McIntosh - is it that great?

Have a Mac 230, 1700 and 275. Worth more now than I paid for them.
The MA230 is over 35 years old. Just had it recapped and sounds great.
Mac used to be a the pinnacle of the price chart. Now you are able to buy half the product at 10 times the price.
Still pine over my Pair of Mac 240s hooked to my Marantz 7C.

Another vote for 402. I've actually heard 452 that is slightly more powerful, but what I heard isn't solid state or tube performance. It's just a Mac that is capable to show how it can sound to take the best from both worlds.
Their preamps are almost all full function with number of features outnumbering any conventional audio preamplifier sold on the market today.
The component price for vintage equipment is growing and not going down.

Yes, they are the best. That why they been around and getting bigger for the last 60 years. Look what happen to those so call hight end audiophile Company. such as Western Electric, Sonic frontier....etc. And more of them will be out of business going forward and McIntosh will be still around.

it IS great reliable gear. It does LOOK amazing. is it WORTH the money they charge.....NO.

if i had the money, i might think about buying a piece or two. but there is so much out there which sounds better.

 I think my Mccormack amps sound livelier, and just have more oomph to them in the bottom end. JUST my opinion. yes i have heard many mac amps, they are good, but are they the best, nope.

would i buy them, hell yes i would !