MC402 or MC275

ducatiman

New Member
Currently using MC275 but not driving my TAD CR-1's to their full potential
I have a couple of options MC402 or KRELL FPB 400 CX both of which I would have to buy blind - what to do ?
 
Depends on your preferred sound characteristics.

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I'll reply more later as I have to go to work. but the 402 would be my choice and I have both amps.

Where are you located?
 
Your speakers are rated at 200 watts at 4 ohms. The Krell is rated at 800 watts for 4 ohms, so there is the potential for serious costly driver failure in your future. The Krell will give your speakers a little more zing and will tighten up the ported bass, too. Tad doesn't say if the 200 watt power handling of 200 watts is RMS power, average power, music power or peak power. If music power its assumed it includes 6 db peaks or a 50 watt RMS rating. If it RMS of 200 watts then the peak rating might be 800, but I find that impossible for one small woofer. So I lean toward the 200 watts being the music power rating. So having a 800 watt amp is a failure waiting to happen, especially as the amp doesn't have any real protection for the speaker. The Mac on the other hand if placed with in a reasonable distance from the speakers and the wire gauge chart followed in the owners manual will give exemplarily performance and offer protection to the valuable drivers in case of an operational mistake or oversight. The sound will be smoother, a little more laid back, with a potential for long sustained listening with less likely hood of fatigue factor. The bass will be faster and drier with the Krell, but the Mac is no slouch. Proper speaker placement will easily make larger changes than the difference in bass from either amp. From 80 hz up I bet you'll find you prefer the Mac for its presentation.

I don't know about your pre-amp, but Krell expresses concerns about pre-amps in the owners manual you might want to consider. Krell prefers you use their CAST system for the best performance between the Power amp and pre-amp. Krell further says their amp is balanced and to get the best performance should be used that way, where Mac seems to be a little more forgiving in that respect. Service after the sale is another consideration, and you know your Mac can be serviced by any numer of regional centers as well as by the Factory, Audio Classics, etc. When we thought about taking on the Krell line we decided there service polices which frowned on local service preferring factory repair or exchange was frowned upon. So when comparing to 7300's and 2600's at the time we passed. I mean if we wanted that sound we could always sell Yamaha for a lot less money.
 
Hi
Many thanks for your input -most helpful you confirmed quite a few of my thoughts And more importantly alerted me so some I hadnt.
My instinct was always pointing towards the Mac though :)
Time I think to call the Mac dealer
 
Currently using MC275 but not driving my TAD CR-1's to their full potential
I have a couple of options MC402 or KRELL FPB 400 CX both of which I would have to buy blind - what to do ?


How did you determine that you are not driving your speakers to their full potential?
 
I've used my 275 with loads of different speakers,this is the first pair that it quite clearly runs out of puff with.
 
Define "runs out of puff".

How loud are you listening?

I can relate - the 240 can easily run out of steam with my 90 dB Bostons; a 275 pushing a pair of 86 dB speakers would theoretically be worse.

Does it happen every time? No. But with certain musical peaks, it can happen easily and the volume doesn't need to be cranked up all that high.

Output power coupled with SS's inherently better ability to drive heavier loads than tube, not to mention tube life shortened the harder driven, a 200 watt Mc SS amp just makes better sense in with these speakers.
 
Trust me he is running out of "Poop, puff, wissile what have you":rockon:

Even bridging two @ 180 WPC I feel they run out of puff on 85-90db speakers, and these amp will trigger a shut down.
 
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I say the 402 as well but, I am a sucker for the VU and that is also what I am running. That amp can push anything you need no matter what speaker. Dynamic, lots of slam and, fast with lots of current. The KRELL FPB is also a darn good amp. Resale in 5 years, my $ is on the McIntosh holding it's value more also.
 
I say the 402 as well but, I am a sucker for the VU and that is also what I am running. That amp can push anything you need no matter what speaker. Dynamic, lots of slam and, fast with lots of current. The KRELL FPB is also a darn good amp. Resale in 5 years, my $ is on the McIntosh holding it's value more also.

And if he really needs 800 watts get another 402 and bridge them into mono blocks @ 800 wpc.
 
BTW I thought I shuld mention this, the headroom on the 402 vs your 275 is a big difference. The 275 is a fantstic amp but, when you want to rock out of just kick it up, the peaks can hit the 300+ range even on an efficient speaker.

I will give you an example, I am running Legacy Focus. They are an efficient speaker. The song Stank from audiogon wake up your ears sampler I love loud. It hits around 75-80 watts on the VU's but, when it peaks it hits the 350+ range. Talk about dynamics. I use that audiogon sampler for a lot of things. Below is a description of it and why i use it for dynamics testing.

Track 5
Title: Stank
Album: Explorations in Space and Time
Artist: Jamey Haddad/Mark Sherman/Lenny White
Genre: JazzChances are you’ve never heard uncompressed drums, but here you’ll be treated to three master percussionists going to town. Turn up the volume, but go slowly, we don’t want to blow up your speakers or headphones!
 
Not to put a damper on this conversation, but I have seen 402 Power Guard lots of times. Specially with XRT-28's. But that said 402 is still a great amp and never lost it composure. Its really a 500 watt amp in disguise, where a 275 is a 90 to 100 watt amp in disguise, that's a lot of difference. My original 275 MK I could easily run out of steam bi- amping my Grands at the time, 94 db 4 ft 1 watt. And thats about 114 db. per section. 275's get mushy with kind of breathing sound when on the edge, and then finally get nasty when pushed to far, something a SS amp with power guard would never do.
 
On a side note, I never quite understood why so many are content to run Klipsch with 30, 20, 10 or even 5 wpc amplifiers yet with similarly efficient Bozaks, so many like to run them with big multi-100 wpc amplifiers...:headscrat

Almost never hear of people running Klipsch loudspeakers with amplifiers that big.
 
I've heard k-horns powered by an MC7300 with the PG lamps flashing ... :)

I've never heard an MC402. You may also consider the MC500. You shouldn't ever need a more powerful amp with either.
 
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