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Mc402 Vs. Mc452

Thanks for the feedback, Kev!
I made a serious offer for the used '452, but within my budget. Will it be enough?
We'll see.
 
kevzep said:
You guys are hilarious!!
I am the first in a long line of "power junkies" but 450 watts per channel + the 30% all Mc's I have measured seem to have, is plenty of power for anyone. Who cares if you cant bridge/mono parallel the 452, if you want to do that, go and buy two 601's....
Twiii is right about the sound, he got it spot on, I will add, the voice of the MC452 is completely different to any Mc previously manufactured, it seems a lot changed when they brought that line out (452, 601 etc etc).

If the 402 is a 352 with more output devices (and probably higher rail voltages at a guess), then get a 452, it will be "a cut above" the 402, no offense to 402 owners.
Put it this way, once I bought the 452, I stopped "chasing the dragon". I am so completely happy and have no desire to chase another amplifier. (well a pair of 601's would be nice for the subs lol)
Click to expand...
Sez the guy with a 5kw sub amp ...
 
quartersaw said:
Thanks for the feedback, Kev!
I made a serious offer for the used '452, but within my budget. Will it be enough?
We'll see.
Click to expand...

Good Luck:thumbsup:

Don't discount the MC501 and now the MC601 is starting to hit the used market. You bridge and mono block, don't know why your shooting for a stereo amp that can't be bridged though.
 
4-2-7 said:
Good Luck:thumbsup:

Don't discount the MC501 and now the MC601 is starting to hit the used market. You bridge and mono block, don't know why your shooting for a stereo amp that can't be bridged though.
Click to expand...
The MC452 is already a bridged amp, how about that 'eh!!
 
4-2-7 said:
Ok, what would you rather carry, a 452 or 501?

There is a practical reason for mono blocks
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I'd rather have the MC452, every time.

If I wanted the power of a 501, I would get 2 x MC601's as they are the same kind of flavor as the 452, as I said earlier. McIntosh knocked it out of the park with that line of amps...
But everyone is different and this is only what I would do..
 
As I sit here with my 20+year old vintage units, for me this thread is like reading an old copy of Road & Track where two writers are comparing a Ferrari vs a Lambo. Let's see who wins. I can only dream. :rolleyes:
 
Hi
I just picked up a 452 from audio classics. Shipped to so cal it was way cheaper than the amp at 6.2k. It has a 1 year warranty and they are very easy to deal with.

None of that makes it any lighter to pick up though.....
 
4-2-7 said:
Good Luck:thumbsup:

Don't discount the MC501 and now the MC601 is starting to hit the used market. You bridge and mono block, don't know why your shooting for a stereo amp that can't be bridged though.
Click to expand...
No reply to my 5K offer, so I guess that's a 'no'. Not even a counter. Two more '452's now on the 'Bay. Both above my budget...A 402 appeared on Audiogon that is affordable for me...Hmmmm....
 
ernie richau said:
Hi
I just picked up a 452 from audio classics. Shipped to so cal it was way cheaper than the amp at 6.2k. It has a 1 year warranty and they are very easy to deal with.

None of that makes it any lighter to pick up though.....
Click to expand...
May I ask how much?
 
kevzep said:
I'd rather have the MC452, every time.

If I wanted the power of a 501, I would get 2 x MC601's as they are the same kind of flavor as the 452, as I said earlier. McIntosh knocked it out of the park with that line of amps...
But everyone is different and this is only what I would do..
Click to expand...
My judgement of the 452, and 601's was a dead heat. But then again, I couldn't really 'drop the hammer' with the amps since it was in a best buy store...
 
quartersaw said:
No reply to my 5K offer, so I guess that's a 'no'. Not even a counter. Two more '452's now on the 'Bay. Both above my budget...A 402 appeared on Audiogon that is affordable for me...Hmmmm....
Click to expand...
So your trying to stay under 5000 but get into 400+ watts of newer power, glass face, without fans.
Here you will see the 402 hanging with my 501s, the PG lights come on just a littles sooner, and believe me I was blowing up this room that day.

 
4-2-7 said:
So your trying to stay under 5000 but get into 400+ watts of newer power, glass face, without fans.
Here you will see the 402 hanging with my 501s, the PG lights come on just a littles sooner, and believe me I was blowing up this room that day.

Click to expand...

You talk a lot about, PG lights, power, bridging, parallel mono, mono blocks, specs with power etc etc, more power, blowing up rooms....But at no time do you talk about the "sound", and that's where we seem to differ in what we look for in an amplifier.
You could not ever talk me into a 501, 402, they do not interest me at all as they do not sound the same as a 452, 601, I tried a few McIntosh amps, and what was driving me to keep trying was not their power and specs, but the sound, and the sound alone, almost any McIntosh amplifier is powerful enough to get the job done, but what interests me is the voice, the sound, how fatiguing they are, how velvet they are, detail, do they evoke listening emotion etc....

We are all different, but I challenge anyone to sit with a 402 for a while, then have a close and honest listen to a 452 and then make your honest appraisal in favour of the 402, and I mean some real time, not 5 mins playing Dire Straits in a store through some unfamiliar speakers.
The 452/601 is a very special amplifier, I have never heard anything quite like it, and so stopped my search when the 452 came home, I have been happy as Larry ever since I added the C48/MEN220 to that 452, for me its complete, anything else is just cream on top. C100/200? C500, C2500....maybe one day, but until I am unhappy with the current set up, it will never change.
I am a very very fussy person when it comes to sound, hell, its what I do for a living!! I do not blow the doors off my room, I listen at moderate levels, I never sit there listening at concert levels, I am not into damaging my hearing and I want to enjoy the music...
However, maybe once every few months, I might open her up a bit.......For my Mid/High speakers, I simply do not need anything more powerful than the 452, I have never had the PG's come on, never, no need.

Personally, I would try to extend the budget, the 452 is more expensive for more reasons than they are just newer.

My 2cents anyhoo.......If I ever have the money, a couple of 601's will replace my beloved Crown for low end duty.....
 
Hi
It was 5700 including shipping. No taxes as I'm out of state. I have been looking for the last 9 months or so. The cheapest I've seen a 452 was 5400 on Craigslist.

6k was the best I've been able to do on 501s although a little over a year ago I missed a pair for 5500 on craiglist.

I found 1 601 for 3750, Craigslist.

In the end I really wanted to skip Craigslist and go through audio classics for this amp. I am sure that price is beatable but I have piece of mind dealing with them.
 
ernie richau said:
Hi
It was 5700 including shipping. No taxes as I'm out of state. I have been looking for the last 9 months or so. The cheapest I've seen a 452 was 5400 on Craigslist.

6k was the best I've been able to do on 501s although a little over a year ago I missed a pair for 5500 on craiglist.

I found 1 601 for 3750, Craigslist.

In the end I really wanted to skip Craigslist and go through audio classics for this amp. I am sure that price is beatable but I have piece of mind dealing with them.
Click to expand...
So what do you think of both the 501s and 452? did you have them at the same time and listen to any difference?
 
kevzep said:
But at no time do you talk about the "sound", and that's where we seem to differ in what we look for in an amplifier.
Click to expand...
I don't need to talk about sound or how they sound to me really, who ever buys there own equipment will be the deciding factor as to SQ for themselves. In this thread there is a few things to look at, power, time frame, and budget.
 
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