What are your feelings about McIntosh?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Lebowski, Sep 28, 2019.

  1. Bachtoven

    Bachtoven Forum Resident

    Location:
    US
    I know! That was maddening. He had quite a nice stereo and never listened to it. At least Bosch listens to his system--has a McIntosh tube amp.
     
    McLover likes this.
  2. Bachtoven

    Bachtoven Forum Resident

    Location:
    US
    Let's not forget Bosch. (For some reason, most of the photos that show his gear have his daughter rather than him in them.)

    [​IMG]
     
  3. zeppage2

    zeppage2 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oakland, CA
    Stay far away from any home theater processors, MX series. Even McIntosh does not want them when they offer trade in upgrade specials. And with the bittersweet news of Terry DeWick retiring, service just got more problematic.
     
    McLover likes this.
  4. Fahzz

    Fahzz Forum Resident

    Location:
    Outside Providence
     
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  5. Fruff76

    Fruff76 L100 Classic - Fan Club President

    I had the mc 402 and it was pretty awesome. I can certainly think of a ton of boutique brands with nothing more to offer, at substantially higher prices.
     
    5-String likes this.
  6. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    good ones....
     
  7. Pythonman

    Pythonman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida
    I owned a McIntosh MC 2505 and MX 112 preamp tuner for 20 yrs. The stuff is reliable. My pal has a pair of MC 501 mono amps that have some serious horsepower and a bass that just hammers. It’s cool! He likes to run them wide open and often they would go into protection mode but now he’s upgraded the house wiring and has put a small fan on each amp so they don’t get so hot. They are very stately sounding and clear at reasonable levels. But they do rock out like crazy. For what you get they’re not overpriced IMO. They also hold their value quite well so resale will never be a problem.
     
    Lebowski likes this.
  8. Fishleehooke

    Fishleehooke Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dayton
    The overpriced thing that gets mentioned seems moot, considering how nicely they resale and will continue to do so for as long as me or my children are around. I can't say that about really any other or very many other stereo amp companies. Also the snob thing seems to be an overreaction. If someone has McIntosh they are not a snob. If all they have or listen to is Mc, and they make a big deal about it, well yeah, then they are likely a snob. Wanting something that sells for close to what you bought it for is kinda smart. Not snobby. Any other companies I can buy for my stereo that sounds and looks as good as McIntosh and will get close to what I paid for it? I am open to other options, but they seem to be few and far between, save old Marantz and the cool 70s stuff, which is just different.
     
  9. UCrazyKid

    UCrazyKid Grand Puba of Funk

    Location:
    Illinois
    I've never liked the look and for me design matters. There are plenty of other companies making great sounding gear without the huge markup that comes with the McIntosh brand name. It's a pass for me. When it comes to how I like my gear to look, I'm more of a Jeff Rowland Design Group kind of guy.

    I will say though, buying McIntosh gear is like buying a Rolex watch, it will always hold its value.
     
    SandAndGlass likes this.
  10. Ontheone

    Ontheone Poorly Understood Member

    Location:
    Indianapolis
    They just aren't the same company they used to be. Green LEDs under the tubes is a non-starter for me. I honestly would MUCH rather own vintage McIntosh.
     
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  11. David Johnson

    David Johnson Forum Resident

    Location:
    Atlanta Georgia
    I just wonder what kind of response we would have received if you changed the name in the thread to Audio Research. Sure I own a few Mac’s, and if I decide to change equipment I wouldn’t look any farther than AR. It’s just as reliable and it’s price point is the same. Would everyone be bashing AR to?
     
    Fishleehooke likes this.
  12. Fishleehooke

    Fishleehooke Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dayton
    They are one of the other companies I was thinking of for sure. In fact the main one. I do prefer the looks of a lot of Mc, but that isn't always the case and is more a personal thing anyway.
     
  13. SandAndGlass

    SandAndGlass Twilight Forum Resident

    Funny, I don't get the general impression that everyone is bashing McIntosh.

    Many audio oriented individuals simply do not see anything that is truly special about the sound quality of Mac gear, given its price point, as compared to other gear of similar pricing.

    Most here are not finding fault with its quality, just saying that there are many other choices.

    In addition, it have been a known expensive amplifier since its inception.

