Why do no audio enthusiasts use McIntosh?

Boa2,

"A dollar fifty a foot, don't waste your money on anything more expensive." I'm guessing you would have tossed HIM out of the room. :-)

HEY MAN, that's what I use on my Mac computer and my audio buds throw me out of the room !

I get really good sound out of that "buck fifty a foot" stuff so long as my MP3's are not burned at high sample rate :^).

Earlier this year, I attended a weekend AudioFest which was hosted by another audio organization in the Detroit area. There were close to two dozen “listening rooms” where dealers showcased their wares. McIntosh had two of them.

In the online afterglow of the event, someone asked what was their favorite listening experience of the Fest. After a pregnant pause of several hours where there was a reluctance to take the plunge, I posted that McIntosh, which included their 7-foot speaker array panels in the experience got my vote. This opened a floodgate of postings where McIntosh was at, or near the top, in many of them.

It would be divisive to name other competitors here. Suffice to say, that a lot of the high-end audio dealers weren’t represented and that this audio group, though worldwide now, has its roots in the rustbelt Midwest with a “pull-up-the-bootstrap” ethic that sees many recapping old Scott tube receivers and trumpeting thrift store finds of Rectilinear “Lowboys”. Nevertheless, this unscientific poll, may speak to McIntosh’s power to still enthrall even those who could never afford one – to put down that soldering iron for a moment and “have a chew”, as Boa2 put it.

Let's face it, "enthusiast" means that you are first into audio gear and second possibly into music, that is if your audiophile worries actually allow you to enjoy one CD or LP from beginning to end before your mind starts to wonder what it is you need to upgrade next. Yes, many McIntosh owners are very content with their gear and would not even consider anything else. Call them naive, or non-enthusiasts, but don't forget, many of them have played the gear switching game before, myself included and have stopped looking and caring after experiencing McIntosh in their system. I have played the game myself, been there, done that, got a T-shirt. While some are on their 25th amp, preamp or whatever else seems to be in style (look at the D-class amps thread) I'll be still happily listening to my 501's and smiling. To each it's own.

Since this thread isn't dying... It's not just Macs, it's just about all the "top end" that doesn't get talked about. It's a badge of honour to be obscure.

What's to talk about? Once you've arrived, you're there. There's no doubt, no questions. All that remains is gloating. Exclusive prices of this type of gear translates to a certain amount of exclusivity on forums. That's not to say that there aren't excellent bargains but bucks buys confidence. Besides, I doubt anyone wants to hear someone with 901's slam their SLAMMs or cut down thier Krells.

Our entire family has enjoyed the old man's MC7270 for no less than 20 years now. His Mac preamp/controller hasn't given a lick of trouble. The amp has pushed various speaker loads, it has backed parties and, it has enhanced our movie watching. Each morning when he wakes to fix his coffee, he flips on the Mac. Dad came over to my house the other day and listened to a little EL34 tube amp (brand name unimportant) I've been listening to recently. He was moved by the "presence". His first response, "The McIntosh has nothing on this! Sounds fantastic!" I asked if he was ready to try something new. "Nope. I love the Mac!" To me, his response said it all. His McIntosh stuff gives him all he needs or, all any of us should need from a stereo, enjoyment. As enthusiasts, we enjoy the never ending quest for the "absolute sound." The hunt is where we derive our enjoyment (or madness). I have to respect a product that is capable of giving its owner years of pride and enjoyment without fail. Cheers to McIntosh and to all the other manufacturers that keep the rest of us ENJOYING music. On a side note, I too was disappointed by my local Mac dealer's demo of their 4000 watt $200,000 system. I begged him to impress me with something normal people could afford as opposed to the mega rich and frivolous. ;)