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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? 
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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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hoytroskap
6 posts
 
Hi
McIntosh products offer great fit and finish quality, long term service ability and high resale value. They have not sought  to produce high performance products in decades
stereo5's avatar
stereo5
6,280 posts
 
@hoytroskap...…………………………...

Funny you should mention that, McIntosh as of late has gotten rave reviews in Tone Audio, TAS, Stereophile,  plus many online reviewing  sites.  Are you saying the reviewers are lying or that they and I are deaf?  Have you ever owned McIntosh?  That was quite a broad statement to make without backing it up.
lhasaguy's avatar
lhasaguy
331 posts
 
Synergy is everything in audio.  That, plus we all have different views of what type of sound gives us joy.

For Me, McIntosh MC501s paired with a tube Pre Amp (C220) driving 3.6 Maggies have been magic for more than 10 years.

I went through a lot of gear to get what I (emphasis on I) found the right match for my Maggies.

YMMV 
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