Amp/Preamp Asylum: REVIEW: McIntosh MC402 Amplifier (SS) by Lemoco Looking for a new Amp or Preamp? If you're after tubes, post over here.

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Model:	MC402
Category:	Amplifier (SS)
Suggested Retail Price:	$5100.
Description:	400 WPC stereo amplifier
Manufacturer URL:	McIntosh

Review by Lemoco on April 13, 2008 at 19:57:09 IP Address: 63.105.17.107

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I’m a second-generation audiophile. When I was ten years old, my father would take me on Saturday to his favorite high-end stereo store to ogle at the McIntosh gear. That was nearly forty-seven years ago, and I’ll bet that sanctuary of components my father and I worshiped at all of those years ago are still being bought and sold on eBay for more money than they went for originally – and still working!

Since then I’ve been around the HiFi block. I’ve owned ridiculous systems that reproduced the decibel levels and sound quality of a public address system, and boutique components that, while amazing on paper, had no soul. The hucksters at the audio boutiques said problem was my cables; my room treatments; speaker placement; synergies; the slight wobble of a star in a near by galaxy – I needed an anti-stellar isolation device ($9,995.99 in rosewood).

Rather than attempting to achieve unification between my stereo and the expanding universe, I decided to take my dad’s advice and buy McIntosh gear. I bought a new C2200 tube preamp and the MC402 solid-state power amplifier. I connected the two with a pair of Audioquest Columbia balanced cables with DBS. Right out of the box, these components had soul – they are truly soul brothers.

The sound stage is huge, and decidedly three-dimensional. The attack component of each note – regardless of the frequency – is crisp and defined, without being strident. The bass is strong, resolved and controlled, but not polite. Recordings with thundering bass reproduce thundering bass. When Leroy Vinegar walks his stand-up bass, I hear steel, wood and flesh with every note. I hate components that achieve transparency by tippy-toeing around the signal. MC402 shoots you in the chest with it. The music emanates from absolute blackness and that’s how I listen to it – with the light off.

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Product Weakness:	None
Product Strengths:	Top Quality, US Made

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Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier:	McIntosh MC402
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	McIntosh C2200
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	VPI Scout w/ Grado Master
Speakers:	Paradigm Reference Studio 100
Cables/Interconnects:	Audioquest Columbia
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Jazz, Funk
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Panamax 5500
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

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