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Seeking Honest Opinions: Your Experience with McIntosh Audio Gear

I'm reaching out to this knowledgeable community to gather some honest feedback and personal experiences regarding McIntosh audio equipment. As many of you know, McIntosh has a storied reputation in the high-end audio world, known for their distinctive blue meters, impeccable build quality, and, of course, their sonic performance.

Whether you've had McIntosh gear in your setup for years or had the chance to experience it in some capacity, I'm curious to hear about your encounters. Specifically, I'm interested in:

  1. Sound Quality: How would you describe the sound signature of McIntosh gear? Do you find it warm, neutral, or something else entirely?
  2. Build Quality and Design: McIntosh is renowned for its craftsmanship. Has their build quality lived up to your expectations?
  3. Value for Money: Considering the premium investment McIntosh demands, do you believe the performance and satisfaction derived justify the price?
  4. Customer Service and Support: Have you had any experiences dealing with McIntosh's customer service? If so, how would you rate their support?
  5. Overall Experience: Would you recommend McIntosh to fellow audio enthusiasts? Why or why not?

Your candid opinions and personal stories will be invaluable, especially for those considering making a significant investment in their audio setup. McIntosh has a dedicated following, but every listener's ears and preferences are unique. Let's shed some light on the real-world experiences behind the brand's prestige.

Looking forward to your insights and honest opinions!

128x128uavnola

Showing 1 response by jastralfu

jastralfu's avatar
jastralfu
214 posts
 

I own the MA8900 integrated amp which I love.  As far as directly answering your questions:

  1. Sound Quality: I would describe my system likely on the slightly warm side of neutral but with plenty of detail.  It has a wide, tall and deep soundstage, excellent imaging, transients, decay.  The midrange is excellent as well and probably slightly more forward.  I do not find the bass to be “fat” or bloated, there is plenty of it and it’s full but still a bit punchy (I have a couple of REL subs I run as well).  The treble is a bit rolled off but there’s still plenty of airiness and detail.  It suits me given that I am susceptible to fatigue from too much treble.
  2. Build Quality and Design: My integrated is built like a tank and weighs about as much at ~75 pounds.  I love the blue meters and the green logo and font.  It has a bit of a retro look which I enjoy.  I’ve heard several complaints about the knobs being plastic and the pots not having a “click” or resistance to them.  The knobs are milled aluminum and it did take a little getting used to spinning them but I really like them now.  McIntosh has a reputation for outstanding build quality which is my experience in the short time I’ve owned it.
  3. Value for Money: Price of entry is not cheap but there is plenty of value with respect to quality of build, quality of sound and resale value.  I don’t think any other brand has the same resale value.
  4. Customer Service and Support: I have no experience with service as my integrated is only a few years old and has needed no service.  I will say that the company still supports every model they made and would expect stellar service if I needed it.  I did email customer service when I first bought the unit, which I bought used, and they promptly replied to my question.
  5. Overall Experience: I would absolutely recommend McIntosh for all of the reasons stated above. I love my integrated, it does everything I want and more.  It has a quality phono section which I haven’t even gotten into yet as I exclusively stream at the moment.  It has an excellent head phone section as well which I think can be turned off. I don’t use it often but enough to speak well of it.  It is not to everyone’s liking/taste but I would strongly encourage anyone looking to build a system to go audition components on the McIntosh lineup.
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