2. amps-preamps
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Why do no audio enthusiasts use McIntosh?

With the exception of some of there tube gear, not many really use this stuff(or admit to it anyway), I am mainly referring to there amps. They look pleasant, they look good on paper and have the price of high end gear, but I seldom hear anyone claiming to like or one day dreaming of owning McIntosh. I have never really listened to there stuff, no good word of mouth sort of scares me away from it, the only people who like it are those who sell it, an uncanny coincidence? I don’t know. Sorry it this has been covered many times in the past, I ran a search and could not find anything.
tireguy
chadnliz
3,736 posts
 
I am not so sure that is still true, certainly wont be for surround gear, thats no more immune to being worth a paper weight than any other offering.
jsujo
348 posts
 
Is this question even serious? There is a world out there beyond Audiogon, believe or not. Through the years I met dozens of people who had great systems with McIntosh SS gear. Especially the newer generation 252, 352 and many still love their Mc500 stereo amp. They sound great, and I have heard them with many different types of speakers.

There are obviously many people buying the McIntosh gear sold here and elsewhere. McIntosh owners, especially the older ones do hang on for longer periods of time to their gear and dont keep looking for the next wonder gear down the pike.

I am not currently a McIntosh owner besides my trusty MCD-7009 CDP.
dchamb10
1 posts
 
My McIntosh MC252 is unquestionably a better sounding unit than the NAD S200 Silverline series it replaced.
cmdog
2 posts
 
Buy what YOU like and quite worrying about what others think. After all, you should be buying for your satisfaction, not to impress others. Who cares what others think about your system.
audioquest4life
771 posts
 
"Buy what YOU like and quite worrying about what others think. After all, you should be buying for your satisfaction, not to impress others. Who cares what others think about your system."

Great post! Currently, enjoying a brand new pair of MC2301's. Very enjoyable and effortless power driving a pair of B&W N800's.

Based on my experiences over the years, I believe the Mc's sound is in the same league as other well respected manufacturers, obviously, with their own sound, which is either appealing or not so appealing to others. Having owned other flavors of SS and tube amps over the years from pioneer, carver, adcom, mark levinson, soundscraftsman, Bryston, Octave, Crown, and Rotel, the macs certainly sound excellent to these ears.

Enjoy what you own for right now. If you stay in this hobby long enough, you will roll through many pieces of audio equipment, sometimes as much as people roll tubes or swap out cables. The amps I replaced lasted 7 years before the swap to the macs. Some equipment I even thought was my last purchase, hmmm, should I say that about the new MC2301?
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