I agree with Audiozen in that Macs have that "classic" sound quality that is often scoffed at due to its coloration of sound. Personally, I like the "colored" sound of my Sunfire Sigs more than any Krell I've heard. And I like the sound of all of the Macs that I heard at my local shop, which sells their amps exclusively. However, I also agree that they may be a tad overpriced; a B&K with that similar "classic" quality can be had for half the price, for example.
I would like to offer one other possibility as to all of the Mac hating: a loss of exclusivity. McIntosh over time became a sort of symbol of the Audiophile, while brands such as Pass and Bryston will elicit a "who?" from the common folk. I have been a Martin Logan fan for my entire life. One day I walked into a Best Buy and almost shit a gold brick when I saw a pair of Logans there (along with some B&Ws and Marantz pres). I was a bit perturbed for a while that my beloved electrostatics would not be an alien concept to people anymore due to their availability at a commoner store, but in the end, they still sound like Logans (minus the Motion series).
I would like to offer one other possibility as to all of the Mac hating: a loss of exclusivity. McIntosh over time became a sort of symbol of the Audiophile, while brands such as Pass and Bryston will elicit a "who?" from the common folk. I have been a Martin Logan fan for my entire life. One day I walked into a Best Buy and almost shit a gold brick when I saw a pair of Logans there (along with some B&Ws and Marantz pres). I was a bit perturbed for a while that my beloved electrostatics would not be an alien concept to people anymore due to their availability at a commoner store, but in the end, they still sound like Logans (minus the Motion series).