I have heard McIntosh with speakers such as Dhalquest long ago and for its day it was impressive. More recently I heard McIntosh with Sonus Farber and the Sonus Farber speakers cost well over $50,000. They were well suited for duplicating the ambience of an outdoor rock performance which when live is amplifier with enormous banks of speakers. But let me join everyone else in encouraging you to go with the sound you like. Don't let any high prestige brand name or exotic theory get away with making you choose something that does not sound as good to you. I design and build my own amplifiers and preamplifiers and many components which are supposed to sound better disappointed me. I tried parafeed to drive the grids on my 833-A's and while it worked, it did not have the full body and detail of regular DC carrying larger step-down transformers to go from 5k to 500 Ohms. The same with a selector switch with 24 pairs bulk metal foil Vishay resistors for volume control which was far outclassed by a cheaper Alps plastic resistor with a wiper. The same in my preamplifier which sounds best by far with a less than glamorous resistor capacitor coupling input. And finally, the same was true for me of speakers. A $1400 pair of Magnepans outclassed every box speaker I ever heard for sounding as clear and like a live performance of an acoustic orchestra and live singers in the opera house I go to.I would consider McIntosh with Magnepans, but I have "outgrown" by my disappointing experiences in life with the luxury status eliciting way of life to be achieved by guests being impressed with the sight of McIntosh, which I think can be very good electronics. I prefer the exhibitionist of my steampunk style amplifiers with quart-sized radio station transmitter tubes complete with proper warning, 1000 Vots stickers on the output transformers. Finally, don't be fooled by cables costing thousands of dollars. The physics they use in their designs is faulty but it takes graduate level training to calculate how their claims calculate not to add up.
Disappointing On Mcintosh......help
3 Months ago I went to NYC and stopped by the WOM and auditioned several MCintosh gear...........and left a bit disappointed or not impressed...then I told myself " lets give a second shot" and went today to a HIFI store and again Good room accoustics10K speakers , MC Preamp , MC Amplifier........ and again the same disappointment I felt 3 month earlier.
Is that the "warm" sound people reffer to about Mcintosh?
The sound is ample, base is powerfull but the the sound is simply not to clear, the hights are not too "crisp" It sounds like the treble is set at 3 and needs to be adjusted at 9 or 10.
It seems like the sound is coming through a thin layer of paper ...that is the way I describe that sound.
Then 20 minutes later I auditioned a Parasound A21+ and a JC5 and the sound was more clear and the highs were crispier
Whats your take on my experience? or That is the MC "warm sound?
Is that the "warm" sound people reffer to about Mcintosh?
The sound is ample, base is powerfull but the the sound is simply not to clear, the hights are not too "crisp" It sounds like the treble is set at 3 and needs to be adjusted at 9 or 10.
It seems like the sound is coming through a thin layer of paper ...that is the way I describe that sound.
Then 20 minutes later I auditioned a Parasound A21+ and a JC5 and the sound was more clear and the highs were crispier
Whats your take on my experience? or That is the MC "warm sound?