McIntosh MA 6500 reliability etc....

Thanks Guys...a remarkable company for sure! How long do their products take to burn in?

My experience is burn in time for Mcintosh amps and preamps is zero. Sound great out of the crate (and they do basically come in a crate), sound the same months later - still great. And the rather ancient models I have heard sound great after 30 years. Don't be afraid to call McIntosh as to such questions - I have found them to be professional, knowledgable, and willing to answer questions or get back to you with questions involving technical matters. Furthemore, you don't get a hard sell from them - likely because their products sell themselves.

I have 8 pieces of McIntosh gear - only one was purchased new. Aside from McIntosh, you can send used equipment to audioclassics.com and they will bring it up to spec.

Audio Classics has the best customer service I've ever experienced.

Thanks again for your support Guys. Do you leave yours powered up all the time, or should I shut it down when not in use? I have one and LOVE it. Bought from authorized dealer locally.

The "leave it on, turn it off" debate will never end. Try it both ways yourself and if you hear a difference leaving it on, so be it. For me, I don't hear any difference with my Mac gear so I shut it off; I have had other gear that I felt the results were different.