An Audio Amateur's question about McIntosh Audio

@douglas_schroeder 

I was reading through this thread and noticed your comment about SV Audio at Axpona. 

I had the opposite reaction when I stepped in Sunday morning to listen to that system. The presenter (owner?) of SV Audio asked me what I thought of the sound and I truthfully responded Mac was not my cup of tea.  He nodded his head understanding my comment. I honestly thought it was one of the worst sounding rooms at the show.

To be fair, I didn’t spend much time there. Perhaps it was too early in the morning and things weren’t warmed up. Perhaps it was the track.  I found it lifeless and lacking clarity. I wasn’t the only one with that impression - the two people I was with had the same reaction.

It’s a reminder to me that, as audiophiles, we can have wildly varying tastes as to what sounds good. Which is fine - there are no absolutes. 

McIntosh is end-game for some which I fully respect. And I wish my preferred gear held its value as well!

As an observation, the demographics/audience of this site is predominantly composed of senior white men. So, McIntosh has a history here and a following that is awestruck by blue and green lighting.

Not that I can blame them, as my first exposure to a McIntosh tuner in the late 70’s (owned by a hot shot lawyer) was a revelation. At that time, a McIntosh tuner was at least twice as much vs. a Kenwood, Pioneer, or Sansui. Owning one at that time would mean selling my car to get there! 

When I sat down- a bit hesitant that I was in the home of my girlfriends parents whom I had yet to meet- I heard music playing in a way that was foreign to me. I looked to my left and saw a tuner and could make out the faint green McIntosh glow. I was awestruck! And found comfort in the sound. Soo..relaxing!

Those days are long gone though and while the audio industry never caught up to the heralded McIntosh tuners of the day, the industry did run roughshod over them in other ways and the only reason they survived is because of what folks here are saying about them - they are reliable, easy to get serviced, and provide stature...even if you have none. I know a lot of old white men with muscle cars in their garages, so it was and is a sign of the times. 

If you want one, and are young enough, you should hold your powder for now and wait it out. During the next 20 years there will be a plethora of muscle cars and McIntosh products appearing in secondary markets. Nobody here is going to give them up even if they can no longer drive or completely lose their ability to hear. As we all grow old, our youth grows greater in weight than it did when we lived it. The stage was set by exposure to the finer things in life, and it was duly noted..for better or worse.

I think that @ghdprentice post sums up my feelings about McIntosh.  I’ve owned a few pieces but tired of them after a few months.  I tend to listen to classical and McIntosh does tend to sound less attractive here than with pop.

  As a value proposition I think people are paying a premium for those meters.  Yes they are cool, but imo they add 20% premium to the price 

McIntosh are not my cup of tea.Doug Schroeder I agree this year I heard the Mcintost set up way better than previous one at Axpona.With the right speakers they shine.

Yeah...Like the SNL Bass-o-Matic..."That's Really Great Bass"