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.
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.