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MC 452 Thoughts?

grillebilly said:
Buying from AC gives piece of mind, knowing you are not getting someone else's problems. I bought my preamp from them, stated B1 condition. Like others have said, it looked as new, came with a remote and owners manual that looked like they were never opened. Also came in the factory boxes.
I think I dealt with Steve but my memory is short. No tax unless you live in NY.
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I paid a hefty chunk of sales tax on the '452, but I didn't want to buy it anywhere else.
 
Its fortunate I live in Texas, if I lived in New York I would have to buy tubed units at Audio Classics to keep the house warm. My favorite tubed amp is the 3500. It was a fantastic amp. I should have bought some when I had the chance but I wanted to bi amp so I bought two original 275's instead. Could you imagine having 4 MC 3500's. A friend of mine had a pair of Moorish Concert grands like mine but he use MC 3500's and I used two MC 275's to bi-amp. I preferred my tonal balance and accuracy, but his dynamics were awesome. You could feel chest compressions even though the meters said only 35 watts. Even now with my 207's tri- amped with added supper tweeters I still don't get that chest compression with my speakers like my friend did with his 3500's operating full range at 35 watts indicated. Seeing his grill cloth flap in front of the woofers was a real I opener. ML-4s couldn't give that compression with a 2300 like Grands did with 3500's. Of course they were 6 db more efficient. Now a pair of ML-4's stacked with a pair of 2300's was and entirely different story. Wouldn't it be fun to have two pair set of ML-4's with a columns from a pair of XRT 22's? But then a pair of XR 290's would be my preferred choice With a 452 in a small room and a pair of 1.2K or 1201's in a large room just in case.
 
twiiii said:
Its fortunate I live in Texas, if I lived in New York I would have to buy tubed units at Audio Classics to keep the house warm. My favorite tubed amp is the 3500. It was a fantastic amp. I should have bought some when I had the chance but I wanted to bi amp so I bought two original 275's instead. Could you imagine having 4 MC 3500's. A friend of mine had a pair of Moorish Concert grands like mine but he use MC 3500's and I used two MC 275's to bi-amp. I preferred my tonal balance and accuracy, but his dynamics were awesome. You could feel chest compressions even though the meters said only 35 watts. Even now with my 207's tri- amped with added supper tweeters I still don't get that chest compression with my speakers like my friend did with his 3500's operating full range at 35 watts indicated. Seeing his grill cloth flap in front of the woofers was a real I opener. ML-4s couldn't give that compression with a 2300 like Grands did with 3500's. Of course they were 6 db more efficient. Now a pair of ML-4's stacked with a pair of 2300's was and entirely different story. Wouldn't it be fun to have two pair set of ML-4's with a columns from a pair of XRT 22's? But then a pair of XR 290's would be my preferred choice With a 452 in a small room and a pair of 1.2K or 1201's in a large room just in case.
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Wait until you see what I’m working on ... ;)
 
twiiii said:
Its fortunate I live in Texas, if I lived in New York I would have to buy tubed units at Audio Classics to keep the house warm. My favorite tubed amp is the 3500. It was a fantastic amp. I should have bought some when I had the chance but I wanted to bi amp so I bought two original 275's instead. Could you imagine having 4 MC 3500's. A friend of mine had a pair of Moorish Concert grands like mine but he use MC 3500's and I used two MC 275's to bi-amp. I preferred my tonal balance and accuracy, but his dynamics were awesome. You could feel chest compressions even though the meters said only 35 watts. Even now with my 207's tri- amped with added supper tweeters I still don't get that chest compression with my speakers like my friend did with his 3500's operating full range at 35 watts indicated. Seeing his grill cloth flap in front of the woofers was a real I opener. ML-4s couldn't give that compression with a 2300 like Grands did with 3500's. Of course they were 6 db more efficient. Now a pair of ML-4's stacked with a pair of 2300's was and entirely different story. Wouldn't it be fun to have two pair set of ML-4's with a columns from a pair of XRT 22's? But then a pair of XR 290's would be my preferred choice With a 452 in a small room and a pair of 1.2K or 1201's in a large room just in case.
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My '452 is in a relatively small room (14'X15') and I can feel my hair move from the air that my 4 15" speakers is pushing at a crisp volume.
 
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kevzep said:
Well, the MC452 is the sweet spot in the McIntosh amplifier line up, both for performance and price.

My search ended when I got my MC452, I have not once had a hankering for another amplifier.
It does everything so well. Its the most incredibly resolving amplifier, if velvet had a sound, then this is what the 452 does, but at the same time with unparalleled detail.
It is the easiest amplifier to listen to, you can turn it up and up and up to unimaginable levels and yet, its got such an easy-to-listen-to presentation, and yet at low level listening it retains all that too.

You will never regret owning a 452.....go for it, sooner rather than later!!

In summary, the nest amplifier I have ever heard!!
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I will join the love fest! My McIntosh journey started with a MC2205, then a pair of MC2205s, which I thought were absolutely fantastic! Well, the move to the MC452 was a quantum improvement. Like Kev, it is the best amplifier I have ever heard. Its so very dynamic, yet there is no listener fatigue, ever. The sound stage is remarkable with such a low noise floor. Absolutely amazing power, only now that I have XRT-28 speakers, can I approach this amp's capabilities. This amp has ended my upgrade-itis once and for all. Do yourself a favor and keep on the path to a MC452!
Here is the thread from my MC452 purchase
https://www.audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/new-mc-452-first-impressions.826302/
 
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