62 -- Total respect for the MAC 1500 and its performance capability. But the Stereophile review on (I believe it was) a Fisher 500C receiver was conducted under questionable test conditions (for example, measuring phono EQ response at the Reverb Output jacks), with clearly something wrong with the receiver tested, or the test conditions used -- yet the results were not questioned, but taken as a representative example. It really didn't get a fair shake. The 500C will regularly produce 30 watts RMS (1 kHz, single channel driven) into 4, 8, or 16 Ohms, with more typically today, THD coming in at no less than 0.5% at rated power output under the stated conditions. With a fortunate set of decently matched American output tubes however, it will come in lower.
The Common output terminal of the 500C operates above ground level. I can't help but think that with glowing output tube plates, the published results were more the result of (possibly again) improper test connections/conditions than anything else.
Dave