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.
Pubul57, Your post exemplifies my experience of McIntosh. When I was finally willing to overcome my own "it's sub-audiophile" snobbery about it, I found that their amps/preamps in particular answer my primary goal, which is to turn off the analysis and simply enjoy the music. For those who prefer to chase--but not chew--the audio carrot, McIntosh is probably not for you.
McIntosh gear may also not be used in some demo's because dealers know how immature and stupid some Audiophiles are, so why bother putting any equipment in a demo that will just turn off snobs, idiots and un-informed Audiophooles, maybe the company has a policy about its use gear, threads like these although alot of fun to read remind me how insane, foolish, and simple minded a far too high majority of people in this hobby can be, so go on freeze your CD'S. Cook your cables, place rocks on your gear, clocks in your room, paint your disc's green, lift your cables off the ground with $60 Pine, Cryo your listening chair and enjoy the music.
They do, I do and its not because it might be my last amp, plain and simple it fit my needs and I thought 501's were the best sounding under 10K amp out there. I didn't audition 20 amps but I did compare against some stiff competition. I'm also driving Thiel's so the match for me is perfect. I still tweak, experiment, upgrade, buy wire, move speakers, OCD,OCD...so not all audio enthusiasts buy Mac to stop the merry go round of madness...just to fit a need.
Chadnliz; Yeah, I'm sure the only reason McIntosh isn't used in dealer demos is because the dealers/manufacturers think people are stupid. I'm sure it doesn't have anything to do the quality of the gear.
Also, McIntosh can't tell people what they can and can't do with their gear.
The latest models are capable of running both OS X and Windows XP, so what's not to like?
Why are you guys talking about driving speakers with a McIntosh? Even my "workhorse" tower Mac (forget the laptop) could not possibly drive big speakers.
(Return to reality here :^).
By the way, I walked into the McIntosh booth at CES and after listening to their system, the representative ask what I thought. I replied (with a smile on my face), "You guys have great sound and I really admire your computers too."
The guy got really pissed, nearly threw me out of the room! Any company so full of themselves and showing such a shallow sense of humor does not deserve my respect.
The funny thing is, I was the sales manager of a high end store that was the highest volume McIntosh dealer in a five state area. Odd that he gets so haughty, I was peddling Mc gear (probably) before was even out of high school.
The guy got really pissed, nearly threw me out of the room!
That's pretty funny, Albert.
We went to hear a McIntosh demo at a dealer in CA. When I asked about the little red speaker cable running to the back of the $80,000 XRT2Ks, the salesman responded, "A dollar fifty a foot, don't waste your money on anything more expensive". I'm guessing you would have tossed HIM out of the room. :-)
Earlier this year, I attended a weekend AudioFest which was hosted by another audio organization in the Detroit area. There were close to two dozen “listening rooms” where dealers showcased their wares. McIntosh had two of them.
In the online afterglow of the event, someone asked what was their favorite listening experience of the Fest. After a pregnant pause of several hours where there was a reluctance to take the plunge, I posted that McIntosh, which included their 7-foot speaker array panels in the experience got my vote. This opened a floodgate of postings where McIntosh was at, or near the top, in many of them.
It would be divisive to name other competitors here. Suffice to say, that a lot of the high-end audio dealers weren’t represented and that this audio group, though worldwide now, has its roots in the rustbelt Midwest with a “pull-up-the-bootstrap” ethic that sees many recapping old Scott tube receivers and trumpeting thrift store finds of Rectilinear “Lowboys”. Nevertheless, this unscientific poll, may speak to McIntosh’s power to still enthrall even those who could never afford one – to put down that soldering iron for a moment and “have a chew”, as Boa2 put it.
