For the RIGHT situation, maybe all day.
I'm in Western Illinois. No local Mac dealers. Thinking something within a 6 hour drive, but if they had the right product (like a late model light use 205 still hanging around the stable they were willing to make a deal on) I might well drive to Texas. I did in fact for an MX151 that was mint perfect in condition and from a seller with a iron clad rep who actually acted like they wanted to sell a preamp. Motivated seller who cared who ended up with a buyer who was happy with the piece. I'm a guy who goes out of his way to make it easy for a seller, too.
I've made no less than nine phone calls to dealers in a four-ish hour radius, ranging from an answering machine that simply states "we're not taking phone calls right now" (and doesn't take a message) to a person on the other end of the line who would place an order for list price on a 255 if desired (only after my specifically asking and traveling to said office) and otherwise not knowing anything about the product or even seeming motivated to sell an amp. I got ONE out of nine who we might go see, but it's a new one, and we're still looking at the 205's on used sites or any other available source (including dealers), at least as a "possible" through used site searches and calling dealer lists. 255 looks good on paper but have yet to talk to anyone who has heard it.
Found a dealer who has a 205 listed with some of the "desirables", listed on one of the sites, 36 hours into the listing no answers on whether they have a manual, anything about the unit oil terms of pics, shipping arrangements, or anything else. No pics! No answers! And this guy's a Mac dealer?????
Checked Audio Classics on a 205, they have C and D grade, we want one in good shape (in AC speak a B) and preferably recent/latter half of the production cycle. OR open to a 255. Binghampton/Vestal is 14 hours, though, one way. Want to know more about the 255 though..
And it goes like this on new: Dealer can't sell to anyone on a new amp other than in person, so I have to come in, one seller out of nine has knowledge even generally about the units in question by phone, none have one on demo (a lot of these are consulting offices where they order and build to suit - no "store" or "floor" to really see apparently besides an office and a few select pieces maybe??)
So I'm hesitant to drive to a dealer hours away if I'm not showing up to sign for an MC255 at list price plus tax sight unseen, to be delivered later (which in and of itself isn't a problem) or an MC205 for a better price within the listed parameters. I can't get answers on the pieces through dealers even, it's why I'm here :-) And I have to make TWO trips for the new amp too, one top sign.pay for it, one to pick it up after delivery.........
It's really a rather disconcerting and irritating situation though. I can't find out much of anything about the 255 besides a sales/spec sheet and an unboxing video, the 205 seems like a "known known" and a safer choice to buy on the blind, without hearing, and having a likelihood it's gonna be reliable (by way of it's 15 year manufacturing run, no doubt Mac had it right by the end of the production cycle). I've had quite the merry "band" of unmotivated used sellers listing this amp who don't want to answer questions, and a set of regional dealers who have been anything but interesting or really very helpful, save for maybe one.
But to answer the question, for the right situation, half way to the coasts if I have to.
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