Why No McIntosh Recommendations?

McIntosh has an unbeatable distribution and dealership network. Service long after the sale is wonderful, maybe even unmatched. Parts access and resale benefit as a result.

It must be comforting that when someone's McIntosh ceases sounding merely okay, that the factory can solve virtually any issue and return it to its factory specifications, allowing your McGear to resume reproducing music that sounds...merely ok! Especially if its one of their digital products, especially if it has a usb input...unless they've stopped servicing those.

@clearthink


Please don't use the old argument that "it must be financial envy why others don't choose to worship what you worship" line of dialogue. Many on this site can afford whatever they want to afford and they vote with their checkbooks. While I don't presently own any Mac gear, I might again in the future, who knows. I love the look, even though unlike many on Audiogon, my gear is tucked away out of sight so I guess I don't subscribe to building audio shrines. I buy for sound and right now, McIntosh sound doesn't align with my tastes but I'm only one person.

I also don't own any Bryston but its cool that McIntosh/Overture used some of their equipment. And yes, the Sonus Faber and Audio Research influence should really help McIntosh R&D going forward. I have high hopes. Listen, everybody has this beautiful freedom to like what they like and buy what they want to buy.

Jeez, McIntosh is fine equipment. So is Bryston, Simaudio, Pass Labs, T+A, CH Precision, Dartzeel, Nagra, Naim, ASR, Sugden, Luxman, Levinson, Burmester, Chord, etc, etc. on the solid state side of things.

If you love what you have and it happens to be McIntosh, that's cool. Many might argue that McIntosh doesn't even make the best amps within its own corporate family (Audio Research?). It doesn't really matter though does it? If you are happy then that's all that matters. But there seems to be a pervasive trend where when someone else objectively doesn't love what you love then it must be because they: can't hear, can't afford it, have poor taste, etc. That's a little narrow but many own what they own for a variety of reasons.

The dealers do a fine job of representing McIntosh. It sells and it does happen to fill a need of providing alot of decent watts for the money.

No one is saying McIntosh is bad. Each time I have owned a Mac, it has been a reasonably pleasant experience (except for their digital gear or with the materially underperforming USB implementations they keep repeating). The 2275 tube integrated was an underperformer, the 6900 was as well. The preamplifiers and amplifiers, for the money, when compared retail against retail aren't bad. The 275 is eye candy and when compared with other tube amps of similar price isn't a terrible value, especially when you consider resale.

HOWEVER, set down $20k of Mac gear next to $20k of Dartzeel or Nagra or Pass Labs on the solid state side of things or next to Audio Research or Shindo or Leben tube gear (pick your flavor) and you may have a different opinion...or not. That's what's cool about this hobby, we each get to pick. 

Lots of happy B&W and Wilson and Maggie owners with Mac gear. Congrats. Much like classic cars, classic Mac was amazing when compared to many other offerings back in the day when they were developing their brand. There is so much great equipment being made today and contrary to the obits, high performance audio is doing pretty well. There is enough room for all manufacturers and consumers to find happiness.

@tlong1958

By all means, start any thread you like. I don't own Audio Research gear presently but I have, like McIntosh, owned some in the past, very recently as a matter of fact. While you didn't mention in what role you worked at the dealer, "exploding crap" may be a bit strong don't you think? While I have never experienced one single failure of any Audio Research item I have owned in over 20 years, they did service a piece for me once that had a minor shipping mishap. Like McIntosh, their service is exemplary. I have heard of some ARC owners who have experienced a tube failure where it took out a resistor but I also never ran the tubes to zero, so I never experienced that. It's my understanding that was how it was designed though. Neither ARC nor McIntosh have handled USB perfectly though. Its a shame that the group has basically mishandled the Wadia part of their portfolio, its all but a footnote in the digital world now.

@stevecutler

I agree with you regarding the glass/silkscreen. At least they went to fiber lighting a few years ago which solved the bulb changing requirements.

@lalitk 


That's terrific news. And I'm a fan of Audio Research but its unfortunate it took this long to roll in with a modern digital implementation.

McIntosh seems to shoot themselves in the foot digitally by their repeated USB failures. Firmware update after firmware update, clicks and pops, moments of silence at the beginning of tracks, etc. As mentioned earlier in this thread, at the Overture demo they used a Bryston transport rather than feeding from a USB. I wonder if this was to avoid a USB mishap? The McIntosh fanbase forgives.

@noromance 



“@noble100 said it! I find the stuff pretty ghastly to look at -the green LEDs lighting up the small signal tubes being the nail in the coffin.”

the green lights under the tubes remind of the Happy Days episode where the Fonz jumped his motorcycle over the tank with the shark. Jumping the shark has evolved to mean the beginning of the end of something, which I don’t believe applies at all to McIntosh....at least not until they begin to use carbon fiber.