Let's face it, "enthusiast" means that you are first into audio gear and second possibly into music, that is if your audiophile worries actually allow you to enjoy one CD or LP from beginning to end before your mind starts to wonder what it is you need to upgrade next. Yes, many McIntosh owners are very content with their gear and would not even consider anything else. Call them naive, or non-enthusiasts, but don't forget, many of them have played the gear switching game before, myself included and have stopped looking and caring after experiencing McIntosh in their system. I have played the game myself, been there, done that, got a T-shirt. While some are on their 25th amp, preamp or whatever else seems to be in style (look at the D-class amps thread) I'll be still happily listening to my 501's and smiling. To each it's own.
Since this thread isn't dying... It's not just Macs, it's just about all the "top end" that doesn't get talked about. It's a badge of honour to be obscure.
What's to talk about? Once you've arrived, you're there. There's no doubt, no questions. All that remains is gloating. Exclusive prices of this type of gear translates to a certain amount of exclusivity on forums. That's not to say that there aren't excellent bargains but bucks buys confidence. Besides, I doubt anyone wants to hear someone with 901's slam their SLAMMs or cut down thier Krells.
Our entire family has enjoyed the old man's MC7270 for no less than 20 years now. His Mac preamp/controller hasn't given a lick of trouble. The amp has pushed various speaker loads, it has backed parties and, it has enhanced our movie watching. Each morning when he wakes to fix his coffee, he flips on the Mac. Dad came over to my house the other day and listened to a little EL34 tube amp (brand name unimportant) I've been listening to recently. He was moved by the "presence". His first response, "The McIntosh has nothing on this! Sounds fantastic!" I asked if he was ready to try something new. "Nope. I love the Mac!" To me, his response said it all. His McIntosh stuff gives him all he needs or, all any of us should need from a stereo, enjoyment. As enthusiasts, we enjoy the never ending quest for the "absolute sound." The hunt is where we derive our enjoyment (or madness). I have to respect a product that is capable of giving its owner years of pride and enjoyment without fail. Cheers to McIntosh and to all the other manufacturers that keep the rest of us ENJOYING music. On a side note, I too was disappointed by my local Mac dealer's demo of their 4000 watt $200,000 system. I begged him to impress me with something normal people could afford as opposed to the mega rich and frivolous. ;)
Your example of not being impressed by the $200k system because you wanted to be impressed by something you can afford is like saying "I was not impressed by Porsche or Ferrari because they had nothing to show me in my price range". Also, while McIntosh does have ultra expensive amps and speakers in their line up doesn't mean you have to be able to afford them to enjoy what McIntosh has to offer. A 402/C46 combo was highly praised by TAS as being the best the reviewer has had in his system and compared to other amps/preamps many times the price. Should I remind you how well the 501's were reviewed? A comparison of 20-30 year old McIntosh gear to modern gear and using that as the standard by which it is measured is simply unfair. The new McIntosh gear has also evolved and offers many sonic advantages to the 20-30 year old stuff while still being competitively priced with modern gear of other brands. I for one am very happy that I finally built a system that allows me to simply enjoy music without all the "audiophile nervosa" that seems to go hand in hand with this hobby. I am very pleased at the fact that my investment into 501 monoblocks will last me at least 30 years and bring me daily pleasure while still retaining the highest resale value in case I decide to move up or simply upgrade to the latest model of McIntosh amps/preamps.
Strange, my wife and many of our friends that come over our house have always complimented the looks of my all McIntosh gear. The looks of the gear are highly personal choice and as always the "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". Not that I need the approval of my wife on what my audio gear should look like nor would she ever put her foot down on this subject but it's nice to know she appreciates it. I don't think the amps of yesterday with their huge cooling fins were ever high on the WAF either. Of course the Krell's and ML's have changed their looks lately and will change again I am sure with time, what ever the fashion will call for. Strange how fashion comes and goes yet the "truly classic" and tasteful designs always remain in fashion and stand the test of time no matter what.
