James - a thought from Thiel history for you. I take interest in how brands associate with other brands. Partly in play is dealer synergy - dealers tend to carry brands that go well together. Sometimes designers align with other designers for shared approach or desired outcomes . . . Thiel’s brand associations grew somewhat over the years, but centered on some brands that get regular mention in this thread: Krell, Mark Levinson, Bryston, early Classé and Threshold. For the record, McIntosh never came on Thiel’s radar. Nothing negative, but nothing ever presented itself.
For myself, my first aha moment when I learned that reproduced music could be every bit as involving as live music involved McIntosh. As a singer-songwriter-student I was immersed in music, and playback was mostly a tool for production and for learning. Then one day I went to lunch at a faculty community house at the edge of campus. After lunch we all sat down to absorb a newly released jazz album, followed by an appreciation and discussion of musical and sonic merit. It was 1967, I was a freshman. These guys opened my ears and my mind.
The only piece of gear I vividly remember was the pair of chrome amps with their glowing tubes. When asked, Brother Stan said they were McIntosh - I don’t remember the model, or the turntable or speakers. I do remember the musical magic and the adjectives 'lush and delicate'.
For myself, my first aha moment when I learned that reproduced music could be every bit as involving as live music involved McIntosh. As a singer-songwriter-student I was immersed in music, and playback was mostly a tool for production and for learning. Then one day I went to lunch at a faculty community house at the edge of campus. After lunch we all sat down to absorb a newly released jazz album, followed by an appreciation and discussion of musical and sonic merit. It was 1967, I was a freshman. These guys opened my ears and my mind.
The only piece of gear I vividly remember was the pair of chrome amps with their glowing tubes. When asked, Brother Stan said they were McIntosh - I don’t remember the model, or the turntable or speakers. I do remember the musical magic and the adjectives 'lush and delicate'.