Disappointing On Mcintosh......help

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.

Just listened again to a Mac 462 connected to a pair of Sonus fabers. In a post above someone mentioned to be aware of cables, and I second that. We tried 3 different speaker cables and the worst pair caused the combination to sound muted, the Nordost Frey 2 brought everything up a notch or 10. Detailed, musical, nothing dry or clinical. Perfect for our ears. We liked the combo so much we bought them.

@stereo5 agree 100 percent. 

70% of the sound quality in any system comes first from the acoustical controls field of the room, and from the controls of the electrical grid of the house, and some part from the mechanical embeddings controls...Only 30 % comes from the amplifier and source...


This rule is valid for most mid-fi and high fi system of relatively very good quality that are all relatively equal  in this prepared and controlled audio context, despite their evident differences...


The illusion that electronic component magically create hi-fi experience out of the box for the customers is an engineered marketing illusion...Almost all relatively good audio systems will be top hifi if they are embedded rightly in the mechanical, and electrical and acoustical grids....Or will sound shitty otherwise....Even one million dollars system....

An experience by chance, in a non prepared and non controlled environment of a piece of electronic gear by the listener means nothing even for the listener himself, whether he believes the opposite or not....