I think taking away the lights, meters and glass panels would cause Mc to lose some of it's attraction. But the quality and sound would remain. It's a package that sells and changing it could cause many to look elsewhere.
Do true audiophiles own Mcintosh gear
It seems like all the high-end dealers I have bought from or talked to think that Mcintosh is living on it's past reputation. The 2 stores that carry it locally are more mid-fi stores than high-end. I have a friend that swears by it but he hasn't listened to his Mcintosh in over 2 years. What do you think?