Why do no audio enthusiasts use McIntosh?

Mcintosh started in 1949. It is one of the most successful high end brands. It is the Rolex of high end audio - respected for aesthetics, functionality and reliability. Like Rolex - built like a tank and being highly desirable holds value better than any other brand. Mcintosh is not the last word in resolution but perhaps the most respected high end musical (enjoyable) electronics you can buy.

Mcintosh even use output transformers on their SS amps - this is for crafting the sound. The sound crafted by Mcintosh is not the last word in transparency but a lush sound that many experts swear by.

@kosst_amojan


Adding autotransfomers to SS amps sounds “crazy” as George Hifi points out.

Mcintosh made a strategic choice there to craft the sound of their SS amps to be more tube like. Purists hate this but some may like the sound with the added convenience of SS.

Frankly a tube Mcintosh is up there with other great tube amps. Whether you like the sound probably has as much to do with component matching as it does to the individual tubes selected. Most folks would agree that the first thing to do is to replace the Mcintosh stock JJ or Chinese tubes. Perhaps this is a major drawback to what are relatively expensive amplifiers. Or perhaps Mcintosh know or expect that purists will replace tubes anyway and therefore they voice the amp with cheap tubes that are warm and not so transparent. Perhaps they voice their gear for a jazz trio or quartet - the typical casual well heeled audiophile test CD - you know the type of folks who think a really large collection is over 50 albums. Whatever Mcintosh does - it has worked for over 60 years....perhaps their biggest mistake was stopping tube amp production for a while.....