A lot of them like to listen to music playback at full "threshold of feeling" volume. If they listened at normal comfortable household playback or quiet, don't-wake-the-family levels, there would be no audible bass (Fletcher-Munsen curves). With tone and loudness controls, I can enjoy full-bodied sound at any playback level. The McIntosh preamp also removed any trace of high-end harshness that I had until now (after 50 years!) thought was always a part of electronically-reproduced music.
They do - but won't tell everyone. Perhaps because most audio-enthusiasts are kind of 'nerds' ?
Sorry to say this - I own McINtosh for about 8 yers now - but owning a Mac makes talking about it redundant. It just asks to be listened to and people owning a Mac don't have time talking about it, they use their time listening to music. In fact, a McIntosh amplifier makes frends redundant. Perhaps owning a Mac makes you a nerd ?
Now enough of this. Here is my experience :
I got the MA6400, a 2x100 Watt at 4 Ohm integrated amp, to play with JBL Ti5000 speakers. Yes, it did lack some power, therefor I now upgraded to the MA6900.
Though, the MA6400 still delivers every bit of grat sound to my old Infinity's 6i, a pair of JBL L112's or a pair of old BnW Transmissionlines.
I had a Vincent on the JBL's, great power but less detail of musicality. I compared with serveral amps and NONE of them had the detail and musicality of the Mac.
So, yes, they are real good amplifiers. They sound the best - you can't find anything wrong about the sond - and so it makes them difficult to talk about.
Perhaps that is why audio-enthousiasts don't talk about them but you can be sure... They do own them !
"10-16-06: Pawlowski6132 Anyone ever see a reputable speaker manufacturer or other high end manufacturer using McIntosh in their demo rooms at any of the shows??? Me neither.
Last year I bought a second hand VPI TNT III turntable with graham 2.2 tonearm( 3000 $ with VPI stand and SDS !). Totaly ignorant about how vinyl sounds compare to CD and SACD, having a system composed of Audio Research LS 25 linestage, VT 100 amp, esoteric DV 50 digital and Martin Logan Ascent i speakers, I decided to buy a MC 275 because it has (beside excellent reputation) gain control and with a Jan Allaerts MC 1 MKII cartridge and graham slee elevator+era gold V direct in the MC 275 the sound is so pure and detailled that I don't listen to digital any more ! The sound through the ARC preamp is much less accurate. So my advice is to avoid any linestage and to connect your phonostage directly to the amp, and the MC 275 does a marvelous job with Graham slee phono pre for a reasonable price ( 3500 $ + 1500 $) Now I have a nice collection of 2000 LP jazz and don't spend any more money in hardware upgrading, the only backside is that I became a Vinyl addict !!! Cheers to you all from Brussels! Jean
Dev, you need to READ before you pass judgment...I was quoting someone further up in the thread..And mine was a question. You know what quotes around a phrase mean right?
Well, since much of the stuff exhibited at shows is about hype, buzz and "latest and greatest," I suspect these folks would want to partner with similarly-inclined manufacturers. Pizzazz sells a lot of product.
Alternately, I doubt Mac needs this kind of "exposure" given their loyal following and dealer network.
Jc51373 I wasn't passing judgment and I do know what quotes around a phrase mean, I was giving my opinion. I might be wrong reading your thread wrong so can you clarify because it doesn't look that way to me.
Below is you thread and what you wrote;
"10-16-06: Pawlowski6132 Anyone ever see a reputable speaker manufacturer or other high end manufacturer using McIntosh in their demo rooms at any of the shows??? Me neither.
Why do you think that is??"
Because it is second rate?
Jc51373 you say you were quoting someone else, I can't seem to find this exact quote that you are referring too, who was it?
Just to clarify and make it simple what are your thoughts of McIntosh?
Jc51373, You words from your Krell / McIntosh thread on amps/ preamps: "Not to be a complete ball-buster".............. I understand that the MC-402 was not to your liking and it just didn't work in your system, that's fine and you have your opinion. Krell is king and McIntosh is second rate crap. I get it. What is the point of honestly sharing you opinion in that thread and now entering this thread. Because you hated the McIntosh amp? You said it best, "complete ball-buster".
