Do true audiophiles own Mcintosh gear

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! :-)

This question seems to pop up every couple years. I guess Mac has been around so long that all kinds of opinions, myths, etc. have been perpetuated through the years. In this hobby a salesman or friend can say something to someone just starting out in the hobby and it be taken as an absolute and passed on.

Like many companies, Mac has had their good and not so good. As someone alluded above, Mac grew a great reputation in the yearly years of audio. But they had some lean years in the 80's and early 90's, this being my opinion. Since the late 90's I believe they have been producing some great products.

Like any hobby, you will have those that do not agree.

Anyone can look at my system and see I have Mac, but those claims made above that state I own it for status or to impress don't work for me.

Also, I have owned many other brands through the years, Levinson, BAT, Rowland, Pass, MF, I didn't just buy it because of some lore of old. But I do admit Newbee, I like the looks, including the blue meters. :)

I think taking away the lights, meters and glass panels would cause Mc to lose some of it's attraction. But the quality and sound would remain. It's a package that sells and changing it could cause many to look elsewhere.