MC501's Vs MC402
- Thread starter jimmyc1996
- Start date
william.keith
Super Member
Congratulations Mike! I made a similar upgrade (352 for 501s) a couple of months ago. Your words describe the change perfectly...the 352 was terrific, but the 501s are on another level... WOW! :thmbsp:
Enjoy!
All I know is that, for our mains, we went from a pair of B&W 805 Matrix driven by a Sunfire 5-channel amp to a pair of B&W 803 Nautilus driven by MC501s. The sound difference is astounding, although is obviously hard to say how much is the speaker upgrade vs. the MC501 amps.
Thanks you.
I have it wired with Lat International SS1000D speaker cables. Interconnect Granite Audio IC 470 single crystal silver and some Audioquest King Cobra as I swap it out for more Granite Audio stuff. The Granite audio stuff is kind of pricey. The floor is concrete. I plan to add some amp stands, sound anchors after I upgrade my MC402 to a pair of MC501s. I have a twin Salamander Synergy 40 that I use for my source components
2 x MC501 superior than 1 x MC402
I have similar Installation:
MX135 to 2 x MC501 for front and 3 x MC402 for remaining suround speakers. I can recomend it as an excellent system, also I plan to change next year to replace the MX135 with upcoming AP1000 and the 2xMC501 I will change to 2xMC 1.2KW.
I feel the MC501 is superior over the MC402:
I have similar Installation:
MX135 to 2 x MC501 for front and 3 x MC402 for remaining suround speakers. I can recomend it as an excellent system, also I plan to change next year to replace the MX135 with upcoming AP1000 and the 2xMC501 I will change to 2xMC 1.2KW.
I feel the MC501 is superior over the MC402:
mike175gr
Super Member
I have been spending some more time with my MC-501 amps and the previous descriptions that have been posted are totally right on the mark! (Thank you Victor!)
I really liked my MC-402 and it is a GREAT amp, but the change to the 501s has been very, very satisfying..
I am horrible at describing these things, but the three dimensionality of the music has been significantly improved to an almost spooky reproduction level...
There does also seem to be more "grip" on the lower end and more detail all around. I am also not just saying this to make myself feel better about spending the additional cash, I really do notice a BIG improvement....
I am using the 4 ohm taps as I did with my MC-402.
Now my center and surrounds need some improvement... Where is a dirt cheap MC-207 when you need one?
M
I really liked my MC-402 and it is a GREAT amp, but the change to the 501s has been very, very satisfying..
I am horrible at describing these things, but the three dimensionality of the music has been significantly improved to an almost spooky reproduction level...
There does also seem to be more "grip" on the lower end and more detail all around. I am also not just saying this to make myself feel better about spending the additional cash, I really do notice a BIG improvement....
I am using the 4 ohm taps as I did with my MC-402.
Now my center and surrounds need some improvement... Where is a dirt cheap MC-207 when you need one?
M
Victor
Super Member
I'm glad you are enjoying your MC501s. :thmbsp:
I know what you mean by "spooky reproduction" sometimes I listen with my eyes closed and it makes me dizzy. That is good imaging. :yes:
Victor
501 nirvana
I spent the day listening to a pair of 501's for the first time.Compared them to the mc275's. The 501's are absolutely unbelievable in their ability to reveal every nuance of the music with total grip and a seamless spread from the treble to the lower end.
The trim treble function on the c2300 was amazing in just getting things right on some tracks,and it was not many, that just needed to be pulled back ever so slightly.
I was in heaven.
My dilemma is that I use Sonus faber Cremonas in an average sized room.My head says overkill...my heart says, go for it.
Altogether ,a difficult decision.
I spent the day listening to a pair of 501's for the first time.Compared them to the mc275's. The 501's are absolutely unbelievable in their ability to reveal every nuance of the music with total grip and a seamless spread from the treble to the lower end.
The trim treble function on the c2300 was amazing in just getting things right on some tracks,and it was not many, that just needed to be pulled back ever so slightly.
I was in heaven.
My dilemma is that I use Sonus faber Cremonas in an average sized room.My head says overkill...my heart says, go for it.
Altogether ,a difficult decision.
