I tried both the 402 and 501s before going for the 501s. They cost the same since the dealer was selling his 501 demos. The sound on both was near identical except that I felt the 501s provided more power and better soundstage. Don't have much experience with Maggies, but I would not change my Mac gear for anything else that I have heard, certainly nothing in a relatively sane price range. I agree with Barnes, the Macs are in direct contrast with in your face amps. They're certainly not slow as much as laid back, bold, full and breathtaking.
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.