Why do no audio enthusiasts use McIntosh?

In the summer of 1972 my wife and I bought a new Mac 2105 amp and a used MX110 pre amp/ tuner.  The MC 2105 is still in the family.  It plays in the basement party room at my son's house.  It has never needed repairs.  I imagine it very much needs its capacitors replaced, but for over half a century every time it has been turned on it has played music. I'm into Pass Labs and First Watt amps now, but I still very much respect MacIntosh.

My first electronics was a hand me down from my dad a Fisher X202 tube integrated, fm100 tuner , Marantz 8b and altec 804 in the early 70’s. I regretted selling them when I went to university. Had my share of Japanese gear in the 80’s. After my kids got grown up I got bit by the bug again. I could never afford new gear so I was in the merry go round of gear swapping used mid and entry level high end stuff. Audio Research, Bedini, Quad, Perreaux, Bryston, Counterpoint, Aragon, Acurus, Sonographe, Conrad Johnson, Luxman, GAS, Moscode, Threshold, Krell, Classe, Linn, Naim, Accuphase, Cary, Audible Illusions, McCormack. My first Mac was the MAC1900, then a MAC4100, C28, 6100. I lucked out on an estate sale and picked up C32, MC2205 and MR78, I kept them as my second system. My main system now is an Audible Illusions Modulus 3A, and an Accuphase P266 class A SS.

Mac gear are good sounding imho and yes the sight of those blue lights and big vu meters are icing on the cake, they are much more reliable than the others, never had good luck with Audio Research, Counterpoint and Krell gear they were not reliable. Older Mac gear are good investment pieces they hold their value, I find the older Mac gear are voiced to be on the warm side. Older guys like me like that 60’s and 70’s warm sound. 

I have a C29 preamp connected to a MC2100 amp, 1970's steely dan bliss. I love Mcintosh. Outstanding SQ, build quality, been running for decades without a moan of trouble. If you ever decide to part ways, high resale dollars are waiting.Turn it up!

I have always admired McIntosh since the late 1970's even had a mac dealer in Des Moines Iowa. Well, it is 2019 I am scanning A'gon here and see an ad for a pair of Mac Mc30 mono tube amps. i write and then we speak by phone, I ask if I can come and audition the Mc30's? he says yes, only 2hours away.  I am a huge vinyl fan and assume a tube amp guy is also. I ask what turntable does he own?

No table and no CD no preamp he only streams his audio. I know my destiny is to rescue these mono amps.  I inspect and listen they had been restored and NOS tubes, they came home with me for just over $4k!! Then within 2 weeks I again on A'gon find refurbished Mac C20 preamp with the brass bar $2K again I save the preamp.

My Mac gear now plays my jazz lp's through my Nola Boxer S2's and will be part of my legacy to my son. 

I think that there is a thread dissing McIntosh all the time is an interesting thing. Boy, they seem to be doing pretty well these days. They must be doing something right. why is that? why is there always a thread like this? i think it’s actually a good promotion of McIntosh to be honest. Geez after reading all these negative posts I think I have to see what this McIntosh is all about. They must be the benchmark if everyones comparing to them. lol  Their equipment sure holds its value.  Does anybody elses?  lol

Bob Weir Grateful Dead 


 

 

I owned AR, Rowland, ML, Mitner, Krell, and I have had my McIntosh MC 402 longer than any of them, and the reason why the amp sounds good on very speaker i have owned from dynamic speaker, Electrostatic, and now open baffle. I never thought I own McIntosh but when I heard one I had to admit it sounded dam good, and I would never have given a McIntosh a try due to hearing for years McIntosh was for the doctors and lawyers, well is just not true. The sound I hear sounds like groups are playing in the room, the amp is neither bright or dark, it does give body and weight to the music, and with the audio transformers, I can match any speaker to my amp and get the best sound with either of 8,4 or 2 ohm taps, and that is a full 400 watts on any of the taps used to connect my speakers. 

Bumping thread into 2021. I have an ma8900 and love it. It is my first high-end integrated amp but it has a wonderful sound. Warm, well articulated, excellent sound stage, controlled.  Running vintage Polk Monitor 7s I have owned since new in 1989 and a Sunfire True Super Jr sub.  I recapped and replaced resistors on the Polks but will eventually replace those with B&W or Sonus Faber.  I’m looking forward to hearing it with a better set of speakers.  I also spent a lot of time researching Accuphase, Mark Levinson, Gryphon, Hegel, Bryston, Krell, etc. and decided on the Mc.

My definitive review of McIntosh amps will be completed by Christmas!  Stay tuned and let’s take this thread into 2021👌🏻

+1 gmercer. I am enthusiastically an enthusiast who uses Mac amps.  