Well, I have stumbled across a pair of Mc501 mono-blocks used for an excellent price. I have no qualms buying used, and the price is certainly right. I am using fairly new (~a month old) Monitor Audio GS60 as mains. I think these are phenomenal speakers for the price, but I was wondering if pairing the MC501s to them would be foolish (ie like pairing an Esoteric CD player to a Yamaha Receiver). The price I am looking at for the 501s is only about 1000 more than a 402 sells for used.
I do think the GS60 really punches out of its class. I directly compared them to Paradigm Reference S8 and Dali Helicon 400 and I thought they were actually better than the S8 and every bit the equal to the Helicon, only very different. Helicons were really laid back and the GS60 a bit more forward in presentation, something I personally like about them. I could not do a side-by-side to B&W 802D, which seem to be a favorite around here, but I thought they held their own against the non-D 802s I listened to as well. Maybe it's because I am a bit of a Monitor Audio fanboy, lol. I know that if/when I upgrade speakers it will probably be to PL300s.
I do think the GS60 really punches out of its class. I directly compared them to Paradigm Reference S8 and Dali Helicon 400 and I thought they were actually better than the S8 and every bit the equal to the Helicon, only very different. Helicons were really laid back and the GS60 a bit more forward in presentation, something I personally like about them. I could not do a side-by-side to B&W 802D, which seem to be a favorite around here, but I thought they held their own against the non-D 802s I listened to as well. Maybe it's because I am a bit of a Monitor Audio fanboy, lol. I know that if/when I upgrade speakers it will probably be to PL300s.
Chad.Wagner
Active Member
I have a pair of GR20s with MC501s and the improvement over my MC252 was substantial. The MC501s are a great choice. I hope to hear the PL300s and I have heard they need a big amp.
I was going thru some of these old threads and I thought I would add my 2 cents worth. A week ago a changed out my 402 for 501's. I really didn't expect the difference I am hearing. I can hardly pull myself away from my system. I has assumed that the two would be similar, but not so. That extra 100WPC should not have made much of a difference since I never really pushed the 402. The 501's control my hard to drive speakers much better. The 501's have a better low end, better mids. At least in my system, they are just a better match. I knew that I was missing something and was considering trying the Ayre MXR's, Pass 600.5's or the MBL monoblocks. Not now. I will just play with inter-connects etc for something to do. Now back to the music.
Totally agree. Upgraditis is hard to cure but the MC501s are strong medicine. I'm set for al least the next five years with the 501s on my front channels. The Pass Labs 600.5 for example, are great amps. Problems is I no longer buy brands where the company is named after the owner and the owner is near retirement age. Companies like Mcintosh have many engineers and if somone retires that brand does not suffer . When companies like say Dunlavy Speakers are sold and the designer/owner is no longer at the helm, they can sometimes sink fast. Mcintosh is a brand, philisophy and concept where it will likely never cease to be a player in the high-end market. When Nelson Pass is no longer designing, we''ll see. I"ve already experienced this a couple of times. It's one of the reasons, that I'll likely own at least some Mcintosh products as long as I enjoy this hobby.
Kevin, you make excellent points. In fact that is what moved me towards McIntosh a few years ago. I was tired of purchasing the new no-name must have item, which a year later you could not get 30%-40% of its price back. I know some will disagree with me, but I do not think Mac is perceived as cutting edge. It is viewed as well made, with great support, and that it holds its value better than just about anything out there. If and when I decide to upgrade, I know there will be a market out there for MacIntosh, just like there was for my B&W 802d's. Plus I know that if there are better products out there, they are marginally better, and they will probably cost me a lot more, a good portion of which I would be paying for the exclusivity factor.
McIntosh IS named after a person - Frank H McIntosh .....
But still You have many points that are ABSOLUTELY correct! :thmbsp:
Cheers!
misterdoggy1
Well-Known Member
That is true that McIntosh is dead and the company name is now an Icon of Stereophile, but whats in a name anyhow.
I have the 501's driving L,R,C 802D's and HTM1D and 252 driving the Rears 804S' and could not be happier.
I was upgratis every few months until I hit the 501's. Why would one need "more" power. I read where someone said the 802D's were power hungry, but I have found them to sound well with even 150 watt amplifier from Pass to 200 watts and finally 501's. They are very easy to satisfy.
