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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
4425
861 posts
 
hmm. can’t argue with what someone hears but i think an expanded list would have shown that better is the enemy of good(mac). just don’t think that mcintosh has the detailed high end sound that once heard is impossible to forget. also apparently the service isn’t so hot either. imo
stereo5's avatar
stereo5
6,407 posts
 
Lots of McIntosh haters posting in this thread. For the record, I hate overly detailed sound.   I can do without that extra brightness that is all the rage now.   The manufacturers do it on purpose to have too much detail. That way, you will never be satisfied with the sound and will constantly be spending more and more money.  
As the supporters of this hobby get older and die, manufacturers need to come up with new ways to keep us spending.  Overly detailed sound is one way for them to get more money. 
david_ten
5,480 posts
 
Detail / Resolution is not the enemy. Music is choke full of detail.

The expression of that incredibly rich information fails due to failures in implementation and suboptimal references.

BTW, I respect McIntosh. I’ve heard and experienced excellent implementations.
djones51
4,947 posts
 
I'm a little  confused by the OP's point what exactly  does he need help with? My take on you experience is you didn't  care much for McIntosh but liked Parasound. Not sure if it's  the McIntosh sound or the other components and room or just the way you heard it, but what it is you need help with? 
fundsgon
150 posts
 
Stereo5 
right on the money. I’ve never auditioned a Mac before now, and what a revelation. They have detail without being clinical, I can play music load without my ears trying to close up on themselves. My ears don’t cringe, yet the detail is there with no brightness. Soft acoustic music is presented sweetly and with finesse, no hard edge or hash.

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