I concur with most of the favorable posts. Excellent build quality and enough "McIntosh" tonal character to give more than a taste of what this venerable brand has to offer. When mated to the equally good C15 preamp, it drove my Infinity IL50's with plenty of punch and detail. Warning: this combo is very warm and DEAD Neutral...no glitz or sizzle. When I upgraded my speakers last year to the truly superb Goldenear Triton 2's, the Mac's and the equally warm analog sounding Marantz 8004 CD player were less than an ideal match. I recently swapped the Mac's for the Emotiva XPA-2/XSP-1 combo and I am once again very satisfied with my listening sessions. The C15/MC122 set is now feeding the IL50's on the sides of my room. The McIntosh gear is what it is and is very dependant on taste and style. Nuff said.

I own three McIntosh amplifiers, one a mega buck tube version. I use the Mc122 in my office (at home), and have always been impressed by the overall quality of the sound. I am feeding it with a McIntosh MS300 Music Server... and it provides many hours of enjoyment listening to classical, rock, opera and some country. As a very satisfied user, I would highly recommend the Mc122. It maintains the McIntosh tradition at a very affordable price point.

Its OK

This is an excellent amp for the money. I particularly like its capability to allow direct CD connection without need of a preamp. This eliminates all the distorsion from preamp thus the sound is pure and extremely clean. While 80W/channel @ 8ohms is not much, it is enough for me. I listen at relatively low volume (not too low so a loudness button is required) and am very please with its performance with my JBL 4343B speakers, mind you .. very hard speakers to drive. The sound is detail, clean, accurate, and very musical. I am still very please even after more than 10 years of ownership. I believe if you drive it too hard then distorsion may occur and you may not like it like one owner's review. But hey .. that happens to any amps and everyone should remember this amp is only 80W.

Masivive reserves when needed. Laid Back sound with good tonal quality.

PRICE!!!!! Kind of distorted sounding, lacks bass response.

I was extremely anxious to get may hands on one of these. I was slightly disapointed. I have owned many other amps and I think that this is a good solid piece, but for what ot costs comparatively, it is a horrible bargain. The bass was average but severely muted. The highs were full but not dynamic. It was very laid back and and was definitely not the cleanest amp, I have ever heard. I also though that this had the most in reserve of any amp I have heard under 125wpc, not to mention that it is only 80 wpc.

Similar Products Used:

Almost everything

Musical

none

The Mcintosh is a neutral, detailed amplifier.
The music is sweet and with big corp, deep bass and detailed treble. Very good soundstage. Very good dinamic range.
The power is god for my speakers (Tannoy Edinburgh tw). No constraint signs.
This is an amplifier for enjoy with music, a long, long time.

Similar Products Used:

Quad 306, Bryston 4b ST

Musical presentation is clean, smooth and lively. Build quality.

None.

This is the baby of the McIntosh line, but it is definitely a family member. Nice timbral accuracy: clean treble, lively midrange, clean tight base. Mated to the C-15 preamp with Kimber Silver Streak, the combination just disappears and lets the music through. Ideal for alltypes of music, but especially with female vocalists and small ensembles.
Highly recommended.

This is a great amplifier. I've been using it for about 5 months combined with the C15 pre-amplifier in a system that includes a Linn Sondek turntable, EAD T-1000 CD transport, EAD DSP 7000 Series III D/A converter, and B&W Nautilus 804 speakers using Straightwire interconnects and speaker wire. The MC122 is entirely transparent and musical. It has a wondrous combination of clarity and warmth. The highs are clear and detailed, the mids warm and smooth, the bass deep, powerful, and well articulated. This is an amp that will make all of your music sing. It has great presence. It works particularly well with the 804's which have at times been criticized for a lack of bass. When combined with this amp, the 804's produce a deep, rich, and powerful bass. I would highly recommend this product. The look is classic, and the construction is rock solid.