I own the MA8900 integrated amp which I love. As far as directly answering your questions:
- Sound Quality: I would describe my system likely on the slightly warm side of neutral but with plenty of detail. It has a wide, tall and deep soundstage, excellent imaging, transients, decay. The midrange is excellent as well and probably slightly more forward. I do not find the bass to be “fat” or bloated, there is plenty of it and it’s full but still a bit punchy (I have a couple of REL subs I run as well). The treble is a bit rolled off but there’s still plenty of airiness and detail. It suits me given that I am susceptible to fatigue from too much treble.
- Build Quality and Design: My integrated is built like a tank and weighs about as much at ~75 pounds. I love the blue meters and the green logo and font. It has a bit of a retro look which I enjoy. I’ve heard several complaints about the knobs being plastic and the pots not having a “click” or resistance to them. The knobs are milled aluminum and it did take a little getting used to spinning them but I really like them now. McIntosh has a reputation for outstanding build quality which is my experience in the short time I’ve owned it.
- Value for Money: Price of entry is not cheap but there is plenty of value with respect to quality of build, quality of sound and resale value. I don’t think any other brand has the same resale value.
- Customer Service and Support: I have no experience with service as my integrated is only a few years old and has needed no service. I will say that the company still supports every model they made and would expect stellar service if I needed it. I did email customer service when I first bought the unit, which I bought used, and they promptly replied to my question.
- Overall Experience: I would absolutely recommend McIntosh for all of the reasons stated above. I love my integrated, it does everything I want and more. It has a quality phono section which I haven’t even gotten into yet as I exclusively stream at the moment. It has an excellent head phone section as well which I think can be turned off. I don’t use it often but enough to speak well of it. It is not to everyone’s liking/taste but I would strongly encourage anyone looking to build a system to go audition components on the McIntosh lineup.