A lot of them like to listen to music playback at full "threshold of feeling" volume. If they listened at normal comfortable household playback or quiet, don't-wake-the-family levels, there would be no audible bass (Fletcher-Munsen curves). With tone and loudness controls, I can enjoy full-bodied sound at any playback level. The McIntosh preamp also removed any trace of high-end harshness that I had until now (after 50 years!) thought was always a part of electronically-reproduced music.
Why do no audio enthusiasts use McIntosh?
With the exception of some of there tube gear, not many really use this stuff(or admit to it anyway), I am mainly referring to there amps. They look pleasant, they look good on paper and have the price of high end gear, but I seldom hear anyone claiming to like or one day dreaming of owning McIntosh. I have never really listened to there stuff, no good word of mouth sort of scares me away from it, the only people who like it are those who sell it, an uncanny coincidence? I don’t know. Sorry it this has been covered many times in the past, I ran a search and could not find anything.