I see, from another post, that you have Focal Aria 926? Those are very sensitive or efficient speakers. You won't need a lot of power or current to drive those to their fullest capacity. That being said, IMHO, there is never any harm in getting more amp than your speakers need because, of course, of the future upgrade possibilities. If you liked your Adcom, chances are good you'll like McIntosh. You can't argue with a THD of 0.005% at 20Hz to 20,000Hz and the other performance specs. MAC's are also built like tanks and have great trade-in or resale value. You would likely like Luxman, as well. There are other choices, of course, but only YOUR ears will be able to tell you what sounds best TO YOU. Who cares what other people like? It's your money and you're the one who has to live with whatever you buy. MAC SS amps sound a bit warmer than most other SS amps; more like a tube amp. MAC tube amps generally have a lot of juice (i.e. good current supply) and are capable of driving less sensitive or less efficient speakers. As for "an enhanced top end" or "enhancing" any of the frequency range(s), my preference has always been to avoid "enhancing" as much as possible, in deference to hearing whatever is on any given recording. Generally speaking, the best audio components get out of the way of the music and let you hear the recording(s). Of course, the trade-off is that this will likely drive you to replace some of your less than optimum recordings. Good luck in your hunt!

I've been avidly reading reviews of stereo equipment since Christ was a corporal. My impression of why McIntosh amps aren't reviewed more often, these days, is because their stuff has been so damn consistently good for so many years that reviewers automatically assume any new amp they debut is going to be a knock out! Too bad, really, because even McIntosh shouldn't get a free pass, no matter how great they've been and continue to be. Even though I am a thoroughly satisfied MAC owner, I've heard a few amps recently that made me wonder if I would have made the same decision if I'd heard them before I bought my MAC. Of course, you're right about virtually all of audiophilia coming "down to personal preference". You're also right about those VU meters and that beautiful glass faceplate. Not only are those meters beautiful but they are also functional. However, I have to respectfully disagree with the "gentle smoothing of the music" remark. I submit that what you are hearing there is accuracy without distortion and isn't that what it's all about?

Just curious how are you finding the combination of your Focal speakers with this amp.

I had a MA5300 with Focal Aria 936- it was beautiful, sweet, lovely- but I just did not love it. I felt as if something was slightly amiss, I concluded it was a bit of a bottom end. I replaced Focals with Harbeth, and felt that the sound became healthier and more wholesome. I also ended up replacing my McIntosh with Accuphase, and I'm not sure if any improvement is real or imaginary. (Albeit Accuphase does have a better phono, methinks).

So, I'd like to know if I really did miss some bass in the Focal, or it was all just a dream I imagined.

Hmmm, perhaps it had nothing to do with the speakers, rather the issue was their positioning. Well, I will never know.

I agree with Revelation’s review 100%. I could have not said it better: good bass, rounded, deep rich sound with good attack and smooth sound. Not dull at all and a touch of warmth. I can listen to music for hours without getting fatigued. At the beginning I had issues positioning my speakers and blamed it on the amplifier. Eventually I figured out the best placement for my Harbeth SHL5+ XDs and the sound is superb.