WoW!!! On 11/28/2020 this thread will be 19 years old. Do we have a consensus yet? Or will it go on to infinity??

I use Mc and many might call me an audio enthusiast. My system is Brinkmann, Thales, FM Acoustics etc., and I find few to none do better than Mc amps at bringing it all together. The “house sound” ramblings are bs. The amps are transparent and let the music shine through. 

@abali...I’ve owned many of the amps mentioned here.  I’m 58 and have experienced way more than most over the years.  There is no best..only different.  I just ordered my next system.  B&W 802D3’s and a Mac MA8900.  They compliment each other beautifully!  

I say, let’s keep this monster thread going for another year,,,, so we can throw it a big Twentieth Anniversary Party!

The OP doesn’t even know how to use there vs their 😂

Can’t believe this troll tread still on going 😂 

I broke into the biz in the 70’s with what was, at the time, the biggest Mac dealer in the midwest. It sells for the reasons listed here in many good posts: 1) Quality parts and construction 2) Longevity 3) Reliability 4) Cosmetics 5) Service
We had a big sign in the window: "Buy the Best and Cry Once."
By the mid-70’s and the advent of Maggies, DQ’s, Dayton-Wrights, ARC and Luxman, the sonic advantages of other brands began to eat Mac’s lunch. Ever try a C-28 with an MC-2105 on a pair of Tympani’s? Sold a lot of SP-3’s that way. Different great components intended for entirely different customers.

Because it looks VERY COOL DUDE!!!!!

I own preamps from Conrad Johnson, Modwright, McIntosh, Dynaco, and have owned Audio Research, etc. 

Many years ago I owned mint McIntosh gear in their walnut cabinets, a C22, MR67 and MC240, purchased from the original owner. The tubes were all checked and I compared them to my Dynaco PAS3x and Mark 3 power amps (tube). The Mc gear did have less air and acoustic space than the Dynaco gear and I eventually sold it. The McIntosh value has escalated dramatically and the Dynaco gear is still at about the same value that I bought it for. In hindsight, I of course wish I had kept the McIntosh gear. As I repair and maintain my gear as a hobby, I can assure you both stereos were in top working condition. 

My more recent McIntosh gear is actually pretty good and feature rich. It can take a lot of inputs, control tone, and works well. My Modwright preamp has more detail and air but poor recordings really sound poor on it and the McIntosh, for what ever reason, is far more forgiving of average recordings. If you sit and listen to the music, the Mc gear is great and you are simply not aware of the gear. This is very true with classical or jazz recording.  If you enjoy sitting and criticizing the music go with Modwright as you will hear every thing that is good or bad in the recording. Be aware that this can drive you nuts. In closing my favorite preamps are the Conrad Johnson preamps. Decades ago they removed all electrolytic from the power supply and signal path and they produce incredible detail, a broad and deep sound stage with no drama or harshness. 

Why do no audio enthusiasts use McIntosh?

audiophiles != enthusiasts, perhaps?

McIntosh is amazing audio gear.
especially the,preamps,and,amps.
  The only mcintosh I own is the free cell app which has a blue meter displayed.

 Maybe someday, maybe.
its great stuff, people who badmouth mac I think arejust jealous.
  It’s truly top end made audio.

someday I’ll get a pair of monos, some day. 
Problem,is if you don’t buy from a known dealer, then warranty is moot n good luck w service.
what I’ve heard and read.  Shame one can’t buy used and transfer the warranty.

unless things have changed??
but I doubt it.

cheers to all Mac owners!!

Two years ago I purchased a Mcintosh C2500 and love it. I've been kicking myself for not looking at Mcintosh years ago.   I use the C2500 with my long time VTL amps.

I've used Mac gear from birth, seems like. I can't remember when Mac wasn't in the house.  My folks had a console with a MR7X, C20, MC240 and a Thoren 124. That was the early 60s.

My first system, was a pair of MC20s pulled from a console, a pair of C4s and Jensen Imperial Horns. Worked all year and summers to pay for it all, 51 chevy PU could just fit the whole thing in.  HUGE hand made speakers from plans at a local cabinet maker.. Wonderful sound.. 50+ years with Mac, just love um'.

The more you have the more you want... 20 pieces later...LOL
I admit though some Mac gear, just had to go... Usually SS Amps stuff.
1.2ks and 600s both had to go.. Something about planars and Macs.
Just don't work for me..Great resale...

