactly what it is fed, and does it effortlessly. I would say not warm and not "romantic," but oh so musical. Not dry, not shrill, not fatiguing. The MC 452 amplifies, it does not color. It shows the differences upstream and downstream, whenever those components change. Finally, no, the MC452 did not finally propel McIntosh to the "really Hi-Fi" zone. McIntosh has been producing really Hi-Fi amps for a long, long time.
rower30 OP
211 posts
 
Power use is a concern when on 24/7, definitely.

Right now, I really like the MOON W-8 amplifier which I would buy used as better-off users move up to the new 870A model. This amps is very detailed without being harsh. It also has an expansive image left to right. And, it idles at 55 watts. Yes, it is still expensive (to me) but is an audibly better sounding amp than my KISMETS (at three times the price).

My KISMETS have worked perfectly for over a year of daily use. DEAD quiet and good sounding. They use the BLACK boards and are the ultimate KISMET edition amps. No, they aren't designed to be the be all to end all amps. They are as solidly built as about anything in their price range and better than most. Hi-end amps SHOULD sound better!

Heat, if it gets near the caps, will definitely hurt their life. There is just no way around that. Better stuff still last longer, true.
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