Certain brands have acquired 'cult' status. To me, McIntosh is kind of like Cadillac, a brand that for decades was considered to be in the luxury class, but not high performance. I still think it is largely true. There are certainly better-performing product lines out there, but McIntosh still sells because it has been around longer and it certainly is well-built. I would prefer Mark Levinson electronics by a large margin.
Trying to make a McIntosh analogous to a Mercedes is actually an excellent way to describe what I think of McIntosh, if you need to know. It's an over-priced status symbol, ruined by a conglomerate. I have now heard the McIntosh in three separate systems, including my own, and in all of them I got the same feeling from it.
I am entitled to my opinion of Mac, and you can flame all you want..I personally would care less if someone didn't like a Krell amp, or a piece I owned. If it works for you, all the power to you, I just think it is not the best value. I do however think it is a little comical how people who own Mac get so defensive of the stuff.
Hey everyone has an opinion...so here is mine...being in the car business for the last 15 yrs and having sold and driven everything from A to Z..I mean just about every brand,from Kia,Daewoo to Ferrari,Lotus and Porsche etc....I personally wouldn't compare Mac to Cadillac or Mercedes....my comparison is to Ferrari...and here's why.
I have driven and sold 5 Ferraris (different models) and they all have that certain "something" that makes you want to get in and drive,even go out of your way to get somewhere.....they are not the fastest,or quickest and probably not the overall best handling....but when Ferrari puts a car together...it is "all there" and just sooooo right. To me Mac is on the same plane...maybe not most detailed,or "best bass" etc.....but listening to music thru my mac gear,makes me want to listen to...well more music.....and to me that is what it is all about.
Yes I like the looks and build quality, but the sound is most important,and I have other gear which I also like
WOW! Jc51373 and Uraniumcommittee I can agree with you in one area and that it is your opinion and that's what makes the world go around but obviously neither one of you have heard the product in a system that is great sounding, too bad for the both of you. You both would likely get along really well.
This is a hobby and there is nothing perfect out there no matter how much it costs, that's life but you both should know that. You should make it a practise not to bash other gear, if you don't like it find but leave it at that because when you start making absorb statements that make no sense it only takes away from your credibility.
"03-19-07: Jc51373 Trying to make a McIntosh analogous to a Mercedes is actually an excellent way to describe what I think of McIntosh, if you need to know. It's an over-priced status symbol, ruined by a conglomerate. I have now heard the McIntosh in three separate systems, including my own, and in all of them I got the same feeling from it."
No, I disagree. McIntosh is more like Cadillac. Mercedes automobiles are worth every penny, but Cadillac? Hardly!
Hey guys, listen...Lets not get huffy, my opinions (albeit over the internet and not communicated completely) are not intended to try and upset anyone...They were formed through listening, and therefore I consider them fact-based opnions, first-hand opinions.
To me comparing these amps to a Ferrari is even more inaccurate. Ferrari's are nice don't get me wrong, but they are mainly eye-candy, unreliable, high-maintenance, not mass produced, and very expensive. I have also driven in them, and find them to be incredibly impractical too. Not to mention, Mac Amps, are practical, and are admittedly slower amps. I might compare Shindo, Goldmund, or Nagra to a Ferrari if I were going to make that analogy.
I do however like the Cadillac analogy much better than the Mercedes or Ferrari. I have listened, and I gave it a fair shake in different systems, and each time it was the same for me, unemotional, uninvolving, dry, etched. Doesn't mean that some may not prefer this sound, to each his own. I think it is important either way to be able to voice your opinion intelligently, and constructively, for the benefit of those searching these forums to evaluate. This is not bashing, and if you feel it is, so be it.
