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
@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.
|
I have owned a few pieces of McIntosh gear and they were super reliable and sounded pretty good. My Dad has a MA8950 and it is an excellent amp. I'm more in the low power tube camp but that is an amp I wouldn't mind owning at all. Sounds great , can drive any speaker , runs cool especially for a 200 watt amp. A buddy of mine's Dad gave him a C26 preamp. I took it home, cleaned it up, re-lamped it cleaned all switches and controls. Plugged it in and it sounded pretty good. It had been recapped a few years ago. Amazing something of that era still works and sounds good. Can't really say that about most gear. Most companies from that period in time are long gone. |
Um, you could click on a publications search function and type something like um, McIntosh and click search. There are countless others that pre-date these in just these two publications. You should also consider that most introductions to McIntosh's product line have a very long marketable life and they can't make the headlines every year. It's a very vast a competitive market and journals stay alive by staying abreast of what's new. https://www.stereophile.com/content/mcintosh-ds200-streaming-da-processor https://www.stereophile.com/content/mcintosh-laboratory-mc462-power-amplifier https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/mcintosh-ds200-streaming-dac-review/ https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/mcintosh-msa5500-streaming-integrated-amplifier-review/ |