I can listen to my C20, MC225 (or MC240) and a pair of Infinity RS4B (talk about old) all day long. Serious SQ from that combo.. BTW that MC225, was used 2 months and stored until I got it, 45 years later, from an estate sale. It's  just now broke in after two years, of 10 hrs a week or so.. Perfect as it can be original tubes..RCA Mcintosh...9.5 + Just no box..

I'm a VTL fan too, killer gear, BIG horsepower, I know, I'm nursing a pair right now.. Never a problem UNTIL. LOL Cable drop (25 years no problems at all)..Not the old Art Deco design of Mcintosh though..

I like the way the old Marantz 7T, 7C, 33, 3300 and the Pioneer Spec
Gear looks too. Beautiful craftsmanship.

Regards

OP you asked the question: why do no audio enthusiasts use Mcintosh?

Your question is really an assertion without any basis in fact. 

I’ll readily admit that I own Mcintosh gear.

Throughout the years, I've listened to McIntosh and other brands (like Krell) of pre-amplifiers and amplifiers at high end audio dealers that have a separate "listening room" for prospective clients to audition. This is the only way I could ever experience high end gear because, no way I could ever afford that type of gear. But, if for some reason, I suddenly would find myself with the money to acquire high end gear for my stereo system, the first thing I would get is a set of McIntosh pre-amp/amp paired with Bower & Wilkins speakers. My dream combination of all the combinations I've ever heard.

+1fundsgon 

Also what preamp and speakers you pair a Mac with....

I just went though about 4 months of auditioning a pile of amps, preamps and speakers. To my surprise I settled on a pair of Mac 611’s driving a pair of Sonus fabers. Musical bliss. Again to my surprise, cables made a huge difference in many of the pairing.

   I think your premise is erroneous, except for the parenthetical fudging that they might not "admit to it".  About the same time that this thread was started, I experienced a paradigm shift.  I'd been building Heathkits since the early 70's, adding mid-80's Luxmans to the mix, finally going digital HT in '99.  Sent one of my kids to Caltech with a stack of music CDs that I'd made for her (Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Miles Davis, Puccini, Barber, Ralph Vaughn Williams).  When she came home and listened to the new digital HT system, she was appalled, "Why does that sound so different from what I hear on my own system?"  I'd sent a mid-80s Luxman receiver with her to school.  That started my own return to analog and a search for great quality.  Like I said, it was just about the same time that this thread started.  Since then, I've gone through a number of different manufacturers of electronics and speakers, with the constant itch that we all have to trade up all the time.  That itch is finally gone, after over fifty years.  I'm using Mc C2200 and MC452 on Revel Salon 2 speakers in one setup, Mc C-22 and bridged MC275s on JBL Everest DD67000 in another setup. Late 70s Luxman separates on JBL L-300s in one bedroom, Mc 4100 receiver on JBL Project Array 1400s in another bedroom.  Mc 117 receiver on ProAc Response 2S in our travel trailer.  The only other electronics that I found pleasing over a fairly long period of time were Mark Levinsons.  Getting back to the original question of this thread, I suspect that there's little mention of Mc on audio threads is that there's a very high level of satisfaction with that gear when it's carefully chosen.  I have had a few less satisfying experiences with their gear - MC7270, MX134 - but after only a handful of missteps, I can say that I am perfectly happy with McIntosh.  Music is playing almost constantly on one system or another, sometimes on all of them at once, linked with Bluesound.  

  We have a second house, a frame farmhouse built in 1900.  Because of the age of that house, I am setting up a dead stock Dynaco system with PAS3, ST70 and A25 speakers, all of them in mint condition.  I acquired the speakers ten or fifteen years ago when I puchased some other Dynaco gear and have only just now discovered that they are brand new.  They were an afterthought, offered to me when I bought the electronics.  I wasn't really interested in them but the seller wanted to get rid of 'em, so I added a couple hundred for them.  Since I wasn't interested, I stuck 'em in the store room, and there they sat until a few days ago.  We have finished a restoration of that old house and it occurred to me that a really old middle of the road system would be perfect for it.  I remembered those old speakers and dug them out.  When I opened the boxes, I was shocked to see that they've never been removed before.  This stuff is really, really fun, isn't it?

I think much of this discussion assumes there is a specific "Mac sound". Since I've listened to only one Mac amp in my life I don't honestly know. But I'd guess if you lined up 10 different models of Mac amps you'd get 10 different sounding amps. Some may even sound more like a brand different from Mac. Can't prove it without doing it. But I wouldn't be the least surprised that's the case. And if that is indeed the case, chances are pretty good if there is one Mac amp you don't like there is another Mac amp that you will. There is a chance I could be wrong about this. But I've never been wrong about anything before...ahem.