Nelson Pass makes some great sounding Amplifier, and is right up there with the very creme de la creme like Mark Levinson 32's, or Top Krell, or Classe CAM's, or any or the other top Amps out there including McIntosh.
How hungry your speaker is will determine you power requirements, but the 501's are plenty to drive 802D's or even 800D's or the htm1d.
I have the 501's driving L,R,C 802D's and HTM1D and 252 driving the Rears 804S' and could not be happier.
I was upgratis every few months until I hit the 501's. Why would one need "more" power. I read where someone said the 802D's were power hungry, but I have found them to sound well with even 150 watt amplifier from Pass to 200 watts and finally 501's. They are very easy to satisfy.
Nelson Pass makes some great sounding Amplifier, and is right up there with the very creme de la creme like Mark Levinson 32's, or Top Krell, or Classe CAM's, or any or the other top Amps out there including McIntosh.
How hungry your speaker is will determine you power requirements, but the 501's are plenty to drive 802D's or even 800D's or the htm1d.
In addition to listening around town and other research, this thread was one I read with great interest before making my speaker & amp purchase ~6 weeks ago. I went from thinking I'd get something like a NAD amp paired with something like middle-of-their-range floorstanding Totem speakers.
Had I kept to my budget, I would have been very happy with a such a combination - excellent stuff and a 'reasonable' price point and evidence of what great stuff is available along the whole price spectrum. However, I listened to Mac for the first time in years, and some of the higher-end speakers. What dawned on us (was bringing Boss Girl along to work the WAF
) was that we'd end up upgrading a bunch since opening Pandora's box by looking at equipment better than what's available at the chain stores for the first time in years. Yes, my ascetic discipline broke down!:yes:
Bottom-line: we figured we'd get what we really like, starting with the speakers & power amps (3x501s driving B&W802Ds & a HTM2D, with a 402 to come to drive the 803Ds in the back), then build upstream (pre/pro and sources). That way, since the "electronics" have a much shorter half-life, we may buy the successor models to what's current. Right now, I'm running a current model Yamaha receiver as my pre/pro and enjoying it all compared to the 25 year old Infinity speakers I just moved up to the bedroom.
All of us have differing needs and paths to the ideal system (and really enjoy following Ivan's journey:drool
. So far, this has worked for me once I became serious about sinking some real money in to a system.
As has been said by others of their systems, it's a bit overkill for the room now, but that doesn't take away from the enjoyment, and maybe the next house will have a listening room built around the setup!:scratch2:
Had I kept to my budget, I would have been very happy with a such a combination - excellent stuff and a 'reasonable' price point and evidence of what great stuff is available along the whole price spectrum. However, I listened to Mac for the first time in years, and some of the higher-end speakers. What dawned on us (was bringing Boss Girl along to work the WAF
) was that we'd end up upgrading a bunch since opening Pandora's box by looking at equipment better than what's available at the chain stores for the first time in years. Yes, my ascetic discipline broke down!:yes:Bottom-line: we figured we'd get what we really like, starting with the speakers & power amps (3x501s driving B&W802Ds & a HTM2D, with a 402 to come to drive the 803Ds in the back), then build upstream (pre/pro and sources). That way, since the "electronics" have a much shorter half-life, we may buy the successor models to what's current. Right now, I'm running a current model Yamaha receiver as my pre/pro and enjoying it all compared to the 25 year old Infinity speakers I just moved up to the bedroom.
All of us have differing needs and paths to the ideal system (and really enjoy following Ivan's journey:drool
. So far, this has worked for me once I became serious about sinking some real money in to a system.As has been said by others of their systems, it's a bit overkill for the room now, but that doesn't take away from the enjoyment, and maybe the next house will have a listening room built around the setup!:scratch2:
Jerry, you are a lucky man. Singapore is a great location for hi-end audio. There are few cities where you can go and hear just about every high end piece out there in just a couple of stops. I pass thru at least once a month and usually head over to the Adelphi Building to see what's new even if its just for an hour. I also like the way I am treated even though they know I am just looking and listening because none is 110v.McIntosh IS named after a person - Frank H McIntosh .....
But still You have many points that are ABSOLUTELY correct! :thmbsp:
Cheers!
