Seeking Honest Opinions: Your Experience with McIntosh Audio Gear

I think it probably depends on your other components. I have 611 monos, with B&W 802D3 speakers. My sources are an Esoteric N01XD streamer and a Clearaudio Performance turntable. That combination works well. Bold, natural, and detailed with clear separation. Heaven to my ears.

I had Mac’s most recent solid state preamp and actually preferred the $599 Topping A90D in terms of sound quality. The Topping had a significantly lower noise floor and just overall superior resolution. Of course the Mac felt and operated like a more premium product and has a good built-in DAC.

The other times I’ve experienced Mac gear I was never blown away, but in those systems I couldn’t really isolate what was contributing what. Most of those systems were rather laidback and mellow sounding which aligns with the general consensus of the Mac sound. The best systems I’ve encountered have not happened to have any Mac gear in the chain.

My overall impression is that much of what one pays for with the brand is the name and legacy.

As for resale value, it seems some pieces simply hold their value better than others. I had to take a substantial hit on the resale value of the Mac preamp even despite the fact I bought it used for thousands less than retail. 

We sold Mac audio gear in our store back in the 1970's. We also sold ARC, Halfer, B&O, Yamaha, Maggies, Klipsch, JBL, Levinson, Linn, and more. Back then Mac would come in the stores and set up a test bench with clad blanket covering the table where the equipment brought in by customers for tested. I also toured the factory. Built quality was impeccable. Sound was also very good. (MC275) 

Mac decided they needed to make everything audio. (Cassettes, CD's, turntables, Dacs, surround systems, etc) Once they started down that road, the reliability went out the window.  I now consider there amps and pre-amps to still be extremely well built, reliable, and sound good (not ampung the best, but good). The rest of there products I would never purchase.  

If McIntosh were a car company they would be Porsche, but made in America. Sure there are Ferrari’s and sexier components out there to rival. There are also the Lexus equivalents that come close and punch above their weight.  

In the end it’s a quality product that works as advertised in its class. 

The rest is subjective and subject to pairing like anything else. 

A lot of their amps measure objectively worse than amps priced MUCH MUCH cheaper. Not that they're bad amps by any means, but you're paying for name and esthetics.