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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? 
128x128cydrone
stereo5's avatar
stereo5
6,385 posts
 
@hoytroskap...…………………………...

Funny you should mention that, McIntosh as of late has gotten rave reviews in Tone Audio, TAS, Stereophile,  plus many online reviewing  sites.  Are you saying the reviewers are lying or that they and I are deaf?  Have you ever owned McIntosh?  That was quite a broad statement to make without backing it up.
lhasaguy's avatar
lhasaguy
336 posts
 
Synergy is everything in audio.  That, plus we all have different views of what type of sound gives us joy.

For Me, McIntosh MC501s paired with a tube Pre Amp (C220) driving 3.6 Maggies have been magic for more than 10 years.

I went through a lot of gear to get what I (emphasis on I) found the right match for my Maggies.

YMMV 
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hoytroskap
6 posts
 
Building high performance products does not insure economic success
Long term service, high fit and finish quality,  and high resale value are qualities which lead to a long term customer base. The viability of the magazines today is tenuous and I believe they are primarily promotional vehicles. Should you wish to investigate it, which would be time consuming but not difficult, I believe you will find their parts costs, other than those related to cosmetics, are unusually low in comparison to most competitive products
bosssound's avatar
bosssound
120 posts
 
Parasound JC5. Precise. Vivid. Electric. A21 with fuse mod and aftermarket power cord not far off. 
techno__dude
511 posts
 
Like Audio Research never used cheap parts. There are numerous threads about reliability problems of their volume control ( cheap chip). And they all swear this brand is better than McIntosh. Even Primaluna uses better volume pots ( ALPS). The guy from Upscale audio has whole youtube videos comparing their inside favorably to ARC...

You buy a McIntosh 9k, you resale it for 7k.

You buy an ARC 14k, you resale it for 7k.
...... What a joke .....
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