 

I have a restored pair of MC40 monoblocks from around 1962, makes them about 57 years old. Picked them up and restored them fairly cheaply. I can't really afford Mac gear. I use a 36 year old ARC SP8 as a preamp and a set of old Altec horn speakers that I modded.
I've swapped other amps in and out of the system but the Mac's always come back, listening to them as I type. No matter what I have tried I always come back to the MC40's. They are that good.
BillWojo

I'm taking this thread into 2019! I currently own a Mac 6700 receiver and a MT 5 turntable and I've been happy with both of them. I personally like being able to dial in the trebble and bass from the remote when listening to old records. Most higher end amps don't offer this feature. When I had a problem with one of the meters sticking, Mac took care of it under warranty. It's near impossible today to audition any high end gear in your home from boutique companies. I'm confident and happy in my purchae of Mac gear. There is a definate a pride in oenership. 

This thread is a joke. First tireguy asks this bone head question why no audio enthusiasts use McIntosh?where does this question come from, How does he know no audio enthusiasts use Mac, has he scaled the world over and been in every Audiophiles listening room? As for all the negative responses trying to give their two cent worth of why this is I just LOL out loud.
I have owned a few Mac amps in the past,don’t own any at this time,but their last few generations are some of the best amps I’ve heard. 

i worked in a world class studio with a lead tech who built princes paisley park studios and the studio owner is a very well respected engineer who now has his own line of high end speakers now, he also designed the main speakers, guess what powered them? McIntosh!!! 
 so some of your music you listen to through your classe or levinson amps was mixed listening through Mc's

"Why do no audio enthusiasts use McIntosh?"

Not true!

Over on the Audio AudioAficionado Forum
(https://www.audioaficionado.org) you will find many Mac enthusiats who have very fine systems which also often include some of the very best gear from other respected brands. 

+1 Larry  Essential advice....

So, continue to love whichever product you want.

Words of wisdom and just getting to the crux of the matter Larsky and Wolf. It is always striking to me how pedantic these topics can evolve into. Enjoy the music!

Everyone (well, maybe not everyone, but for the purposes of this comment) had an uncle or dad or somebody in their life who was the old dude with the McIntosh gear who listened to live opera or jazz and nobody else cared about it much. I don't own any McIntosh gear but I use a tube preamp and amp and listen to too much jazz and nobody else around me cares much…I'm now that old dude. 

There are way too many prejudices in High End Audio... i.e. 'Mine is great, yours isn't'... Ignore anyone who says Mac isn't good gear. I had the great fortune to go to the Mac Factory in New York and build a piece. All hand crafted beautifully with care and devotion. It sounds good and looks even better. It is NOT my favorite, but who cares. If I could own anything it would be VAC or Gryphon. But then they cost multiples.
Also, get ten people to agree on the best speaker at any price. Impossible.
So, continue to love whichever product you want.... other than price, it's always your choice.
Best,
Larry

I have been a Mac user for nearly 50 years.

Two things that I do not like about McIntosh, one is the excessive weight of their power amps thanks to autoformers, as I am getting older it is a massive effort to lift these little monsters, and the other is excessive numbers of control knobs on their preamps, I never use tone controls and over time due to non use they become problematic and introduce noise in the system.

Other than that I am staying with Mac.

@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.....

Every body’s amp is the best in the world. A Mark Levinson amp owner will claim that this amp is the best sounding amp in the world, same for an Audio Research amp owner, Bryston’s amp owner, Krell’s amp owner, Ayre’s Amp owner, CJ’s amp owner, McIntosh’s amp owner, Pass Labs’ amp owner, Classe, Rotel, PS Audio, etc. at the end of the day all do the same if they have good specs and good electronics.

Many audiophiles jump on mac as its way cool!!

" I must say it was rather off putting. Is it really impossible to expect VERY nice speakers for around five-thousand a pair? Wow!..."

B&W 805 Diamond-3 speakers list for $6K. I had 805D2s for a while. Very detailed, but the tweeters are also very fragile and expensive to replace. I sold the 805s very shortly after I started dating a woman who had a cat, and replaced them with a pair of "feline friendly" Pioneer SP-BS22-LRs. :-)

The B&W Diamond is known to be revealing, so that may be why someone might recommend using the softer Mac with the B&W.  I always enjoyed the Mac gear, but only had the mc275 for a while, and although I liked it I found something I enjoyed a little more in that set up.

BTW, there is a fair amount of Ohm Walsh fans here. Look up their thread and I bet they would love to talk Ohm Walsh, and may be able to help with an amp.

PS.  I better stick with my sweet spot speakers as nobody needs to see me dance. :}

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.