I personally love buying equipment, if possible, from smaller independently owned manufacturers. They are usually more passionate about what they do, which typically results in a better product. Although Levinson might be the exception, their stuff sounds great, but service has suffered since HSG took the helm. MnIntosh is owned by who? Denon? Marantz? I would however have less of a problem with that if the stuff sounded as good as Krell or ML, but it doesn't and too often it is compared to it, which is not accurate. Collectively, these things are to be considered when looking at McIntosh.
Hi Jc51373, Yes we all have opinions and we all hear differently. Krell is your amp of choice and McIntosh happens to be mine. Most systems differ in components not to mention room treatments. System synergy is what we're all looking for in this wacky hobby. I think what has most McIntosh owners scratching their heads is your description of this amp as "Dry and etched"............"unemotional and uninvoling" are a bit more subjective and that is your honest opinion. This is close to 180 degrees opposite of my experience with this amplifier. Musical with a relaxed presentation, involving, emotional and just a smoth sweet sound would be my characterization of this McIntosh amp.
Vanilla & choclate........... we all have opinions
Hello, no offense taken, but I have sold over 3,000 cars and drove and serviced them all, the reason my ferrari analogy was, well Ferrari is a very misunderstood car by most people, they think they are "tempermental',"expensive to repair and mucho high maintenance....nothing is further from the truth...Ferraris are extremely well built and well engineered....and serviced at the proper intervals are very easy to live with.....the whole point of a sports car is tohave fun driving it....i.e. does it put a smile on your face...to me Ferrari does it every time....same with Mac....hence my analogy. Just because a manufacturer is big or small has no merit with me....it is their product and value in the marketplace that counts....and Mac being in the home audio business for so long one might say they have it down......meaning they can build a hi end amp more efficiently than the competition, thus bringing to market an amp that a lesser company simply can't do...as in the MC 275...tough to beat at that price.....anyway an interesting point, of ALL the cars that I have sold and serviced....the 5 Ferraris needed just about the least amount of attention...who knew.
Jc - it looks like your trolling now - I say to each his own it's your money but if you've been a member very long you know some advice and opinions are helpful and others are crap. Usually when descriptives are on the extreme side, well that sometimes points to exaggeration. I think that's what gets people's dander up because sometimes it's exactly opposite to what they hear. You went to the trouble to lug a 100lb amp home to audition, it didn't work for you - it is what it is. Good thing you didn't buy first!
Some hobbiest enjoy brand bashing, goodness knows Krell and MIT have to be the all time favorites on this site, not saying your bashing Mcintosh like I said some of your descriptions were on the extreme side. I personally have never heard a Krell that worked for me or B&W but tastes change, mine might as well. To each his own....it's your money!
Although I can't afford any Mac gear I've demoed a bunch at my local "dream store". Also known a few people who own and swear by the stuff. It seems that ever increasing "detail" in audio gear has tended towards a brighter sound. While all that detail is impressive at first , it just gets annoying to me after a few hours. McIntosh gear seems to have a more soothing , relaxed sound that you can leave on all day and not think about anything but the music. After a couple divorces I'm down to a little integrated (Marantz PM7200) that has the same type sound-with the obvious caveat that it ain't Mac. I like the signature "Mac sound" and would use their amps in a heartbeat if I could afford it. Finally , I've noticed that Mac amps definitely have speaker preferences. They don't seem to like many planar or ribbon speakers. Hook a pair of Mac monoblocks to a pair of Klipschorns or LaScalas though , and you'll hear why the old guys love their "blue eyes".
Alaric, I like your description "blue eye"..Funny stuff.
It's true though, opinions are all unique, or you know what they say, they are like a-holes, we all have em and they stink!
Anyway, not meaning to brand bash, just state my experience, if it came across as brand bashing my bad. Who knows, I could get this FPB in my room and think it sound terrible. Doubtful, but possible, and I would be honest either way, Krell or not. If it doesn't sound good, I don't see the spending the kind of money we spend on this stuff, cause in the end albeit cliche, it is TRULY all about the emotion of music, not just the delivery of it.
