Do true audiophiles own Mcintosh gear

You don't consider transformer coupling the transistors to keep them in their peak operating range innovative?

Not to pick on Mac, but no. Using output transformers, which have been around on tube amps forever, on transistors which do not need them, is not innovative. It means they are willing to trade away sound quality (transparency) in exchange for stability/reliability.

Tube amplifiers (except OTLs) require output transformers, but they are considered a necessary evil. Fortunately, the vacuum tube is such an inherently transparent and musical device that the final result can still be superb even with the loss that occurs through a good output transformer.

Davemitchell, the results do not support your conclusions. The results are incredible clarity.
Transformers are mixed blessings, of course, but the results speak for themselves. The dual differential truly balanced circuit is also fairly unique, although they are not the first on that one. McCormack does something similar I believe in their DNA 500.

"Do true audiophiles own Mcintosh gear?"

First of all, who has the right to judge whether someone else is a 'true audiophile' (or anything else) for that matter? If you have an all-Mac system (I don't - just an MR85), and are happy with it, IMO, no one else can really fault him/her.

the results do not support your conclusions.

Without getting in to critiquing the "results", my point was that using output transformers is hardly innovative. It's about as retro as you can possibly get.

For those of you in Southern California, Brooks Berdan in Monrovia carries McIntosh and he's a highly respected audiophile shop. Give him a call if you'd like to know his opinion on Mac gear. He also carries Jadis and VTL so he'll also be able to give you the compare and contrast of those makers as well.