I first heard of McIntosh when I was in grade school. It was considered the best, and if a kids dad owned one, he was rich, and cool; like owning an Eldorado convertible. The Audiophile perspective is not the worlds perspective on the subject of Audio. McIntosh is legendary and is an easy choice for somebody who isnt an Audiophile, but wants a system that both he and others will admire. Lets face it guys, for every person who admires our niche high-end systems, five think were nuts.
The comments from the owner, that he bought McIntosh for the "glass front and blue meters and "never listens to it, sound a little facetious to me.