Wouldn't it be interesting to get the 2 camps together in one place to demo/debate what each is hearing/looking for? Of course liability policies would have to be up to date and all furniture removed. I wonder if the experience would be convergent or further polarize?
Mac is that good and Bose is that good. Look at it this way if it werent that good people wouldnt buy it. All this crap is good or it wouldnt still be selling for this long. Buy what you like and dont listen to these nuts. smile
Jamnesta, awesome point, and it would be incredibly useful here if we could organize a Sound debate.
Bossjay, did you just say Bose sounds good? I need you to explain to me why then the $300 set of computer speakers I bought two months ago are now blown. Bose is incredibly engineered sound, and it is NOT good. Some may in fact like it, and think it is believable, and in certain applications it is sufficient, but it does not really sound good....To me anyway.
I am by no means a snob, but I am a purist, and to me out of all the amps I have listened to thus far, Krell hits all the marks I look for. For others Mac might do that, and (although painful for me to say) Bose may too.
I haven't thought much of MacIntosh since the 70's when it was good stuff. Recently a friend bought a Mac pre-amp, and then traded his Parasound JC-1 for Mac monos... Wow what a huge improvement over the JC-1!
I didn't expect much but the new stuff really sounded good. People who have written mac off should reconsider.
Then Justin Timberlake, Ludacris, Christina Aguilera, Pink, R.Kelly etc. must be good music because people buy there albums. McDoalds must make good food because tons of people buy their food. Bud Light must be good beer because lots of people drink it. "Dude Where's My Car" must be good cinema becasue lots of people watched it. Etc.
Nrchy: AMEN BROTHER. I owned a Krell FPB 200 for about 4 and half years. Yes it had tremendous bass sock, but I always found it to be a bit hard sounding. Not awful, but it was there. I finally got back on the upgrade bandwagon again as audiophiles will. I went to an Edge M8M, then to a Luminous Audio KST-150 (big, big mistake) and then finally to a MAC 402 and the search was over. My wife (bless her heart) said when she heard the MAC "Honey, this is a different ballgame". She said it was the best sounding amp that I have ever owned. Have a good laugh fellow audiogoners. Just giving my opinion FWIW. Love all you guys and I read the forums everyday and really get a kick out of them.
since mcintosh is a viable company, some consumers are buying their products. of those who boight their products, some are pleased with their purchase. what term would one use to characterize satisfied purchasers ? if not audio enthusiasts, how do you define the term ? if the "happy" customers are not audio enthusiasts what are they ?
Happy consumers can be a simple general way to also refer to a happy audio enthusiast. To me they are very different, so I am not sure what point of the question is.. But to get more granular, an audio enthusiast is different because it is usually person who loves music first, and is passionate about equipment second. What that hifi equipment is can be a completely different discussion altogether. Hi-Fi is really it's own very obscure category..I have lots of friends who think the pursuit of hi end audio is silly, and I can understand why they think that, they would be categorized as a satisfied consumer. On the other hand, I can't fathom listening to music any other way than through hi end equipment; Bose, and Marantz and Denon, and Sony, etc to me are not hi-fi, they live in a completely different category, where happy/satisfied consumers live as well.
Audio enthusiast is someone who cares about detail in sound, and details build quality of equipment-and the fun associated with it..To me hi end audio is a small shop operation, not operated by a conglomerate in an effort to stay viable, often times hifi manufacturers are just a few equally passionate people who have the ability and have chosen to make hi end audio equipment (thank you for them!). Because they too love music like most of us here on the forums, and these are the people that understand that things CAN be better than commercial, mass market equipment.
