I have a McIntosh MA8900 integrated that I will never get rid of. It does everything I want and does it well. I get the criticism that it lacks clarity and detail, certain songs can sound a bit too laid back on my system, but generally, I find it to be very musical, with plenty of detail and clarity, and I can listen as long as I like with no fatigue. I do think that, at least with the more recent Mc products, the lack of detail and clarity claim is a synergy issue. I heard an MA9500 connected to some Focal Utopia Diablos and they were well on the wrong side of detailed for me. They lacked low and mid range. They were detailed to the point of being brittle and overly bright. After hearing that I get why people like the detail, it was pretty great hearing so many micro details in the music I was listening to, but just not to my musical tastes for my daily listening. Take that for what it’s worth but you can get plenty of detail out of the Mc if you pair it with the right speaker.
An Audio Amateur's question about McIntosh Audio
I casually follow and read many of the mainstream audio gear magazines and YouTube reviewers. Most of them will publish annual lists of their top or favorite devices of the year, decade etc., and through them I am able to learn about high-end distinguished brands and their products.
On the other hand I have also noted from discussions among other audiophiles that equipment from McIntosh is of very high quality.
What I have noticed, however, is that I don't see any of the magazines or professional/semi-pro reviewers include a McIntosh product in their top recommended lists.
Why does this dichotomy exist? If McIntosh is so good why don't their products make it into top XYZ lsts?
I am a newbie and I might be missing something obvious. But I'd appreciate some education here.
Thanks,
Amit
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@tomic601 my first real system was a MC240 and a dynaco 70, thorens 165 table and a pair of maggies. I still have Joan Armatrading "Show Some Emotion " @ 80db burned in my mind. Wish I still had that 240 as theyre worth a chunk of change now.
Was in hog heaven till I found David Hafler |
One of my Audiophile Laws states that it is fairly useless to judge brands and genres of gear apart from discussion of actual systems. Without direct comparison, there is little to be gained by commenting on performance. There have been very few systems containing McIntosh products that stunned me at audiophile shows. But it happened this past AXPONA, and the system was the SV Audio Fenja Speaker with McIntosh MC1.25KW amps. I sound quality was arresting, imo the best showing by a McIntosh product at the shows I have attended in the past 20 years. Hearing what the MC1.25KW can do, if I were looking for a set of higher power amps, I would probably audition them.
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