McIntosh MC1502

McIntosh MC1502: used price, how it relates to the MC2152 and MC275, and what to check before you buy

By HiFi Registry Staff · Published November 1, 2026

In short: The MC1502 is a 150 watt per channel stereo tube amplifier built around eight KT88 output tubes and McIntosh's Unity Coupled output transformers. It arrived in August 2020 at $11,000 as the regular-production version of the limited MC2152 70th Anniversary amp, climbed to a $14,000 list, and McIntosh now marks it "Retired, limited availability." Dealer-certified used examples have been selling at $8,300 to $8,750 in the US. HiFi Registry's recorded sales for this model are in the table further down the page. Prices checked November 1, 2026.

Lineage: MC275 to MC2152 to MC1502

There is one version of the MC1502. On the used market it sits between two other McIntosh tube amps that buyers cross-shop against it.

Source: McIntosh's MC1502 product page and launch press release, the December 2018 MC2152 announcements, and TONE Magazine, whose reviewer wrote that the MC2152 "doesn't sound any different" from the MC1502. An MC2152 priced far above an MC1502 is charging for the anniversary chassis, not the circuit.

McIntosh's amplifier page now shows the MC275 as its only tube power amp, and the MC1502 sits under Retired Products with no announced successor. Dealers still hold new stock: The Source AV and SkyFi Audio both list sealed units at $14,000, in store only.

Specs that matter

• 150 watts per channel into 2, 4 or 8 ohms, 20 Hz to 20 kHz, 0.5 percent THD maximum
• Signal to noise 112 dB below rated output; dynamic headroom 1.2 dB; damping factor above 18
• Eight KT88 output tubes, four per channel; four 12AX7A (balanced and input stages) and four 12AT7 (voltage and driver stages)
• Unity Coupled Circuit output transformers in glass-topped enclosures; 2, 4 and 8 ohm taps on Solid Cinch binding posts
• Inputs: two balanced and two unbalanced, one of each per channel, selected by a rear INPUT MODE switch
• Sentry Monitor tube protection: shuts the amp down on an impedance mismatch, output short or failed output tube. McIntosh does not list Power Guard for this amp.
• Tube lighting: small-signal tubes glow amber during warm-up, green in normal operation, and flash red when Sentry Monitor trips. A Tube Lights control turns them off.
• Mono bridge: no. Mono parallel: no. McIntosh's spec table says so explicitly.
• Power Control input and output; 12-gauge stainless tube cage
• 118 lb (53.5 kg) unpacked, 135 lb (61.2 kg) shipping; 18.25 x 10.25 x 21 inches including feet. The manual calls for 19 inches of clearance above the amp.
• US list: $14,000 at authorized dealers (November 2026); $11,000 at launch in August 2020, $12,000 in between per TMR Audio's MSRP notes
• Warranty: 3 years from purchase, original owner only, terminates on transfer, valid only on units bought from an authorized McIntosh dealer. Tubes are warranted for 90 days.

McIntosh's own comparison is the one that matters if you are weighing this against a pair of MC275s: two MC275s in mono reach the same 150 watts per channel, but the MC1502 is rated at 112 dB signal to noise against 105 dB for the pair, in one chassis.

Used prices

HiFi Registry's recorded sales for the MC1502 are in the table below this guide. What the wider market shows, as of this writing:

• Dealer certified pre-owned, US: TMR Audio has moved three examples at $8,299, $8,513 and $8,746, rated 8, 8 and 9 of 10 cosmetically, all with the full tube set and factory packaging. The $8,299 unit was about five years old with one owner. A fourth, three years old and rated 8, is on offer at $8,699 plus $399 freight. That is 59 to 62 percent of the current $14,000 list, and 75 to 80 percent of the $11,000 most of these amps were bought at.
• Other US asks: George Meyer AV has had one listed at $9,950, and an eBay dealer demo ran at $9,000 before expiring in June 2026 without a recorded sale.
• Elsewhere: a private seller in Victoria, Australia, listed one at AUD 16,999 against an AUD 28,995 RRP in November 2025. Overseas list prices run well above US list, so do not read those numbers across.

Expect a private US sale to land below the dealer-certified figures, because the buyer takes on a 135 lb crate with no shop warranty. Retirement has not produced a price bump yet; sealed units still sit on dealer floors at $14,000.

