McIntosh -- good for show, not for sound, says dealer

I cannot imagine this has not been mentioned, as I skimmed through the 1st page and came here. The definition of an audiophile is : An audiophile is a person who is enthusiastic about high fidelity sound reproduction. An audiophile seeks to reproduce the sound of a live, musical event / performance. This is at the heart of the matter. There is no mention of brand, or even price, in these definitions. If you care about the " sound ", you are an audiophile. Mac, to me, has a sound. So does Pass. I bring up Pass, because on another thread, someone did not " care for " the Pass sound. It ALL has a sound, and....our individual ears, all " want " a sound. Some have found it, with whatever gear they have, and others, are still on the search. Whatever makes you happy and, engages you to the musical performances we are listening to. There are many ways / pathways of getting there. Enjoy what you like.

In early 2017 I purchased a Nuforce STA 200, based on a mag review. After owning it for a month, with 24 / music running through it, I sold quite a number of power amps, locally, from my collection. A Mac 2105, with the wood case, was one of them. Compared to the Nuforce, it was muddy, spitty, edgy, closed in, and distracted me from my enjoyment of the music. Of course, I never had it serviced, although I did replace the speaker barrier strips with nice 5 ways ( that was not easy ), and replacing the power cord with a 12 gauge I made from HD stock ( very easy ). Cap replacement needed ? This comparison in my system, and many others, had me sell many amps from my collection. An audiophile acquaintance nearby owns a 452, and he LOVES it. I personally prefer dc coupled designs....

I like Mac gear, as they offer the owners happiness, and this is what this audio thing is all about. When I sold my 2105, I had it tested by a technician ( I now use another tech ), and it met every electrical parameter, as it was worth the bench cost to me, for the money I got for it. It was in great shape, with the walnut cabinet. The only mod I did, I had replaced the power cord with a 12 gauge cord, which did give it more beef. Those who like this sound, great ! Resale value ? Nothing better out there. As far as Mikey and Jay, I have my opinions about each of them, and refuse to discuss it. Just enjoy your purchases.....for sound, for looks....whatever ! If you care about the " sound " of your system, and spend money to better it ( very personal ), you ARE an audiophile. If you are a music " listener ", even better ! Always, MrD.

Many of my Mac friends and clientele own lots of these Mac signs and clocks, as they are obsessed with the brand. 

I never said " every " Mac owner was, as I indicated " many ". However, every Mac owner on this thread, in one way or another, continues to defend the brand, with obsessive allegiance....I would guess, that if that clock and sign were offered to Mac customers, for the cost of $200. each ( maybe even a little higher ), everyone would buy them. We spend that easily on wires of all sorts, isolation devices of all sorts, fuses, and so on. If I currently owned Mac, I would certainly buy them. Enjoy ! MrD.