My experience with McIntosh is based on my ownership of an MA-8900 integrated amplifier.
SOUND QUALITY: As with all things audio, it’s what fits your ear that matters. For me, the Mac delivers great sound. I’m a classic rock, jazz, blues guy. The MA8900 does a wonderful job with this type of music. Audiophiles argue that female vocals are the acid test for sound quality and I think the Mac is very capable of reproducing well recorded female vocals that are true to the real thing. I don’t think Mac is rolled off or laid back, but it’s also not so analytical as to be fatiguing. I owned some Classe gear (pre bankruptcy) and it was awesome but only in shorter listening sessions (again, to my ear).
BUILD QUALITY: This is one of their hallmarks. My amplifier will certainly outlast me. It is vault-like. Fit and finish are first rate. It exudes that classic American quality that used to define so many things made in the USA.
VALUE FOR MONEY: When you consider that in one unit, you get an amplifier, preamplifier, MC/MM phono stage and DAC (more on that later), You would never be able to assemble separates of this quality at anywhere near the price. And as many have said, the resale value of McIntosh is probably one of the best in the industry.
CUSTOMER SERVICE/SUPPORT: When I bought my Mac, it was installed in a moderately complex stereo/home theater system. Using the pass through option when watching movies or TV worked well. The only issue the installers had was getting the Mac to behave well with the remote control system. The Mac was fussy about the sequence of various actions as programmed in the remote. The installer got on the phone with Mac support and in about 10 minutes had the issue resolved. Otherwise I’ve had no need to work with the company because the Mac performs as it should. (I have since gotten rid of the HT part of my system due to a relocation. Now the Mac is purely a two channel music system).
OVERALL EXPERIENCE: My Mac is 4 years old and sounds every bit as good today as it did once it was through the break in period. I recently upgraded the DAC to the current McIntosh DAC2 board and it definitely sounds better. More revealing and detailed but again, not fatiguing. I have had a great experience and I would recommend McIntosh products to anyone in the market for high quality audio products. You NEED to audition and be sure the products you’re considering fit your ear. It is just like wine or bourbon. Everyone’s taste buds are different and everyone will like or not like something that others rave about. If you’re going to invest large sums of money into an audio system, be sure you spend time listening to different components with your music. That’s the only way to know if it will work for you.