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Disappointing On Mcintosh......help

 3 Months ago  I went to NYC and stopped by the WOM  and auditioned several MCintosh gear...........and left a bit disappointed or not impressed...then I told myself   " lets give a second shot"  and went today to a  HIFI store and again Good room accoustics10K speakers , MC Preamp , MC Amplifier........ and again  the same disappointment I felt 3 month earlier.

Is that the "warm" sound people reffer to about Mcintosh?  
The sound is ample, base is powerfull  but the the sound is simply  not to clear, the hights are not too "crisp"  It sounds like the treble is set at 3 and needs to be adjusted at 9 or 10.
It seems like  the sound is  coming through a thin layer of paper ...that is the way I describe that sound.  

Then 20 minutes later I auditioned a Parasound A21+ and a JC5 and the sound was more clear and the highs were crispier

Whats your take on my experience?  or That is the MC "warm sound? 
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hoytroskap
6 posts
 
Building high performance products does not insure economic success
Long term service, high fit and finish quality,  and high resale value are qualities which lead to a long term customer base. The viability of the magazines today is tenuous and I believe they are primarily promotional vehicles. Should you wish to investigate it, which would be time consuming but not difficult, I believe you will find their parts costs, other than those related to cosmetics, are unusually low in comparison to most competitive products
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bosssound
120 posts
 
Parasound JC5. Precise. Vivid. Electric. A21 with fuse mod and aftermarket power cord not far off. 
techno__dude
511 posts
 
Like Audio Research never used cheap parts. There are numerous threads about reliability problems of their volume control ( cheap chip). And they all swear this brand is better than McIntosh. Even Primaluna uses better volume pots ( ALPS). The guy from Upscale audio has whole youtube videos comparing their inside favorably to ARC...

You buy a McIntosh 9k, you resale it for 7k.

You buy an ARC 14k, you resale it for 7k.
...... What a joke .....
pops
2,272 posts
 
Long time Mac owner, 501’s for 15 years matched with CJ ET5 and driving Thiel CS6.  Great sound!  Mac takes a beating, oh and all MIT cabling which gets about the Same Treatment.  
Mac owners have a deep pride of ownership, love the sound and nonowners think the brand isn’t high end.  That about sums it up. 



miketuason
333 posts
 
I’ve own Mac gears for year and heard lot of combinations of Mac gears and speaker. So far for me one of the best combo with Mac amp and preamp are the Vandersteen speakers, not just warm but great soundstage and sounds very natural, instruments are all well balanced.
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