Do true audiophiles own Mcintosh gear

I have owned a number of Mc peices for the past 12 or so years. I can't say I am an audiophile per se, but I do love
music. I love to hear it at it's best in reproduction for the limits of MY budget. I belive that my system sounds as goos as it can given the limitations of the room. I feel that I have made an investment in good gear. The Mc gear in my systme can be topped in performance for the same money, but I feel it's durable as well. It will sound that good in ten years or more. I think you get what you pay for with McIntosh and it can be considered "high end" for it's price point. I am sad to see it in "mid-line" stores, but I lay that at the distributor's feet. They get so anxious to place an order and collect a commission that they don't hold out for higher end shops. All the years I have done business here on AudioGon I have watched that the Mc gear holds it's value. There must be a demand.
All just my opinion and experience of course, no contradiction intended. 2 pennies on the counter..

Mcintosh is for the long term quality seeking music lover, not the insecure tail chasing audio nerd, yes Audiophiles own Mcintish, and Audiophooles take jabs at them for it.

I cant say I agree with Mcintosh being a "status symbol" the way a car can be one, most non audio people have no idea what it is and what it costs, at best if they see it in your home they might confuse it with Macintosh and think it is a computer etc.

I own some Mac gear and like it alot, I also have other gear and enjoy them too. I like equipment but I listen to the music foremost. If being an "audiophile" is switching preamps every month, or listening to just a handful of cds, over and over to get the image "just right" on the gear you are trying....then count me out.

I prefer gear that lets me kick back and enjoy the music, from Aerosmith...to Zappa and lots in between, I think Mac does that very well, and yes I like the way it looks, but the sound and musicality is the first order of business,for any gear,regardless of the name.

If you've ever been to CES and compared the MAC showroom against the other audiophile rooms, you definitely get that Mercedes Benz dealership feel at the MAC rooms (more like suites).

They are not trying to impress audiophiles with that setup. They are definitely trying to sell status.

I've got nothing against Mc's and their sound, but I do have a question. Would their sales suffer much if they no longer had all those pretty blue lights and VU meters?

I suspect that audiophiles would recognize their quality for what it is, but the folks looking for impressive and status gear to be admired by friends (not audiophiles) would pass. I like little black boxes with glowing tubes sticking out! :-)