McIntosh -- good for show, not for sound, says dealer

Speaking of blanket statements............haha

This is a more apt comparison. That said, I know a Lexus is not for everyone either! :)

Instead of Rolex or Harley Davidson, why not compare McIntosh to Lexus.

Like Lexus, McIntosh has:

1. Excellent longevity and good looks.

2. Top Tier resale value and brand recognition.

3. Competitive performance in each segment.

4. One of the highest rated customer satisfaction and ownership experiences.

5. Owners either trade for another Lexus, or keep it in the family and buy another.

I've noticed in the previous posts that if a McIntosh owner shares their likes, it's detailed and specific including models and supporting thoughts. However, the critics don't offer "the why" details to support their position other than generic blanket statements with no proof of ownership other than owned and didn't like, moved on, etc. Not that their position is not valid, but where's the what and why that we would like to read and learn about?

I've often thought of trading my 8900 in for a Hegel H390. I like the 8900 but prefer less of a warm sound which the 8900 does a good job of without tubes. I've also been watching the Michi line.

@jjss49 

fascinating to me what transpires on this thread, not sure if this is what @hilde45 intended with his op

I didn't know how people would react. Here is how I see things. As the article I posted weeks ago show (from a well research Japanese business journal article), the forces which cause hifi equipment to succeed or fail are based on a number of factors. They don't all need to be named, but the two relevant for this thread are (a) forum discussions and (b) reviewers (now including YouTube).

When I seen reviews on YouTube which make strong claims (to thousands of people --3.8k in just two days), I sometimes like to see what others with a stake in the hobby think about those claims. In the course of this, facts are sometimes corrected, bad reasoning is highlighted, and hidden motivations are ferreted out. Sometimes people just say they agree with the review for x, y, or z reasons.

Reviewers, dealers, makers are all in these forum discussions, too. They pay attention because they know that comments sometimes matter. Comments build or tear down products or even brands. 

Seeing so many people with experience and knowledge come to defend McIntosh is an interesting result. For the hobbyist out there considering McIntosh and searching for comments, they can now find both this thread and the YouTube video in question. This thread adds to the conversation and perhaps helps someone make a decision.

If this was just about "opinion," no one would care, no one would post. The issue is not "freedom of opinion" (banal phrase) but the "truth or falsity of claims." Sometimes those claims are about taste -- but we argue about taste all the time. Clearly, there's something at stake, and something we use to stand up our claims.

@hilde45: Insightful post as are many other in this thread.

What's refreshing about this conversation is the civility by all, and the amount of non-posters/researchers I like to refer to us as, myself included, that have come out to participate and support what has been in the past an unfair and unsubstantiated bash tactic on a company for which we should all be acknowledging a job well done if we are truly honest in our evaluation.

From the McIntosh critics, I requested detailed perspective to seek to understand their position since my experience is starkly contrary to the overall generic positions contributed. Other than one fairly detailed post, I don't think we received any detail of significance. So I'll initiate the ask again, what McIntosh product was it that did not provide satisfaction for you and why? What solution did you come to that enabled you to gain that satisfaction?