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Why No McIntosh Recommendations?

As I read, and continually read through posts, nobody really talks to McIntosh Products, or recommends McIntosh Products.  Why?  I can understand why they are not getting their just due.  I think their sound stage is incredible and the tube products offer incredible warmth.  I own the 2600 PreAmp, 2152 Amp, and MT5 Turntable.  I love what they do for my Sonos Faber Serafino’s.  I’m a big fan.  Why don’t y’all talk to them more.  Now I know we all have our bias.  And I know that they may be out of many price ranges, but they are wonderful products, in my ears.  

BTW - Currently Listening to Hugh Maskela’s Hope on a Quality Pressings Release!  Sounds superb!  Excellent recording whether you are listening to a CD or a high quality a 180 Release from the original master tapes.
pgaulke60
brauser
526 posts
 
I have listened to numerous McIntosh products through the years. I've also had 'heart-to-heart' talks with McIntosh dealers. Bottom line is that McIntosh tube products tend to sound much better than their solid state counterparts. Overall, if a comparison was to be made between the product lines of McIntosh and Audio Research, Boulder, Rowland, or several others; McIntosh would consistently come up short. McIntosh looks good and reliability is a strength, but to say that McIntosh is in the same league as the aforementioned companies is simply not true. 
ghasley
2,502 posts
 
@tlong1958

By all means, start any thread you like. I don't own Audio Research gear presently but I have, like McIntosh, owned some in the past, very recently as a matter of fact. While you didn't mention in what role you worked at the dealer, "exploding crap" may be a bit strong don't you think? While I have never experienced one single failure of any Audio Research item I have owned in over 20 years, they did service a piece for me once that had a minor shipping mishap. Like McIntosh, their service is exemplary. I have heard of some ARC owners who have experienced a tube failure where it took out a resistor but I also never ran the tubes to zero, so I never experienced that. It's my understanding that was how it was designed though. Neither ARC nor McIntosh have handled USB perfectly though. Its a shame that the group has basically mishandled the Wadia part of their portfolio, its all but a footnote in the digital world now.

@stevecutler

I agree with you regarding the glass/silkscreen. At least they went to fiber lighting a few years ago which solved the bulb changing requirements.
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,318 posts
 

Read this thread to get an accurate picture of current standard of factory support post sale.

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/dc-offset-blocker-killer-where-to-buy-in-the-usa/post?highlight=mcintosh%2Bhum&postid=1692986#1692986

lalitk's avatar
lalitk
5,570 posts
 
@ghasley,

In regards to USB implementation, ARC have made a giant leap forward with their latest PCB914 board. My ARC DAC9 recently came back from ARC with this new board and I am happy to report that it’s pretty darn sounding digital to analog converter. ARC’s newest CD9 SE and CD6SE has the same USB board.

With Linux and 2xDSD compatibly, 16,24 and 32 bit support they are now up to speed with the competition.

The customer service experience was excellent. The work order was completed in 3 working days. 
ghasley
2,502 posts
 
@lalitk 


That's terrific news. And I'm a fan of Audio Research but its unfortunate it took this long to roll in with a modern digital implementation.

McIntosh seems to shoot themselves in the foot digitally by their repeated USB failures. Firmware update after firmware update, clicks and pops, moments of silence at the beginning of tracks, etc. As mentioned earlier in this thread, at the Overture demo they used a Bryston transport rather than feeding from a USB. I wonder if this was to avoid a USB mishap? The McIntosh fanbase forgives.
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