General Asylum: REVIEW: McIntosh Mc250 Amplifier (SS) by Brian

This classsic power amp, built on a chassis similar to the McIntosh MC240 tube amp is a first generation McIntosh SS amp. Without the faceplate, meters and bluelights well known as the MccIntosh trademark, this amp is a unigue work of art (w/ its big brother the MC2100). The model did come with the glass faceplate and meters as the MC2505.
I have owned mine for about 15 years and orifginally purchased it to go with my KLH9 electrostatic speakers. These speakers are highly capacitive and impedance spikes well beyond 30ohms and are nominally rated at 16ohms. They have a reputation of frying ss amps. The 250 with the autoformers handles the complex loads presented by these speakers.
The 250 has a warm sound, reminiscent of better tube equipment of that generation. Its bass is tighter, does not have the characteristic blum and does have good resolution. The dampening factor of the amp is low and this should be considered when matching it to speakers needing high dampening factor for woofer control. The midrange is beautiful. On voices, stringed instruments, and piano is envelopes you and brings you into the music. The high end is well balanced with authority and very good resolution.
The amp would not be considered neutral when compared with the current design offerings. It is an emotionally involving amp rather than one that gives an open window to the music. This does not mean that it is colored, only that it has authority; sort of like a chestiness vs. a flat chest sound.
I am currently using it with a set of Klipsch Heresy speakers and it seems to be made to meld with the sonic charactoristics of this speaker.
The unit is typically McIntosh reliable (maybe more so) and is minimalistic in its design approach. Though it has been recently been displaced by a McIntosh MC2105 as my main amp, I am in the process of setting up a second system in which it will be mated with my longtime owned McIntosh MX110.

REVIEW: McIntosh Mc250 Amplifier (SS) Review by Brian at Audio Asylum