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Disappointing On Mcintosh......help

 3 Months ago  I went to NYC and stopped by the WOM  and auditioned several MCintosh gear...........and left a bit disappointed or not impressed...then I told myself   " lets give a second shot"  and went today to a  HIFI store and again Good room accoustics10K speakers , MC Preamp , MC Amplifier........ and again  the same disappointment I felt 3 month earlier.

Is that the "warm" sound people reffer to about Mcintosh?  
The sound is ample, base is powerfull  but the the sound is simply  not to clear, the hights are not too "crisp"  It sounds like the treble is set at 3 and needs to be adjusted at 9 or 10.
It seems like  the sound is  coming through a thin layer of paper ...that is the way I describe that sound.  

Then 20 minutes later I auditioned a Parasound A21+ and a JC5 and the sound was more clear and the highs were crispier

Whats your take on my experience?  or That is the MC "warm sound? 
128x128cydrone
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,386 posts
 
Cydrone.....you're exactly correct
lordrootman's avatar
lordrootman
360 posts
 
I use to own Mcintosh 601 mono blocks and C52 preamp with modify klipsch KLF 30 and RF 7II never impress sold them and  bought Parasound A21+ and P6 preamp it was day night 
the only possible answer is klipsch and parasound has great synergy because it was unreal 
audioman58's avatar
audioman58
3,919 posts
 
McIntosh has been putting lower quality parts in for some time 
look at the tons of $5 red wima caps ,
they are not even close to being more then average , resistors also 
for a company that charges over $5 k 
for all seperates  nice meters that’s it 
the top hybrid parasound designed 
by bascum king blows it away sonicly
i sold !McIntosh and have worked on 
upgrading products calling modding .
mc looks great but sonicly for the $$ could be much better.
somegeoffguy
31 posts
 
I have a McIntosh MAC6700 receiver and I use the tone controls on it as well as a Schiit Loki to cut the midrange (The McIntosh bass and treble controls seem to do a better job than the Schiit, but they don’t have a midrange control). Every once in a while I listen to it flat and I don’t like it at all - similar to what you describe. But when I tweak it to just how I like it, I couldn’t be happier. I am running it into Klipsch RF7-III’s which are probably a bit brighter than most speakers to start with.

A lot of purists say you shouldn’t adjust the sound from the album/tape/CD/stream because that is how the artist intended it. I say make it how you like - it is your ears and money!

-Geoff
stereo5's avatar
stereo5
6,280 posts
 
I see the McIntosh haters are out in full force tonight.  I have 2 Mac systems and very seldom have to use the tone controls but if the recording needs a boost then I use them.  I have never heard dull or shrill sound from my systems.  I had a couple of guys over 2 weeks ago, one of them is an Audiogoner and both loved my 2 systems.  My Audiogon friend has Pass Electronics and Magnepan 3.7i and VPI table.  He loved the sound of my system, and no, he wasn't being polite.

Don't diss Mac because of a bad demo.  It is well made, lifetime lasting, excellent sounding equipment.  Everyone here may not like the brand, but they sell a lot and I am glad I bought from a big company who can take care of my equipment for years to come.  A distant friend just had them make a new glass front for his 1971 tuner.  How many other companies can or will do that?
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