A few weeks ago I bought a MA6900 here on agon. I could not be more happy. I did not audition it before hand. IMO the only audition which is worth it is in my system/room. And there is not dealer who lends me several amps for auditioning. The same is true for other gear, like speakers or turntable. So I rely on what is said on agon and others boards. And if I would not like the amp I would sell it on agon. McIntosh don't depreciate as fast. I love the sound. IMO the sound is between a tube and a SS.
Buy MacIntosh gear w/o auditioning?
I've seen a 2 year old Mac integrated that looks interesting. Like all Mac gear it has the classic aesthetics, is powerful and flexible. It seems not to make sense to pay over 3k for any piece w/o being able to audition it but of course, that's the Audiogon way. My general rule is to avoid buying any gear especially gear that cost this much if you don't audition it first. Sure, you can turn around and sell it yourself on Audigon if you don't care for how it sounds in your system. Is the Mac gear a "can't miss" proposition?