Disappointing On Mcintosh......help
Who really cares and does it matter whether you like McIntosh or not? Sound is subjective and the variables are many here. For whatever reason, you prefer Parasound. John Curl is one of the most legendary designers in the history of audio so whatever he designs is going to sound great. McIntosh has being making gear since 1949. How is it possible that their equipment is not clear and sounds like a thin sheet of paper and they are still in business for 70 years? Does that mean everyone who purchases Mac gear is deaf or hearing impaired? Stereophile just gave the Mc462 a class A recommendation. How is that possible if Mac gear is not clear and sounds like a thin sheet of paper? So Since you went to 2 locations and came to the same conclusion, You should forget Mac and Sonus Faber. You seem to like Parasound so then find a dealer that supports that brand and then compare that to 2 other brands of comparable price and performance, then narrow it down to the winner. Why 3, you will get confused with too many variables. Speakers: there are too many choices and too many variables which makes them the most subjective. Sonus Faber is overall a softer sounding speaker because they have been a proponent of silk soft dome tweeters from the beginning. I know this because I own a pair of original Guarneri Homages from 1999(pair #1498) which I ran with a full Mark Levinson 300 series complete system. The designer wanted a tweeter that had very low resonance so that the sound of the violin is reproduced in its most pure state. This is why the first pair made is in the Hall of Violins in Cremona Italy to commemorate the birthday of the great violin maker Guarneri. Does this mean that it is the perfect speaker? No, but its the speaker that I chose because I like it at the time: And 20 years later, I still like them. Are they the best speakers for heavy duty rock music and drums no because tweeters are designed to be polite and polished. If you want more life in the highs, you can audition, Focal, B&W 800 series, Klipsh Heritage series. WOM is not really a great place to audition because its a company experience center, not a store. Its goal is to display Mac, ARC, and Sonus Faber in living spaces so that the rich can see and experience this equipment in a true living space not in an audiophile sound room. Many of the 1% will purchase Sonus Faber for the looks alone because even if you don't like their sound, no other speaker is a beautiful work of art that happens to make music: Good luck in your search and don't forget to enjoy the music. |
zavato McIntosh serviced my MC2250 amp, and my C28 Preamp, but they do NOT support my mx110z in any way. Granted it’s from the 60’s, but still, If I was willing to wait ..... No parts, no service. I broke the face glass last year, no help. I found replacement glass online, but, decided to have a local shop make me a piece with two holes (half the price), I masked off the clear area and painted it black myself (as original). And renewed the dust seals around it’s inside edges. They are making me a new factory box for it, $55. delivered, so if needing to ship it in the future ...... |
It's possible our taste in what we like to hear changes with time too. Less detail and more musical midrange with full body sound is what I prefer too. While I'm not a Parasound or Macintosh owner both offer great options. Good source and proper speaker matching can make a huge difference in preference one way or the other. It does not appear the OPs original post was really an apples-to-apples comparison anyhow jumping from one store to another with completely different setups over an extended period of time. I've heard some crappy Mc systems and some really good ones all dependent on the room, component, and speakers chosen by the person giving the demo. Same setup can sound completely different when you get it home for demo too. Lots of variables. |
Upgraded my C45 to C49 pre and Harbeth SHL5 to McIntosh XR100 speakers played with MC352 amp. Really thought I was going to buy the Harbeth 40.2's but thought I would try the Mc's first to save money. I bought them with 2 months to try them out and have owned them longer than that. To back track a little I have owned equipment from other companies (Krell, Cary, Magnapan) but have consolidated my system over the years because I believe you get great value and synergy from buying products from the same company. This takes the risk of disappointment to a low level. Linn, Bryston, MBL, Burmester and others also make complete systems. The end of this post is to say that I am very happy with the C49, MC352 and XR100 sound quality. Acoustic sounds are entirely natural and pleasing (same characteristics the Harbeth's are known for) and have a greater range and scale than my Harbeths (which I still own). They shine reproducing Jazz and Classical and can Rock like crazy! I only write about what I have had in my house. Happy listening to all. |
