MC8207 vs MC257
 

I did a lot of searching but didn’t see a direct comparison between these two amps. I did find a lot of comparisons between the older MC207 and MC8207 with the general conclusion that the sound was the same except that the 8207 doesn’t get as hot but doesn’t have the normal meters or RCA inputs (or sadly the ability to turn off the lights that it does have).

How does the 8207 hold up to the newer 257? It looks like the 257 has an even nicer meter than the 207, can power the front stage up to 250w per channel, and has a huge increase in dynamic headroom. On the negative side, it doesn’t appear to improve on the 200w of the 8207 when all channels are powered, and it has a worse Signal to Noise ratio. Two other differences are that you can turn off the 257’s lights but not the 8207’s, and the 257 weighs 12 pounds more.

Has anybody compared these two directly? The delta in MSRP (>50%) is pretty hefty for aesthetics if they aren’t audible. No place around me has both amps to try. They’d be used for center and surrounds for me.

I was looking to pickup a MC257, but due to the extended time expected for delivery, I opted for a NOS MC207 that I found locally and got a great deal on (I had already purchased a NOS MC205 that I still have and need to unload..lol). I can't comment on the MC8207, other than I opted for the MC207 over it (Audio Classics had a nice MC8207 available at the time). I absolutely love my MC207 paired with my MX122, doesn't seem to run hot and sounds fantastic.

The MC257 was not in existence when I was looking to pair a HT amp with my MX122. I did the same homework you note on the MC207 vs MC8207, and came to the same conclusions. In my opinion, the only real difference was appearance (blue meters) and the RCA inputs with the MC207 vs the MC8207. The price difference was also a major factor, and to be honest, I really like the looks of the MC8207 paired with the MX122. I ended up with the MC8207 and have been more than pleased. As Craig B notes above, you might get a killer deal in the used market for either the MC207 or MC8207. I'm not sure of your setup, but if you already have a nice 2 channel amp to run your mains, the added main channel watts of the newer MC257 might even not matter for you. LOTS to think about and good luck!

-Ryan

Thanks for the feedback! I tend to think you’re correct that the extra power for the Front Stage matters more for people who are using this amp for the full system. Because I’ll be powering the L/R speakers with an MC462, I think the extra power probably matters less. That’s especially true because I plan to get an MC830 to power the Center at some point as well.

Based on that, I’m leaning toward the MC8207. Hopefully I won’t regret not having the meters down the road, but it’s tough to justify the extra cost for the MC257 in this situation.

I bought one of the first 207's when they were introduced and I traded my 206 on one of the last new 207's Audio Classics had 5 months ago. That said the MC 830's I bought for my Stereo system and are a bit better, but still smooth and very listenable being able to handle 4 ohm loads better.

I'm also in the market for a McIntosh multichannel amp (in this case, five channels) and am curious about how the "205 V 255" shakes out, in the same vein how a 207 and a 257 would compare. The literature makes note of the increased capacitance on the 255 (and resulting better bass response) as an example (50% more capacitance) but in an instance where I might get a deal on a 205 (as they are closing out/being traded in) and am driving very efficient speakers (Klipsch Cornwalls) that the 205 would be "well enough". I've heard good things about the 205/207/8207 generally, but am curious as to the significance of the new releases compared with the old.

It's being hooked up to a newly acquired MX151 so it would seem the natural place to be looking for a "match", not to mention how Mac and Klipsch tend to mate well generally.