This new McIntosh integrated looks like a winner

I like it. I'll start packing away some cash for one.

I’m a big McIntosh fan, owning both tube and solid state and, honestly, i find the mixing of the two to be weird, esthetically. The front doesn’t feel like the front. Having the tube cages forever reflecting off the glass feels like a mistake, and having dual badging on the sides.

contrast that with the MC275, which feels so right. Anyway, i’m sure it sounds amazing which trumps all, i guess...

When I was a kid I will never forget going to a stereo store in NYC with my father. They sold Macs and he got bitten (me too). His last pride and joy system some years back was Mac gear with Tannoy speakers. My mom gave them away!!! Mom!!! I’ll omit the curse words. Naturally I have always had an affinity for Mac.

This could be tempting to me...the 5-band tone control (a nice way not to say equalizer) included. In my room that would/could help? Oh course dang fine stereos don’t use tone controls. I can’t think of anyone I know who has anything like that. And yet more tweaking options are tempting. Dig the blue glow but not the slime green.

Currenly using a PrimaLuna HP w/ KT 120’s driving somewhat power hungry Sonus Faber Guarneri evolutions. Going from 84 watts to 200 watts might/might not be the ticket.

I own a MA252 and I love it. Best purchase I've made in a long time. Even my wife who typically doesn't care for this stuff comments how much better everything songs.

For me, I want high-end sound, but I also want simplicity. I don't want a huge rack of 10 components and cables (interconnects?) going everywhere. I'm not fortunate enough to have a listening room where I can have an amp sitting on the floor with crazy foam panels on the wall. I just like having my turntable for analog and my BlueNode for digital. It's simple and sounds great.

However, I do feel McIntosh is coming out with too many products. This MA352, the proportions just look weird. It looks too wide, perhaps I'm just used to my MA252 though. But it seems they're rolling out some new variation every week. That MTI100 turntable/streamer/integrated amp is a Frankenstein disaster. I'm sure it sounds good but it's like they're just throwing McIntosh design components together to form new products. The same with this MA352, throw in the blue meters, the solid state amp, and some McIntosh tubes in some new configuration and let's call it something new. It's kinda like how Taco Bell only has 5 ingredients and they keep rearranging them to get new items.

I heard the same design team is considering bringing back Sonus Faber integrated amps.

I prefer the motto of Keep It Simple Stupid. I hope McIntosh Group doesn't try to over-expand and find themselves in a financial crunch.

The MA 352 has an overall gain of 44db. If I’m not mistaken the gain on the 252 is 40db. The 352 is a bit too high for my efficient speakers. I would be cutting it close with the 252. 

Since I already have a tube pre ( gain of 10db), I could do the MC152 and have a total gain of around 39db.