McIntosh -- good for show, not for sound, says dealer

Music lovers can achieve nirvana at any budget with any gear, as long as they know what they want and use a holistic approach when building a system.

Well said @arafiq 

Wise man indeed and with knowledge...

I will only add that this "holistic"  approach must put acoustic listening experiments at the front...

Thanks...

Music lovers can achieve nirvana at any budget with any gear, as long as they know what they want and use a holistic approach when building a system.

Is it true McIntosh no longer uses point to point wiring??

They haven’t used point to point wiring since the invention of the printed circuit board. 

@schw06 I think your post is spot on.  I also think 'awesome' is subjective and changes over time.

I've had McIntosh gear and while I have moved on to other brands it was because i was looking for something I found during auditioning for an upgrade. 

My McIntosh stuff sounded great, brought me hours (perhaps months, or years) of listening pleasure.  I get the same joy with my new gear and also visiting a friend who has a nice system.

I salute everyone who enjoys music and think there are many great manufacturers and DIY kits for every type of music fan, listener and audiophile.