    Many individuals who have money, don't necessarily know anything about audio. I would go as far as to say that most do not. But they recognise the name McIntosh.

    A salesman and a stereo store would have an easier sell selling "high powered" McIntosh gear than selling something from Pass Labs, that also happens to have lower power.
     
    Last edited: Sep 30, 2019
    Ezd likes this.
  14. Ontheone

    Ontheone Poorly Understood Member

    Location:
    Indianapolis
    AR isn't what they used to be too. What do they have in common with McIntosh? Yep, same ownership. Look, they are both fine brands and their gear is totally solid. But they were both better under private and local ownership. Most companies in most industries are. This does play a big role in the gear I choose. I know who I'm working with when I buy products from Pass, VAC and Herron for instance. Hands on ownership with very personalized attention. It matters.
     
  15. BayouTiger

    BayouTiger Forum Resident

    I’ve never owned any McIntosh, but have owned a fair amount of ARC. I don’t see any downturn. My Ref75SE and LS27 are stunning performers, though i do think they are overpriced (as is McIntosh). Its funny that for decades i loved the Mac look, but these days, i think the have gone a bit far. I also think they have tried too hard to be everything to everyone and have a lot of purchasers they care more about the name and look than sound, and that’s not necessarily bad, but I think some of the products are more looks than performance, at least for the price. Says a little to me that they put a $200 cartridge on a $5000 turntable.

    All that said, resale value and ease of sale is unsurpassed and the envy of every high end brand.
     
    SandAndGlass likes this.
  16. The Beave

    The Beave My Wife Is My Life! And don’t I forget it!

    One point I didn’t see come up is Mac ain’t Mac, like so many classic brands they were sold to others that have no real connection to the original company.
    Classic business deal though, you build a brand up on super high quality gear, then you sell out for big bucks and the new company coasts on your coat tails.

    Have a friend down in Oregon who has Mac gear, has one of their older cd, SACD players, paid over $5 grand for it.
    It puked 4 years ago and it took them 3 years to fix it and get it back to him, 3 years!
    True story.
    Beave
     
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  17. BayouTiger

    BayouTiger Forum Resident

    Well in all fairness, Fine Sounds sold McIntosh, Audio Research, and other audio lines to the heads of the Fine Sounds and McIntosh and are now located in New York and Mac is in control. The Italians have been out for 5 years now.
     
    AaronW likes this.
  18. McLover

    McLover Senior Member

    I am by tube gear with Audio Research, the same way I am by McIntosh most of the time. They share many of the same common values (even though old McIntosh was more conservatively designed and engineered often). I have no attitude with Audio Research, a company I also love and respect highly. They also take amazing care of their customers with older equipment they love. Something very important to me. McLover approved!!!
     
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  19. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    I believe that the original purpose of this thread was to tell your feelings about McINTOSH in general, notably for the many, many years that they were owned as a standalone company, not necessarily for the past few years since ownership changed. I know NOTHING about the past few years as I bought my C2300 and MC452 before that all happened. At that time McIntosh was still having many of the same people who have worked at their headquarters here in the U.S. for years, where they would wire and hand build their many intricate parts. I could (and did) call Chuck at McIntosh, who actually answered the phone and talked with me one on one, answering each and every question, without ever talking down to me or ever acting like their product was superior or more worthy than another, when I mentioned a different brand. In my mind, Mcintosh has always been that brand that is one to respect and if one can ever afford to buy their equipment, you can buy in confidence and the best part, their equipment rarely ever loses value if you decide to sell it! Not many companies can claim that fame and I applaud the many years that they did it and so well. I hope that the new owners are continuing that approach, but just like many companies in the 2000's, it's hard to keep tradition, what with the costs of production and the ever changing landscape of sales of such expensive things, when most people are now happy to listen to their music on a damned iPhone or iPad?
     
  20. Fruff76

    Fruff76 L100 Classic - Fan Club President

    They’re no longer based in upstate NY?
     
  21. rl1856

    rl1856 Forum Resident

    Location:
    SC
    Bosch has a 240 and what looks like a MX110. But I would think he would have a better TT. Doesn't have to be a 301 or a TD124; maybe a TD125/6 SME combo ?

