Seeking Honest Opinions: Your Experience with McIntosh Audio Gear

I have been a McIntosh owner for over 30 years. 

I will state that when I would visit stereo / hi-fi stores over the decades (when we still had hi-fi stores!) and salespersons would ask what I had for a system, I was embarrassed to some degree to state that I owned McIntosh due to the comments and that I would get.  Not sure where that really came from...other than the assumption that people disliked the colored, house sound from years ago, the logo font choice and the blue meters.  McIntosh, seemingly more than any other stereo manufacturer, has indeed generated a fair number of detractors that really dislike these products.

I still remember a few clubs/bars in my area in the '90's that would have a McIntosh amp behind the bar running the sound system.  All beat to heck, lights burned out, top of the amps battered for years of setting stuff on them, but still operating year after year.   

My mid '70's MC250 amp is still going, and my Clarion years MAC preamp is still 100% functional.

Right on jheppe815. Mac equipment is solid, as well as the resale value. Unlikely to take a hit on the buy in cost other than general inflation.

 I have multiple Mac pieces. It sounds "warm" to me. I have nothing to compare to. My ears love the sound and I suppose I could "upgrade" but what would be the point. My ears and brain have come to accept my Mac equipment as audio nirvana. Would just turn into a rabbit hole with many dollars needlessly spent. 

SQ - I have owned four different McIntosh combinations over the years and I would consider their sound quality to be solid, punchy, clear and powerful, never shrill.   

BQ - just outstanding.  Beautifully crafted and very unique.  Touching McIntosh equipment always invokes a sense of quality craftmanship.  Some bash the meters but what a distinctive brand identity.  They are also incredibly reliable. 

Value - McIntosh is too expensive but when you add in most pieces ability to hold their value, I think it changes the expense to benefit ratio.  Seems you can always get your money back and in some cases more.

Customer Support - never had to use it but I hear it is exceptional.

Overall - I would highly recommend McIntosh to most listeners.  I just have confidence that Mac gear delivers in most all situations.  It may not be the very best of the best, but when you consider everything involved, it's a hard to be brand. 

No one has mentioned convenience. I have a M/X 123 A/V processor that controls my audio and video. It came bundled with Apple Music, so no separate streamer, DAC, etc. necessary. My audio is powered by a McIntosh 275 tube amp. For movies, etc,, I use a MC8207 seven channel solid state amp. Coupled with a MAC4BACCH filter, it sounds better than a million dollar system I recently heard at a very high-end dealer in New York. I cannot over-emphasize how much the BACCH adds to my system.

A little different perspective. I have bought almost all of my audio components used. I’m the second owner of an MC352 that I use to drive Quad 63s. When I moved on to Sound Lab electrostatics, I bought two MC2500s, each bridged to mono 1000 watts. The 2500s have a slightly brighter signature than the 352. But all sound great and are built like tanks. I really couldn’t be happier with their sound and lack of distortion. Also, looking at the audio market places, it appears all three of my amps have appreciated since I bought them. 
 

A friend and fellow audio traveller has a stunning system built around a new Mac integrated and Sonus Faber Olympica speakers. Marvelous sound.