I guess my screen name says what I'm peeved about kind of. Anyway, this has got to be old hat but I'm so bloody tired of this. What? This. When someone has to knock the crap out of equipment that I love. Now, I don't know what $35,000 speakers sound like. I would hope pretty nice. But in my lowly middle class existence a couple grand is a lot of money for a set of speakers. What speakers? Bose 901s. Yep, I said it. I will admit, I haven't heard a lot of high end speakers. I am however a fairly mechanical kind of guy with an extensive musical background and I know a couple of things. 

One is the fact of the stereo speaker "Sweet Spot". Unless you're going omni directional, or partially so, you're looking at being anchored to the said sweet spot. I don't like to just sit down and not move when music is playing. Sometimes, just not always. Imagine this. I actually like to dance around when the music inspires me.
So, hello Bose 901s. Yes I will say they have their limitations, but for room filling STEREO sound and completely ass kicking bass, they're hard to beat for the money.

I'm really not here to try and convince anyone on 901s. What I would like to do is the following. I want to say hey folks, if you think certain gear is garbage, don't buy it. You don't have to knock it every chance you get. Especially when the subject is not even remotely connected to Bose products. What the hell. I mean, who the hell are you to tell me that what I think sounds good is garbage? What if I told you your wife was really ugly? How would that go over? Not exactly the same thing but it's in the ball park. Beauty, as in the beauty of music, is in the ear or eye of the beholder.

I came to this site because I'm considering a Mcintosh amplifier. I'm after at least 250 watts a side for my own reasons. I want to know why they are worth so much money even used. What do I come across in the third or fourth post. "Bose are junk". Thanks buddy, and so that I can be almost as indirect as you were regarding Bose gear on a McIntosh post, your wife IS ugly. There I said it, and I'll feel better for about a second and a half for doing so.

I just hooked up a set of Bose 901s to a new Denon AVR with a separate amp for the 901s. 901s are really quite wonderful for home theatre. You can go completely sub woofer free and not sacrifice one single bit of bass. In fact, I have routinely scared folks off the couch when using 901s as front mains in a home theatre without a sub during an explosion scene.

I used them because I'm waiting for a driver tweak to come in from Ohm Walsh. Yeah I know, not expensive or elite enough either. I think they're fantastic though.
Anyway, back to McIntosh. What a surprise. I would like to see if a local dealer would allow a test try at home with a "demo" amp. I don't know how else to find out really. It's a lot of money. I'd rather buy new really, but is it worth it?

I saw a post recently wherein a guy was asking the same questions about McIntosh I am. The guy said what kind of speakers he had and wanted to know if folks thought McIntosh would be a good idea. Well, one poster said, "If you were using B&W diamond series speakers, I'd say get the McIntosh, otherwise stick with your Japanese amp." Well I looked up B&W top of the line speakers. At least at the top within the web page I cam across. I didn't find "Diamond Series". Either way, the speakers at the top of their page were $35,000. So if I'm reading everything correctly, what this poster was saying is that unless you're driving $35,000 speakers a McIntosh is just a waste of money. At least that's how I took it.

I must say it was rather off putting. Is it really impossible to expect VERY nice speakers for around five-thousand a pair? Wow! If so, I guess I'm destined for bargain basement OhmWalsh. And since I'm going off topic throughout MOST of this post, I'll say that the Ohm Walsh towers I bought not only supply an amazing presence that will fill your room with wonderful stereo sound, but they are also accurate and clear. Not the least bit muddy, and also have quite a bass kick. They are the first speakers I've owned that allowed me to listen loudly without any fatigue in the least. And personally, now here is my "Beauty in the ear of the listener" moment, I don't know how anyone can pay huge dollars for stereo speakers that don't sound good unless you're sitting directly in the center of the two. In fact, one poster I read quipped,"make sure you listen to these without any friends along, and if you do bring friends in, make sure they are also not too tall."

Really? Ten thousand dollars and they're no good if you move? O.K. Obviously I'm feeling kind of putt off that my trusty old 901s have been bashed yet again. And I've spent 95 percent of my post NOT talking about McIntosh.

I'm not looking to see if folks think McIntosh is "Better" than other amps. I'm looking to find out if there really is a difference between McIntosh and other potentially expensive, or not so expensive amps. I've seen several posts lately that would tell you you're fine even with "Pro" amps. Big power for not so big money is what they say. So far the only drawback I've seen is fan noise. Fan noise was so inconsequential with my old pro amp that's not an issue. I guess I was always of the belief that the better the amp, the more accurate the sound. Now I'm getting the idea that amps all color the sound by a good degree. I'm so confused.