I received the McIntosh MC152 and thanks to a McIntosh Unboxing Video online, it helped me get this heavy amp out of the box safely by myself. The unit looks really nice, and I am one that loves the blue meters. I let the amp warm up for an hour before I used it with my NAD 658 preamp and Focal Aria 926 speakers.
The first thing I will say is the amp is not dark, warm, or dull. It has a very big bass representation, smooth mids, and pleasant top end. Compared to my original Adcom 555 amp, the sound is a little larger, details on instruments are pulled more a little forward and heard better. The sound is refined, it has this elegant sound that is really nice. I know there are times people try to justify things they buy, but if this amp did not make a very good impression, I would have sent it back and purchased a Parasound JC5 amp.
Alot of our purchases are emotional ones and I think that is overlooked too much. I think part of the emotional appeal to McIntosh is that the product is made in America where they provide enough wages for people to live in the area of Binghamton New York. Yes, audio gear made in America cost more than someplace in China. Those overseas facilities, you don’t know anything about the work environment, quality control, and how many audio companies are using the same parts. You can tour the McIntosh facility and there are online videos that shows the gear being made. I'm proud that McIntosh makes equipment at their facility and have no issues paying a little more for gear which supports workers who live in New York State.
I know some class D amps are clean and have great base depth. However, when comparing it to class AB amps, the Class D can have less meat on the bone. Some may prefer that more neutral sound and many will be drawn to an amp that has a little more umph to it. The MC152 which is not Class D does not ooze a heavy character. It has a gentle smooth sound while still being clean and detailed. I read where some don’t want some Class D amps because the small modules inside are not worth more than a couple hundred dollar that is put in a metal box that charge thousands of dollars for. Others say you’re paying for the R&D of these amps and don’t have an issue with them.
I like the gentle character of this amp. It does not affect the clean detailed top end that the amp provides. I don’t need to put the volume past 50% on my NAD as its pretty loud. It seems to have a good amount of headroom. I highly recommend this amp and though it was a costly price, it was worth it for me.
