I've done (insert various high-end watches and motorcycles here). Currently have a good watch for a beach environment, after others leaked or took 12+ months for regular service. A Harley (second one) again mostly due to lousy service on BMW, Aprilia, Ducati, Triumph and others. (Don't flame me just yet, I'll give you more reasons)
Don't see any manufacturer as being "everybody's everything". I've had 3 pieces in 40 years come into my system only to be pulled within days: A Mac AV processor, an Onyx 300b and a Supratek Cabernet. The Onyx sounded like it had a sock stuffed in it. Mick never could get QC together and I've heard good Supratek: I got a lousy one. The Mac was one of the grainiest pre-amps I've heard.
On the other hand, I heard their KT-88 integrated and thought it sounded fantastic on K horns...not my cup of tea, but fun. I hear the MAC stuff almost every week-end at local dealer and most of it sounds really good. My system is low powered, SE-OTL and philosophically different from Mac's concepts, though.
My opinion: (you know what they say about that...) most companies make good or better components. Get rid of the ones that sound bad or you otherwise don't want. I even got rid of a couple because I no longer wanted a piece in my system from a company or person I had an issue with (I know, resentment sometimes makes me do less than rational things).
On the other hand "Are are motorcycles, watches over $10 or high end audio rational?" is another question...one my wife often asks...
You want to spend a ton of hard-earned-bucks on gear only to be dissed by the folks who took your money, try Levinson or EAR: I've never had manufacturers of ANY product cop an attitude like Levinson (black hole service dept from hell) or EAR's Paravincini (who personally emailed and berated me) when I was trying to get a broken proprietary piece replaced at my expense on one of his power amps. When these items were finally fixed, I sold them (never to return) and purchased other gear from manufacturers who I felt deserved my money/loyalty.
MAC is stand-up, classic, non-fussy gear with good service and flashes of (high-priced) brilliance that chooses to market to the carriage trade, not the state of the art or the bleeding edge of unreliability.
Jeez, with prices like they are in the high-end, MAC looks pretty reasonable in comparison, esp (1) if you want it and (2) it sounds good to you. You know it may not be the latest and greatest, but it'll last and have back-up long after a lot of the other guys are gone or in the shop (again). I guess that's my point. Others may have other priorities.
Now there, aren't you glad you waited? Flame away...
Don't see any manufacturer as being "everybody's everything". I've had 3 pieces in 40 years come into my system only to be pulled within days: A Mac AV processor, an Onyx 300b and a Supratek Cabernet. The Onyx sounded like it had a sock stuffed in it. Mick never could get QC together and I've heard good Supratek: I got a lousy one. The Mac was one of the grainiest pre-amps I've heard.
On the other hand, I heard their KT-88 integrated and thought it sounded fantastic on K horns...not my cup of tea, but fun. I hear the MAC stuff almost every week-end at local dealer and most of it sounds really good. My system is low powered, SE-OTL and philosophically different from Mac's concepts, though.
My opinion: (you know what they say about that...) most companies make good or better components. Get rid of the ones that sound bad or you otherwise don't want. I even got rid of a couple because I no longer wanted a piece in my system from a company or person I had an issue with (I know, resentment sometimes makes me do less than rational things).
On the other hand "Are are motorcycles, watches over $10 or high end audio rational?" is another question...one my wife often asks...
You want to spend a ton of hard-earned-bucks on gear only to be dissed by the folks who took your money, try Levinson or EAR: I've never had manufacturers of ANY product cop an attitude like Levinson (black hole service dept from hell) or EAR's Paravincini (who personally emailed and berated me) when I was trying to get a broken proprietary piece replaced at my expense on one of his power amps. When these items were finally fixed, I sold them (never to return) and purchased other gear from manufacturers who I felt deserved my money/loyalty.
MAC is stand-up, classic, non-fussy gear with good service and flashes of (high-priced) brilliance that chooses to market to the carriage trade, not the state of the art or the bleeding edge of unreliability.
Jeez, with prices like they are in the high-end, MAC looks pretty reasonable in comparison, esp (1) if you want it and (2) it sounds good to you. You know it may not be the latest and greatest, but it'll last and have back-up long after a lot of the other guys are gone or in the shop (again). I guess that's my point. Others may have other priorities.
Now there, aren't you glad you waited? Flame away...