well...I have a single 402...with Mark Levinson preamp (380s) and CD (390)...with Martin Logans....MIT Shotgun cabling....REL sub...and I must say that the combo is extraordinary.....the ML electronics are somewhat reserved...cool....very detailed....great soundstage....mate them with the in your face warm, meaty, extra power to spare Mac...and it is wonderful. I listened to the mono blocks (501) and could not justify the price difference for what I heard.
Mcintosh 501 monoblocks vs. 402
Hi. I am struggling on which to buy. Paul Seydor from The Absolute Sound has a 402 mated to a c46 preamp and has chosen the 402 as his refernce amp. He went on to say that he has compared the 402/c46 to amp/preamp combos costing 35k and has compared the 402 to amps costing north of 30k and preferred the mc gear. My question is this; what are the specific sonic differences between the 501's and the 402? I have heard a few people say that the 402 is a bit more transparent, with highs and midrange that are a bit more airy, with the 501's having a bigger soundstage with more bass control. The consensus though is that more people prefer the 501's but their reasons seem vague. Does anyone prefer the 402 and if so why? I am currently using maggie 3.6's, with a ma7000 integrated, in a room over 750 sq. ft. I checked with Chuck Hinton at McIntosh and to his suprise the 402 and the 501's have the same amount of current. Looks do not enter in to my decision. I am prepared to spend the $$ if the 501's are really better. Any help would be greatly appreciated.