I mean does the guy who owns Bose equipment know why a Black Gate Capacitor is better than what they use in Bose? Or how important circuit board design and layout is? Or Power supply-doubtfully. That doesn't mean he is stupid, just not interested. Does a guy who owns Sony CD player know that DAC inside is what makes a CD sound better or worse-doubtfully....I will say one thing, the guy listening to the commercial mass market equipment has one major advantage usually, not overpaying for this stuff they way we ALL do, and they still get the benefit of hearing music. Without the magic of course. : )
I recently "upgraded" from a Jeff Rowland Concerto integrated (which was no slouch) to a McIntosh MA2275 'toob' integrated. It was a huge risk on my part because the San Diego Mac dealers don't really lend out gear and most consumers in San Diego don't purchase enough esoteric two-channel stuff anymore to warrant a dealer actually stocking an integrated -- let alone one that costs nearly six-and-a-half-large.
Unpacking a McIntosh piece can be called a revelatory experience; One immediately notices that real people actually gave a sh_t and packed the unit to withstand the UPS Drop-Kick Delivery Technique. And Mac is smart enough to NOT plaster "fragile" stickers all over the package because they serve as "crush me!" beacons to couriers. The packing itself weighs over 30 pounds! After removing two layers of very thick cardboard packaging and foam, the finale comes when the family members argue over how to properly unbolt (!) the MA2275 from its wooden pallet without destroying it. Finally we decided to flip the amp on its side atop a pillow and then began to unbolt the four large metal bolts and washers from the pallet. The MA2275 seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as it was liberated from its packing constraints.
I almost ruined my lower vertebrae while lifting it (properly I might add) onto its perch atop a Salamander rack. The "pound-per-watt" rule was true in this case.
I could almost sense the Rowland taunting the Mac as I started the process of gingerly inserting the four KT-88 (Russian) power tubes and six 12AX7A (Russian) preamp tubes into the gleaming top of the Mac. After replacing the tube cover and hooking up all the cabling it was time for a listen. But first...
It seems that the folk at McIntosh value the tactile -- almost retro -- feel of the control surfaces of its products. When I rotate the Source select knob or adjust the volume I get a reassuring feeling that something within that glowing front fascia (made of cool retro glass and illuminated by high-tech LEDs) is working. And then there's those meters. Those cool blue meters ;-) -- Remember when manufacturers began to put blue LEDs on their gear? One brand had their blue LEDs so bright as to burn one's eyeballs out. Ugh. Or when Muse's bright red LEDs seared holes in reviewers' retinas? Some manufacturers are still guilty of that today. But not McIntosh. And definitely not those giant blue meters. For these meters genuinely serve a purpose; to let me know that 75+ pure tube watts are making their way to a waiting pair of Avalon Opus speakers sitting at the end of 30' of Analysis Plus cable.
People warned me that 75 watts would not be enough to drive the Avalons. (This is why I went to the Rowland's 250 Class-D watts in the first place). I am happy to report that in the case of my system and 3700 cubic-foot room, those folks are wrong. Complex orchestral passages played at 100+dB never sounded gelled nor fuzzy. In fact my ears gave out well before the cool blue meters started pegging the '150 peak watt' mark. And during times when I was able to endure the large SPL's the MA2275 was indeed clipping and, as tubes do, gently transition into even-order distortion.
The typical audiophile terms? Yes. In spades. Slam. Check. Rhythm. Check. Deep soundstage. Check. Smooth, detailed midrange. Check. 'Sounds Live From Other Room' test. Check.
I can understand that for those with larger rooms and/or inefficient speakers, the MA2275 may not be the answer. If you have Kats and Kids, it's almost definitely not the answer. There are a few times when the Rowland seemed to have an easier go at the music. But in my system, the Rowland sounded too calm and collected. It just wanted me to HEAR the music. The Mac, on the other hand, sounded more true -- more real. It WANTED me to LISTEN to the music. And in the end, the Mac's magical sonic qualities outweighed the effortless slam of the Rowland.
And to many people, therein lies the magic of McIntosh.
Best Regards from a recent Mac Convert/Audio Enthusiast ;-)
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