Why No McIntosh Recommendations?

Most unlikely combo award goes to:  My neighbor.... driving his 30yr old Cerwin Vega D-9's with a brand new $4500 McIntosh Amp that I procured for him.  He wanted something good, US made, and loved the big blue power meters!!   The Mac.... a clear upgrade from his 30yr old Onkyo Integra amp (with big green power meters).  I think the Cerwins sound dreadful....  but he's retired, plays music all day, and his system makes him very VERY happy........ that's what it's all about folks!     

I've owned a wide variety of ARC pieces in the last 30 years (I have 3 ARC pieces in daily use right now) and I've never had ANY explosions (or problems)...................

McIntosh today is a Financial Instrument for Private Equity Groups to broaden their investment portfolios. Unfortunately this has nothing to do with Audio Greatness.

This story started when Quadrivio - an Italian PE group who was known for their investments in the frozen foods market started an audio holding company called Fine Sounds. Under this banner Quadrivio bought, Acoustic Research, Wadia, Wolf Cinema, REL, Sumiko and McIntosh.

McIntosh then merged with LBO & Yarpa and bought Fine Sounds from Quadrivio - it wasn't cheap.  They have since re-branded as The McIntosh Group. They are now  a producer of Fine Audio Lifestyle Equipment. Their commitment is solely to their share holders who demand guaranteed returns on investment.

In order to meet those demands compromises have been made which is why these companies have become Homogenized. Their products are good enough  to command their price points but not great. Which is a shame because they were all pushing towards greatness earlier on before being absorbed. The companies that would not compromise were ultimately, re-branded into what you see today - Wadia, or they cut and ran away- REL and Wolf Cinema.

I had a MX130 that I tried out for a little while using it as a tuner with my existing system.
It sounded good. Had a nice soundstage & presentation. To me the sound had a bit of bloom - designed in.

Compare that with my Magnum Dynalab FT-101 tuner which had no bloom, and just delivered truth.

Great for some, but not for me.
I would like to hear a set of MC275 amps though...

"Back in the Day" I started with a Dynaco ST70 and as soon as I could afford it I moved to a MC 240 and after that a MC 275. Each step "Back in the Day" was a quantum leap in improved sound.  I got to the point that I soon owned 3 MC240's, 3 MC275's and an assortment of McIntosh preamps --- and still do !  
     I will admit that my present system has taken turns to more modern equipment, but I still own tri-amped speakers and fantasize about employing ALL of those McIntosh amps to drive them into Audio Nirvana! Age and a lack of physical space are confounding that dream. 
     A special shout-out goes to a special favorite, an MC32 preamp which has every audio nuance at your fingertips.  I remember fondly, a shootout between the phono sections of my MC26 preamp and an older MC110 Pre/Tuner.  The old MC110 won, hands down !  Tubes, don't you know ?
     I had built a duplicate set of speakers for a dear friend who coveted mine, and we, at one time, had a showdown between his Marantz 8B amplifier and my McIntosh MC275 amp.  They BOTH were superb, but we both agreed that the Marantz was more "clinical" and the McIntosh was "sweeter".  Remember --- same speakers !
     MacIntosh equipment is something you can live with for a long, long time without longing for change.  Is there better equipment ?  Measurably, perhaps ----  musically, perhaps ---- esthetically, perhaps ---- and on, and on and on.
    This hobby has given me some of the more pleasurable times of my life, and it continues to give --- every day.
    I spent my career as an orchestral musician and can honestly say that the joys of performing in a 100 piece symphony orchestra were, on many occasions, matched by sitting in front of what I considered to be a great audio system.  Don't lose sight of that aim of our beloved hobby.  Music is the aim ---- equipment is the vehicle that gets us there.  Cheers to all !!