Why do no audio enthusiasts use McIntosh?

Your example of not being impressed by the $200k system because you wanted to be impressed by something you can afford is like saying "I was not impressed by Porsche or Ferrari because they had nothing to show me in my price range". Also, while McIntosh does have ultra expensive amps and speakers in their line up doesn't mean you have to be able to afford them to enjoy what McIntosh has to offer. A 402/C46 combo was highly praised by TAS as being the best the reviewer has had in his system and compared to other amps/preamps many times the price. Should I remind you how well the 501's were reviewed? A comparison of 20-30 year old McIntosh gear to modern gear and using that as the standard by which it is measured is simply unfair. The new McIntosh gear has also evolved and offers many sonic advantages to the 20-30 year old stuff while still being competitively priced with modern gear of other brands. I for one am very happy that I finally built a system that allows me to simply enjoy music without all the "audiophile nervosa" that seems to go hand in hand with this hobby. I am very pleased at the fact that my investment into 501 monoblocks will last me at least 30 years and bring me daily pleasure while still retaining the highest resale value in case I decide to move up or simply upgrade to the latest model of McIntosh amps/preamps.

Strange, my wife and many of our friends that come over our house have always complimented the looks of my all McIntosh gear. The looks of the gear are highly personal choice and as always the "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". Not that I need the approval of my wife on what my audio gear should look like nor would she ever put her foot down on this subject but it's nice to know she appreciates it. I don't think the amps of yesterday with their huge cooling fins were ever high on the WAF either. Of course the Krell's and ML's have changed their looks lately and will change again I am sure with time, what ever the fashion will call for. Strange how fashion comes and goes yet the "truly classic" and tasteful designs always remain in fashion and stand the test of time no matter what.

A lot of them like to listen to music playback at full "threshold of feeling" volume. If they listened at normal comfortable household playback or quiet, don't-wake-the-family levels, there would be no audible bass (Fletcher-Munsen curves). With tone and loudness controls, I can enjoy full-bodied sound at any playback level. The McIntosh preamp also removed any trace of high-end harshness that I had until now (after 50 years!) thought was always a part of electronically-reproduced music.

They do - but won't tell everyone. Perhaps because most audio-enthusiasts are kind of 'nerds' ?

Sorry to say this - I own McINtosh for about 8 yers now - but owning a Mac makes talking about it redundant. It just asks to be listened to and people owning a Mac don't have time talking about it, they use their time listening to music. In fact, a McIntosh amplifier makes frends redundant. Perhaps owning a Mac makes you a nerd ?

Now enough of this. Here is my experience :

I got the MA6400, a 2x100 Watt at 4 Ohm integrated amp, to play with JBL Ti5000 speakers. Yes, it did lack some power, therefor I now upgraded to the MA6900.

Though, the MA6400 still delivers every bit of grat sound to my old Infinity's 6i, a pair of JBL L112's or a pair of old BnW Transmissionlines.

I had a Vincent on the JBL's, great power but less detail of musicality. I compared with serveral amps and NONE of them had the detail and musicality of the Mac.

So, yes, they are real good amplifiers. They sound the best - you can't find anything wrong about the sond - and so it makes them difficult to talk about.

Perhaps that is why audio-enthousiasts don't talk about them but you can be sure... They do own them !