Mcintosh or Classe

FRUFF1976: I have been an audiophile/music lover for about 50 years and have owned many fine amplifiers. Just to name a few: Audio Research D76a, D-150, Spectral DMA-200, Krell FPB 200, Edge M8, Luminance Audio 150, McIntosh MC30's, MC240, MC275 and I will say that overall, the MCINTOSH MC402 is the best sounding amp I've ever owned. MAC has a real winner with this amp. I also use the North American Products H-Cat P-12R (X7) preamp. a computer -based music system, Duntech Sovereign speakers and I absolutely satified with the sound and for the first time my wife (who has such great hearing that she can hear a rat urinating on a piece of cotton) says the sound for the first time in all these years sounds alive. When you get the wife to say that, you're in audio heaven. By the way power cables are very important for best performance and I use Prana Wire which INH0 is about as good as it gets, price be damned. Just my two cents worth. Enjoy the music and the hobby.

Just put a down payment on the MC402. I listened to it at the dealer through PSB synchrony one's and it sounded very sweet. I'll be getting it in October.

Wireless, I bought the BAT since I wanted to introduce tubes into my system prior to owning the Mac Power amp. Ideally, I would prefer to have a Mac pre (ideally the one you own) to match with the 402, but I'm thinking a more pressing need would be to replace my speakers.

My dealer said it will be about another week on the c2300. Will let you know how it sounds with the 402.

I'm trading my MC402 for a Classe CA-2200. You didn't say what speakers you were using. With the McIntosh C2300 and the MC402 my Martin Logan speakers sound as engaging as week old dog turds. After a short listen you think it's fine but listen longer and you realize it's just not right. I think amps with autoformers need a uniform impedence curve over most of the spectrum. If your speakers impedence gets real low at the frequency extremes you will not get the extension and air that gives music it's emotional content. Oddly, the C2300 and CA-2200 turned out to have great synergy, much better than a Classe preamp with the Classe amp. I will have to get used to the disparate styling.