McIntosh - is it that great?

I bought a pair of McIntosh 60's stock back in 1991 and still own them. They have been upgraded (modified) since then several times. They now sound much better (less of the traditional tube colorations) than they originally did, different caps and star grounding have been implemented. Bass performance is MUCH better now, definitely more slam and power. I am currently working on the high's to eliminate the rolloff these amps still suffer from. Virtues They don't run hot; tubes last forever; superb midrange; very dynamic when additional filter caps are added; reliable; hold their value and are a good investment Are they as good as current amps or even amps from the 1980's? No I can't say they are as neutral as the D series amps from ARC and they certainly aren't as neutral as the current crop of tube amps. Can I live with this amp in my current system? You betcha, more than I can most of the lower end solid state gear I've heard side by side with the McIntosh. Bottom line is that they are a very good investment, will hold their value, are very dependable and they have a very good midrange in the tradition of classic tube sound. If you like that sound, you can't go wrong and in the right system you won't miss much believe me.

In view of the fact that opinions of audio equipment are circumstantial and (as with virtually all categories of audio-stuff) usually very subjective, you'll find that consensus opinion (especially by high-end gurus) seems to rule. Yet even these "experts" have highly variable opinions. McIntosh equipment is criticized by some and praised by others. However, much of this opinion seems to be based upon the momentum of someone elses previous, often distantly removed, impressions. E.g., recent write-ups of Mac SS amps (in Stereophile for example) have demonstrated surprised praise (class A rating). The most telling remark for me can be paraphrased as such; I guess I haven't listened to any McIntosh for a while. I own an early SS amp and one powerhouse built in the '90s. The early '70s amp sounds decent (and still functions flawlessly). The newer amp is obviously superior and, in my opinion, is equal or superior to anything I've heard(some very expensive hardware).It is delicate, dynamic, dead quiet. and to my very experienced ears, natural. Of course ,there are many other amps which meet these qualifications. The Mac pre-amps do demonstratively compromise the sound somewhat. But they are very useful when system flexibility is important. I don't use a pre-amp normally. I run source material (save vinyl) directly into the power amp. So bottom line from this corner is that Mac equipment is just about bulletproof and, if one simply LISTENS, can be as satisfying as anything (tube lovers live in a different world). At the outset I said that opinions are circumstantial and subjective. This applies to opinions of ANY equipment. We should remember that objective evaluations are more consistent and represent truth within their parameters, and that as unique and emotional beings, we can hardly avoid being subjective in our opinions. De gustibus non est disputandum

Hornmeister Who wouldn't agree that objective evaluations are more consistent and represent truth within their parameters? The problem in audio is that the aural perception that each of value is different. It really isn't even an opinion, though that is often how we express it, so much as a value or taste. Take Mc2000 above, he likes ss because of its "crispness", the exact reason I don't like many ss products, go figure. What we hear as individuals and what each of us value can not be quantified or measured, it may at times be predicted by knowing the value and taste. Yes I suppose many of us are influenced by what the Hi-End Guru's fav, but not all of us by a long shot. Experience makes us trust our own ears more than others, especially the individuals who can never quite be pinned down. They can drive you nuts with their nebulous tastes. I certainly agree with most of your thoughtful comments. Now what is it about that world of tube lovers?

mac gear is not for audiophiles it seems more for music lovers who listen to music not systems as far a reliability how many other companies have their thirty and forty year old amps and preamps and tuner selling for more now than they did new

I have owned a few pieces of Mac gear over the years.Their older tube amps 50's and 60's where some of the best gear ever made.Some of the early 90's stuff is not very good but they are again making great stuff.It is very pricey but you have to take into account the build quality.They are hand built in the USA in New York state.The cost of labour is siginficantly higher than most other parts of the USA and a big component of the cost is labour.The amps will last forever and they hold thier value.