Legendary McIntosh quality, design and sound. Oversized power supply for wide dynamic range. Timeless design. Many exclusive McIntosh patents for toublefree listening.

It's weight!!!

I have several McIntosh models tried on my "legendary" JBL ti5000. A MC150 will be a better value for the smaller and exellent JBL ti models. Dynaudio Contour 1.8MkII is also an excellent match. Only the power (2x150W.)was not enough for my big speakers in extreme dynamic circumstances. Now a MC500 has a better and straighter control of the 12'woofer. Midrange and high sounds more brilliant. All this results in a faster and better detailled sound. Even the legendary and unique McIntosh sound is always there when using the 8 Ohm Spkr.terminals.

Similar Products Used:

McIntosh MA6400 integrated - McIntosh C38 Control Center + MC150 Power Amplifier - MC500 Power Amplifier - Accuphase - Marantz - Sony.

The Macintosh sound. Powerfull, warm, musical...

Very heavy.

Sorry for my bad english. what can I say? I love this big amp! this marvellous product is musical, powerfull and... Maybe you can pourchase some amps which are more "real" (I think about the Macintosh sound that include a little lack of transparency), but what the hell! The music is here and it is the principal! Very recommended with Audioresearch tube pre-amp and Cabasse french loudspeakers.

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo M588/P388.

Plenty Of Power,Extremely Low Distortion, Smooth, Mellow, No Sharp Edges,Very Detailed Bass,Just Wonderful.

None

Absolutely The Best Amplifier I Have Ever Heard In Over 30 Years Of Involvement In High End Audio.

Similar Products Used:

Mcintosh:C-40,MC-2500,MC-7270(2),MC-275, MC-240,MC-2105.

Smooth, delicate, clear, deep music reproduction.

Heavy as hell. Can't move onto or off a shelf by myself. System brings out all the problems inherent in today's average CDs.

Replaced an MA6850 with a C39 and the MC500. Can't tell any difference in overall sound quality from the MA6850, which I rated 5 stars. But, I am now in a much larger listening room and the sound has the same great intimacy, delicacy, depth, clarity, staging and solid bottom end as in my much smaller room with the 150 wpc MA6850. Obviously the 500 wpc is just as well done as is the MA6850. Have only finished 200 hours of breaking in, so sound is very slowly stabilzing that last little bit, and I like very much what I am hearing. Just no grain from this amp or its predecessor. Such smoothness makes long term listening (I do several hours in an average evening) a fatigue-free and enjoyable event. I have rediscovered my LP connection and am upgrading my cartridge. Am most excited about getting the new one. Cannot say that the C39 is the MC500's equal, but will continue to A/B with my Threshold T2 with the new cartridge to decide. However, the MC500 is everything I could have wished for in a power amp. Recommend for the audiophile with a large listening space and/or difficult to drive speakers. To say nothing of the stunning visual presentation of those two big blue power meters on the front. Typical McIntosh. Definitely will light up your musical life. I do jazz (Miles, Coltrane, MJQ, etc., and classical along with some classic rock-and-roll).

Similar Products Used:

MC2205, MC300, VTL, Bryston, Aragon, Yamaha

Effortlessly projects rich, smooth sound. Very detailed and full sounding without a trace of harshness. Powerful.

None

This amplifier just cannot have enough good things said about it. My power hungry Ohm model I's just sing with this amp. My listening hasn't been this musical, ever. Extremely rich, smooth and detailed, the way music was meant to be. If you have very good speakers I highly reccommend the MC500 amplifier. Next purchase will be new interconnects and a McIntosh pre-amplifier. My previous amplifier was an Adcom GFA5500, which I thought was nice until I brought the McIntosh home. No comparison can be made.

Similar Products Used:

Adcom pre-amp, Adcom 5 disc CD carousel, Ohm Acoustic model I loudspeakers.

quality, nice to look at, wont`t loose it`s worth over decades

not really

I have my used MC500 about a month now and had the MC150 before, which was a very fine amp serving all my (former) listening preferrences - clean but marvelous and never stressing sound. Today the MC500 is topping the `little brother`in every discipline. I can notice musical details I never heard before, bass performance is more accurate and you feel that this amp is driving the speakers with ease (German Physiks bending wave units). Look at the actual models from Mc Intosh: isn´t the MC500 one of the prettiest looking? As a side effect you even have a capital investment at least. Highly recommended!
Allthough I never heard anything better, five stars are principally impossible to give. There allways might exist an ultimative amplifier I just did not listen and compare yet... Exchange of experiences welcome!

Similar Products Used:

MC150, MC2300

MC 500 Amplifier

Smooth, powerful, musical, good looking in a utilitarian way

None after 4 years of use

The MC 500 is no longer manufactured. This makes it the very, very best deal on the second-hand market.

I'm looking to getting another MC 500 to use in a vertical bi-amp configuration.

Similar Products Used:

Aragon, Electrocompanient

Very heavy but that is part of the McIntosh quality.

Another winner from the legendary McIntosh. Big, bold and beautiful. Can drive any speaker with ease. Sounds very detailed at any volume. Great for CDs.

Similar Products Used:

McIntosh 7270, MC300, MC240, MC275.

The best !

Very heavy,not easy to handle

This amplifier is real great.With my maggies its a abolut
pure and clean sound,never heard something like that in the
last 20 years .
Audio is Audio but McIntosh is McIntosh - even better than
anything .
The McIntosh owners fan club from bavaria / germany .
Proud to be a Mac fan !

Similar Products Used:

McIntosh MA 6800,MC 7270,MC 2150,MC 2505,C-32,C -28,Restek Extract Monos and many others