The simple answer to this post, if there is one, is that McIntosh equipment is a good hedge against inflation. Check out the Audiogon listings and count how many McIntosh pieces are selling at, near, or even more than new. The bonus is that for the many decades that you use it, it sounds really good. I am referring to their amps and preamps, as I feel that their digital players leave something to be desired in the area of reliability. Also, the blue meters really are a nice touch! Sorry, Mac haters, but that's just my opinion.
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.
- ...
- 248 posts total
Macs were great back in the old days of the 275 and such. But then they started puting output transformers on transistor amps, crazy, and lost many (and me) who thought they knew what they were doing. Maybe the number cruchers moved in when this happened and thought they could get the best of both worlds tube sound and SS sales, little did they know. They lost the hard core and hung onto those who don't know better and just love the looks of the stuff. Must admit it does look pretty. http://freshairphoto.com/portfolio/wp-content/uploads/soundroom.jpg Cheers George |
I bought a McIntosh MC275 MK6 and it was awesome. I thought there won't be too much of a good thing and bought a McIntosh MC2500 tube preamplifier and it sucked. The phono stage is horrible. The line stage is OK. Midrange is weak. The built-in headphones amplifier is great! But it's a very expensive headphone amp, so I got rid of it. Waiting for an Audio Research reference tube pre. We'll see. Everyone's happy with their Audio Research tube gear. But I'm keeping the MC275 with a plan to upgrade to Genalex tubes though. If that doesn't help, the MC275 is a goner. |
I wonder why Mac equipment has to endure this type of question year after year. This thread is 13 years old and so for at least 13 years the question has been out there "Why do no audio enthusiasts use Mcintosh". Look at how the OP even asked the question to start the thread. The question itself assumes as a fact or as a truth that no "real audiophiles" would even consider Mac equip. New users and even experienced users who have never heard Mac gear, after reading this type of question (it's hardly been the first time this sort of question has been asked on these boards) year after year, assume that it is a true statement and start to have a bias against the gear and yet they have never even heard it in a properly set up room. I have been in this hobby for almost 40 years now and have seen the latest and greatest of the moment be the equipment you can't even give away some years later. I own Mac amps (MC501, MC252, MC202) that I use in one of my systems along with a Mac preamp (C2200). It is just simply musical to me. In another system I have a MasterSound Reference 845 amp, which I love, but also which is as different to Mac gear as anything else. Is one better than the other? No, not necessarily. They both sound great to me in their respective setups. Over these years I have owned Audio Research, Conrad Johnson, Mark Levinson, Classe, Sonic Frontiers and a lot of others I don't recall right now. Each has had their own perceived strengths and weaknesses. But none of these other manufacturers has had to continually answer the question, year after year, whether they are "audiophile enough" to be respected. |
- 248 posts total