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Mcintosh power amp for 804 D2s

Hi everyone, 
I'm new here.   I just purchased a pair of mint condition B&W 804 D2s.  It's set as speaker B mainly for music listening, and driven with a Marantz SR7012 for my home theater set up.  I would like to add a 2 channel amp only for music.  McIntosh has always been in my dream/bucket list, so I am sure that's what I want to get.  My budget is $4k-$5k.  Would a new MC152 be sufficient?  I listen mostly to classical and jazz at low to moderate volume.  However, on weekends, I like "jam it up with the kids" and listen loud to rock, hip hop, etc....so I do need the speakers to go loud.  
Or is it better to get a used, but more powerful Mcintosh like the MC252 or MC402 (which are in the $4-5k range used).  Thank you in advance for your advices.  
vinentesq

Showing 1 response by auxinput

auxinput
2,920 posts
 
How do you feel that they sound with the Marantz SR7012. The Marantz is going to have good body and punch/slam, but it is warm and the highs are rolled off. I think the McIntosh is going to have better resolution in the high frequencies, but it definitely has a more mild midrange (it is laid back and does not have as much slam). I know the B&W speakers really want a high current and high resolution amp to sing, but I don’t know how the MC152 will do because it does have specific support for 8/4/2 ohm speakers (I would recommend using the 4 ohm tap for the B&W). I don’t have any experience with the MC152, but if it were me, I would probably want to jump to the MC252 if possible. But the MC152 will likely do much better than your receiver anyways.
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If this is not the type of sound you’re after, there are definitely different options that you can explore. If you want the mild/laid-back midrange of the McIntosh, then go for it! They are definitely beautiful pieces!
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