accuphase compare to mcintosh

I am not desperate to prove anything. Just open your eyes and ears. Look inside an Accuphase C-3800 Preamp on their website. The materials and boardwork are light years ahead of Mac. Mac is not bad stuff, just relying on old topology.
Mac has made no advances whatsoever in twenty years with new technologies in circuit designs or power supplies. The best sounding Preamps, regardless of price, based on their science and innovation, are the following, the Ayre KX-R, the Vitus SL-102, and the Accuphase C-3800, since they have a sonice character that portrays the very best of tube and solid state. There are many great products from Burmester, Boulder, Goldmund, FM Acoustics, Rey Audio, and Soulution, but these pieces lack the overall magic, bloom and emotion of the three I mention. All these companies have made great strides and advances with newer science and topology that has left Mac in the back of the train. Mac is old school that reached its pinnacle in the seventies, Mac makes great stuff but is simply not on the same level when it comes down to hall effect, holographic
3-D imaging and echo decay as the other brands mentioned.

That may be through your ears. I have heard some pretty good Mac gear on some killer systems. We all hear different I guess.

Thenis, the OP asked about the comparative sound signature. I have the same curiosity about the sound signature. Did any of you rock throwers attempt to answer his question? Do any of you know the answer to his question?

For a thread with a dozen or so responses, this one is absolutely awful and non-informative. Oh I guess a lot of you don't like one another - very helpful to the OP.

Billimbriale..I'll answer the question regarding the sonic signature of Accuphase and Mcintosh, since I'm familiar with both and will get off the rock throwing plaform. Both Accuphase and Mcintosh have a very relaxed character and very smooth, and both image very well. The key differences is that Accuphase has better pinpoint imaging and detail and front to back layering. Accuphase has greater dimensional space that is typical with tubes. The top two Accuphase Preamps have superior bass than Mcintosh and sell for a lot more. The top Preamp costs $40K and the second one down
costs $29K. Mac's top two piece Preamp sells for $ 20K.
Accuphase gives a sonic character that is a better blend of tube and solid state than Mcintosh. Mac is more colored and Accuphase sounds cleaner and provides better spacial depth. The one area that Mac is no match whatsoever to the Accuphase top Preamp, the C-3800, is its brilliantly designed AAVA volume control. Its a fully balance dual mono gain control with a separate module for each channel that you will not find in the Mac.

Michael Fremer says Ypsilon preamp is the best there is. Anyone heard it? Never heard Accuphase, heard some Mac a few years ago, not their best stuff, and couldn't care less about the sound though maybe the cables were junk or not a good match. And it appears that both Accuphase and Mac are overpriced. More or same money as LAMM and Rowland? Give me a break.