Interesting. In the video below, Jay relegates McIntsosh to his "Bottom Tier Amplifier List"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrANbl6B824&ab_channel=Jay%27sAudioLab
From the transcript: “right now let's go first on the list macintosh yes you heard it bottom of the list why company has relied a lot on their name um one of the greatest american brands there's no question about it i don't think anybody will ever dispute that about mcintosh right no doubt uh they are just an incredible company holistically speaking
um but i am reviewing the actual sound quality of a product and not what their resume is i don't care about what they did yesterday okay if i'm if i'm hiring you i don't give a damn what you did in 1996. if i need you for a position that you need to fill today i want to know what you've done over the last five years where have you been what have you been doing careless 1996 what you did
that's my view on macintosh i feel like their resume is great when you look back in time as of the last few years i don't feel that sonically speaking they're there now….”'
Funny how these video transcripts come across when you read them as opposed to listen to them. Not quite the same...impact.