    Regarding Mac owners, I have noticed that many Mac owners are proud of showing off their equipment. This site, other sites, various FB audio equipment groups and so on always have a lot of MAC photos uploaded by users/owners. Some are posting to bring attention to themselves, and show off (look at me- look at my wallet), but many are just proud of having achieved a level of reproduction quality they can live with for a long time.

    My experience with Mac equipment is that it is very well built, very reliable and sounds good. I have owned/listened to many of their older tube and SS models, and I am always impressed by what I hear. In fact I was recently surprised by both a 6100 and a 1500- SS and tube respectively, and both sound better than I expected. Particularly the 6100. I can understand how someone can live with it long term.

    MAC equipment was never cutting edge, nor state of the art. But the Mac company cultivated a niche where long term usage and high quality were coveted attributes. MAC was an aspirational brand in the golden age, and has again become an aspirational brand. Their unique "look" and the pride of ownership MAC equipment engenders are intangibles that have value in the market. Heck they have the best resale value of just about any brand. People who are oblivious to Linn, Auriender, Conrad Johnson, BAT, Wilson etc know about McIntosh. The parent company has been very smart to have components featured in the right magazines, movies and TV shows.

    Mcintosh recently opened a lifestyle boutique in a trendy part of NYC. While some may have an issue with the pretentiousness of the marketing approach, I have long believed the HE industry needs to move in this direction. High End luxury goods such as wristwatches, automobiles, handbags, sunglasses etc are purchased as much for function as for the outward message sent to observers- the owner has money and has discriminating taste. Marketers, with the assistance of the media, have successfully positioned such items as indispensable accessories to one's (upscale) lifestyle. The have nots then view these items as aspirational. For example, I have had more than a few acquaintances say to me that "(they) will purchase X item to show I'm successful".

    To date, High End Audio and video have been solitary pursuits, not viewed by the masses as worthy of aspiration, or money spent. On the other hand, HT has completely eclipsed audio only as a worthy pursuit. Why ? HT can be enjoyed by the family as long as the equipment fits neatly in a cabinet, and the speakers are invisible; ultimate sonics be damned. And 15yrs ago, a big flat screen TV on the wall was a statement purchase. Aspirational.

    A well thought out marketing campaign, with the assistance of crucial mainstream media, would have the ability to show how High End equipment should fit into one's lifestyle. If we want the HE industry to grow, we need to figure out how to get HE audio onto the same luxury plane as other expensive goods, and a Lifestyle Approach may be one way to accomplish this goal.

    While MAC may be a brand from the golden age, with and approach and styling that is "retro", they are in the vanguard of trying to bring new customers into our hobby. More companies should try to do what they are doing.
     
    Last edited: Sep 30, 2019
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  22. qwerty

    qwerty A resident of the SH_Forums.

    I've never liked the clumsy black-letter font in their logo, and the way they apply it in green on the black background, which extends to their whole industrial design. Very identifiable design, but I've never warmed to it.

    I've also never warmed to demos of their equipment, I've felt that it's fallen short of their reputation. However, I think that some of their earlier valve equipment would be have been of very good quality (esp. for the era that it came out) and probably still holds up today, so I don't dismiss the brand outright. But I haven't heard much, so can't vouch for this opinion.

    What of today's McIntosh? Their SS direction has betrayed their valve past.
    And they have lost all credibility by producing and charging thousands of dollars for a simile clock and for a simple light-up sign (both with components costing a few dollars). What a joke.
     
    SandAndGlass likes this.
  23. sberger

    sberger Dream Baby Dream

    I own two, modest restored pieces: a C24 preamp and a MC2105 amp and they sound remarkably good. These are older, and in the case of the C24, pretty low on the Mc food chain. I think the key, as others have indicated, is a solid restoration with any of these older pieces. Done right, they will sound great, look great, and last forever.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  24. eddiel

    eddiel Senior Member

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    If you want to start an argument on a music forum that isn't expressly dedicated to either of the following brands, all you need to do is start a thread about McIntosh or Linn LP12 t/ts. :)
     
  25. eddiel

    eddiel Senior Member

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    You just described most high end gear in my opinion. I was looking at integrated amps and wanted to buy new and the prices were rather shocking.
     

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