mcintosh vs jeff rowland

They are both great in their own right. The Mac will probably have a fuller sound. That is a sound that I prefer. just a little bit different in their presentation. Things will get better in time. Mcintosh gear sounds very 3 dimensional on many systems.

Thanks for the input. Regarding my system, my source is an esoteric
sa-60, and my speakers are a set of focal 1027be. I've also got a REL sub which I really like but basically never use.

Try rca instead of balanced into Mac. I am running both from Bryston BDA1 dac, switch on the fly. Mac is not balanced. Not close. But which is better?

I have the model 6's and really cant speak for the newer models. I have had many MAC's, enjoyed their sound...but never quite like the Rowlands.

The McIntosh and the Rowland gear both have their strong points and it is personal preference as much of this hobby is. We all like different things