What to check before buying

1. Count the output tubes and ask about hours. Eight KT88s is twice the retube bill of an MC275. A matched octet of mid-priced current-production KT88s runs about $58 a tube at The Tube Store, roughly $460 a set; McIntosh-branded or premium tubes cost more. A vague answer about hours means budgeting for a set.
2. There is no user bias adjustment. TONE describes the amp as auto-biasing, and the owner's manual has no bias procedure; it states the MC1502 "has no user serviceable parts, including the Vacuum Tubes." Replace output tubes as a matched set.
3. Watch the tube lights at power-up. Amber, then green on all eight small-signal tubes is correct. A red flash means Sentry Monitor has tripped: a bad output tube, a short or an impedance mismatch. A seller who says the amp "sometimes goes into protection" is describing a fault.
4. Hum and noise at idle. Both reviewers called the MC1502 very quiet; Lyd & Bilde wrote it was "as quiet as the grave" with no signal. Audible hum through the speakers on a 112 dB amp is not normal.
5. Polished stainless and transformer glass. Swirls and fine scratches on the chrome are what TMR's 8-rated examples showed. Chips in the glass tops are harder to fix, and McIntosh excludes appearance items from warranty. Ask for photos under direct light.
6. Heat and placement. Lyd & Bilde's verdict included "gets very hot," and TONE said the eight KT88s "throw off a fair amount of heat." McIntosh wants 19 inches above the amp. One that lived in a closed cabinet has had a harder life.
7. Shipping weight and packaging. 118 lb unpacked, 135 lb packed, 21 inches deep. Insist on the factory carton and inserts, or buy local. TMR charges $399 to freight one inside the contiguous US and will not ship it abroad.
8. Cage, manual and warranty. The tube cage is a separate piece and goes missing; all four TMR examples included tubes, manual, power cable and packaging. The 3 year warranty ends on transfer, so a used MC1502 has no McIntosh coverage, and a sealed unit bought outside the dealer network has none either.

Who it is for, and what else to consider

The MC1502 is for someone who wants McIntosh tube power with real headroom in a single chassis. TONE's reviewer found the bass control as good as any high-power tube amp he had tested and sold his MC275 to buy one. Lyd & Bilde called it "one of the most lifelike and engaging" tube amps its reviewer had heard, with the caveat that the solid-state MC462 and MC312 hold tighter control at extreme levels. Between them the reviewers drove 92 dB Sonus fabers, 15 inch JBLs and Harbeths without running out.

If 150 watts is more than you need, a used MC275 Mk VI costs a little more than half the money and weighs 67 lb instead of 118. If you need more, the MC2301 tube monoblock delivers 300 watts per chassis at 116 lb each. The natural preamp partners are the C22 Mk V, launched alongside the MC1502 as the production version of the C70, and the C2700. An MC2152, if one surfaces, is the same amplifier in anniversary dress at a collector price.

Frequently asked questions

What is a used McIntosh MC1502 worth? Dealer-certified examples in the US have sold between $8,299 and $8,746 against a $14,000 list. Private sales should come in below that; see the recorded sales table for what has actually changed hands on HiFi Registry.

When did the MC1502 come out and what did it cost? McIntosh announced it on August 6, 2020 at $11,000. US list rose to $12,000 and then $14,000. McIntosh now lists it as retired with limited availability.

What is the difference between the MC2152 and the MC1502? McIntosh says the audio specifications are identical: same tubes, same 150 watts per channel. The MC2152 was a 2019 limited edition of 70 in black anodized aluminum with carbon fiber sides; the MC1502 is polished stainless with glass-topped transformer covers.

Can the MC1502 be bridged to mono? No. McIntosh's specifications list both mono bridge and mono parallel as not supported. For more than 150 watts per channel from McIntosh tubes, the answer is MC2301 monoblocks.

Does the MC1502 need biasing? No. The owner's manual has no bias procedure and says the amp has no user-serviceable parts, including the tubes. Replace output tubes as a matched set.

How heavy is the MC1502? 118 lb (53.5 kg) out of the box, 135 lb (61.2 kg) shipping weight. It is a two-person lift and needs 19 inches of clearance above it.

Does the McIntosh warranty transfer to a second owner? No. The 3 year warranty covers the original purchaser only, ends on transfer, and applies only to units bought from an authorized McIntosh dealer. Tubes are covered for 90 days.

Related

• A Buyer's Guide to McIntosh
• McIntosh comps: MC275, MC2301, MC462, C22, C2700
• Live McIntosh listings on HiFi Registry
• Sell your MC1502 on HiFi Registry, $25 flat, no commission

Written by HiFi Registry Staff. Not a review: HiFi Registry has not owned or auditioned this unit unless the text says so. Price ranges describe open-market sales and dealer asking prices observed on the review date and are not offers to buy or sell. How we research these guides