Seeking Honest Opinions: Your Experience with McIntosh Audio Gear

My experience with McIntosh is based on my ownership of an MA-8900 integrated amplifier.  

SOUND QUALITY:  As with all things audio, it’s what fits your ear that matters.  For me, the Mac delivers great sound.  I’m a classic rock, jazz, blues guy.  The MA8900 does a wonderful job with this type of music.  Audiophiles argue that female vocals are the acid test for sound quality and I think the Mac is very capable of reproducing well recorded female vocals that are true to the real thing.  I don’t think Mac is rolled off or laid back, but it’s also not so analytical as to be fatiguing.  I owned some Classe gear (pre bankruptcy) and it was awesome but only in shorter listening sessions (again, to my ear). 

BUILD QUALITY: This is one of their hallmarks.  My amplifier will certainly outlast me.  It is vault-like.  Fit and finish are first rate.  It exudes that classic American quality that used to define so many things made in the USA.  

VALUE FOR MONEY: When you consider that in one unit, you get an amplifier, preamplifier, MC/MM phono stage and DAC (more on that later), You would never be able to assemble separates of this quality at anywhere near the price.  And as many have said, the resale value of McIntosh is probably one of the best in the industry.

CUSTOMER SERVICE/SUPPORT: When I bought my Mac, it was installed in a moderately complex stereo/home theater system.  Using the pass through option when watching movies or TV worked well.  The only issue the installers had was getting the Mac to behave well with the remote control system.  The Mac was fussy about the sequence of various actions as programmed in the remote.  The installer got on the phone with Mac support and in about 10 minutes had the issue resolved.  Otherwise I’ve had no need to work with the company because the Mac performs as it should.  (I have since gotten rid of the HT part of my system due to a relocation.  Now the Mac is purely a two channel music system).  

OVERALL EXPERIENCE:  My Mac is 4 years old and sounds every bit as good today as it did once it was through the break in period.  I recently upgraded the DAC to the current McIntosh DAC2 board and it definitely sounds better.  More revealing and detailed but again, not fatiguing.  I have had a great experience and I would recommend McIntosh products to anyone in the market for high quality audio products.  You NEED to audition and be sure the products you’re considering fit your ear.  It is just like wine or bourbon.  Everyone’s taste buds are different and everyone will like or not like something that others rave about.  If you’re going to invest large sums of money into an audio system, be sure you spend time listening to different components with your music.  That’s the only way to know if it will work for you.  

Supposedly Jeff Rowland makes the best SS amps, although I've never stepped up to the plate for one. I'm still very happy with my 18 year old SS Plinius integrated AB amp. The OPPOSITE of McIntosh - very plain Jane, but excellent. I don't want to deal with the hassle and distortion of tubes. Would consider a tube preamp (if I didn't have an integrated) or phono stage maybe since the tubes should last a very long time, although you should always leave a phono stage or preamp on which could shorten the tube life. 

If you care about the blue lights and meters and the retro look, fine. The look of any audio equipment should not factor into the equation unless you are an interior designer. My only exception is speaker size. I prefer thin floor standers so they don't dominate/take up the whole den.

Having owned Mac equipment for most of the past 25 years, I would like to add my thoughts.

SQ - suits my ear, more the tubes than the solid state. I have made money on all of the Mac gear I have sold over the years, except for the speakers. My main regret is selling my MC225 and MX110. Two premier pieces of gear.

BQ - I currently own the MC275, C2300 and MCD500. The MC275 and MCD500 were recently serviced by George Meyer Audio. Expensive but worth it. They are both operating at levels not seen since new. Takeaway is some service will be required over time. Do it.

Value - as stated, I have made money on every piece except for the speakers. The tweeter bank sounded like it would present a mini wall of sound. It did not.

Customer Service - never used.

Overall Experience - personal preferences are front and center. Balance with other components is key. These two aspects are well covered above. For me, VPI Aries 3 table for vinyl and Cambridge Audio streamer work great. Magico A5’s with B&W DB3D’s are amazing. Interconnects from Blue Jeans Cable are awesome. I believe these components are best for me, evidenced by the relative longevity in my setup. Love Mac gear and the way it sounds in my system.

If you search ads for current model pieces, the resale value is not any better than many other brands. Seems some are having a tough time selling these components for as little as 60% of retail. Schiit Audio actually retains more value on the pre-owned market.

Some of the older pieces have kept up with inflation or even gained value, but my hunch is that trend will decline concurrently with the numbers of boomers and early Gen-Xers.

Value for money is not good. Units all you care about is how it looks and/or the name. Most of it isn't bad by any means. But not at all worth the price in most cases.