Why do some audiophiles beat up McIntosh?

Schubert, your answer is priceless and I'd imagine quite accurate. I never questioned why my local Mac dealer is a half mike from the hospital.

Well there's certainly a lot of people who have never owned Mac gear that hold a rather strong opinion of them. There's also effischer who's been a dealer for some of the most sought after gear in the industry back in the day and he's running all McIntosh gear. Are we so sure (those who claim McIntosh parts quality is poor) that McIntosh is still using poor quality parts?
I recently watched an interview on one of the morning shows with the CEO who claimed every bit of a McIntosh is made in the U.S. and that will never change under his watch. I mean honestly, these engineers weren't slackers and all they cared about was the music. I've never read a single word about an engineer who didn't love working for McIntosh. They dragged engineers in from all over the world. They were single handedly responsible for taking the Beatles from a PA system to serious hifi. Their history is by far more storied than any other hifi manufacturer on the planet.

McIntosh is a serious competitor to Luxman and Accuphase. Most of the McIntosh gear is exported to Japan. I'd dare say Japan might be a larger market for any hifi company than the U.S. I haven't heard a good argument against McIntosh thus far. No more so than any other manufacturer. Is a Pass Labs Int 150 any better than a MA6600? I've read plenty of bad reviews of the Pass. Of course the answer will always be whatever you like. The deal is that if you like the Pass Labs you're okay but if you like the McIntosh MA6600 you wasted your money on a pretty glass faceplate you lousy stinkin' lawyer or doctor. Meanwhile there's a lot more people unhappy with the Pass.

I'd like to also mention that yes, although the sound/synergy and function is most important I can't get over the fact that for me looks do play a role. The same goes for homes and cars. It's natural that you would spend your money on something you enjoy the looks of. I could give you a good comparison of looks over function but I'd be kicked off the forum.

Taters, I've read hear on Agon about some people that were unhappy with the Pass Int-150. I've never heard it but I am a integrated guy and would like to.

Bongofury, I've noticed exactly what you said. Musicians tend to gravitate towards the Mac gear. This has been happening for a very long time.

Guys and gals, I'm not worried about why or why not someone likes Mac gear. I don't own any. I assure you that wasn't the point of my post. If I worried of such things could you imagine how the rest of my life would be? I'd probably have died from stress by now. I'm just curious what the audio community has to say about it.

I'm currently thinking about upgrading my Rogue Cronus Magnum to a SS integrated. The way I am, this could take years. I need to cover my bases and I'd be a fool to rule out McIntosh completely. I'm not willing to start buying and selling without

Sorry. I'm not willing to start buying and selling without researching all brands of integrated amplifiers. Is McItosh worthy of an audition? Well sure it is. At least with my speakers. They all are within reason.