McIntosh long ago mastered the black art of transformer design and winding. They build everything to one very high standard. Some of their designs, e.g., the MC275 tube amp, are still competitive 50 years later. I'm sure there are some here who had all Mac gear and then moved onto something else--Krell, ARC, C-J, etc., but (although I don't own any) I've found McIntosh in general to fully flesh out the music and provide dynamics and tonal balance that are easy to live with over the long haul.
