What is an audiophile anyway? Many times I believe people buy exotic audio to keep up with the "Jones" and forget the real reason, THE MUSIC!
I used to collect vintage Sansui gear. Most of you are probably turning your nose up as we speak. However my old Sansui 9090db was the sweetest, most forgiving (and non fatiguing) receiver that I owned and yet many people would laugh at me.. It sounded great for my ears and I have very sensitive ears (I used to be a studio sessionist). Well the 9090db was given to my son who now enjoys it in his one bedroom flat (whilst in grad school).
Our beloved hobby is in the ear of the beholder..
Furthermore,dealers who bash Mcintosh are probably in business for all the wrong reasons anyway. These snobbish, by appointment only L.A. type snake dealers are more concerned with selling you an over-hyped, OVER-bling, over-rated exotic "blah blah blah" component that they claim sound better because they are hand-made by Bavarian artisan monks retrofitted with caps or resistors developed by NASA. You get my drift. So p--lease, be careful not step in the b*llsh*t.
With that being said, let your ears decide for you not some glossy audio magazine or slick audio dealer. I have listened to many many ARC, Halcro,VTL, Mark Levinson, Mcintosh and Spectral components that were not worth their inflated price of admission.
I did however finally find vintage separates that agreed with my ears and wallet: a mcintosh mc-2155 amp and c-28 preamp. Warm, non-fatiquing, and easy going to my ears. But I bet alot of you out there would turn your nose up at my component choices.. Go figure.
I used to collect vintage Sansui gear. Most of you are probably turning your nose up as we speak. However my old Sansui 9090db was the sweetest, most forgiving (and non fatiguing) receiver that I owned and yet many people would laugh at me.. It sounded great for my ears and I have very sensitive ears (I used to be a studio sessionist). Well the 9090db was given to my son who now enjoys it in his one bedroom flat (whilst in grad school).
Our beloved hobby is in the ear of the beholder..
Furthermore,dealers who bash Mcintosh are probably in business for all the wrong reasons anyway. These snobbish, by appointment only L.A. type snake dealers are more concerned with selling you an over-hyped, OVER-bling, over-rated exotic "blah blah blah" component that they claim sound better because they are hand-made by Bavarian artisan monks retrofitted with caps or resistors developed by NASA. You get my drift. So p--lease, be careful not step in the b*llsh*t.
With that being said, let your ears decide for you not some glossy audio magazine or slick audio dealer. I have listened to many many ARC, Halcro,VTL, Mark Levinson, Mcintosh and Spectral components that were not worth their inflated price of admission.
I did however finally find vintage separates that agreed with my ears and wallet: a mcintosh mc-2155 amp and c-28 preamp. Warm, non-fatiquing, and easy going to my ears. But I bet alot of you out there would turn your nose up at my component choices.. Go figure.