Luxman-McIntosh CD Players

HI Bob, quite a few.....I should have given a better description of what I heard, sorry for that.
What I did hear truly amazed me.... The MDC500 basically robs the music of any life. Every time we listened, everyone sat there, and then when we'd switch to another unit, such as a Naim or Rega or Resolution Audio, everyone started tapping their foot and smiling again. I was truly surprised, and then started to put two and two together, since Mcintosh has not done any digital development of their own, just sticking in some others and putting their name on it. A horrible player musically, looks are fine if you like that sort of thing.

Chashas1,

It is so hard to have these conversations when we all have different rooms as well as electronics. The reason i made the post was that i was considering the MCD500 and the Luxman D-06. To say that the MCD500 is horrible is hard for me to fathom. I have an imperfect room and I have had the MCD500 store demo and it is a very nice sounding player. The mid-range is accurate, the bass quite good, and the overall sound giving me a nice balance of detail and musicality. I have decided that I am going to go with a Luxman but the MCD500 was far from terrible. I auditioned the Ayre and Meridian and have also had Ayon. I thought the Mac held its own with that group. I have Pass XA60.5 Monoblocks, a Rowland Capri Pre-Amp, and Tyler Acoustic Loudspeakers with Seas Drivers. I don't know why some people like to bash McIntosh but the player I tried was quite good.

Correction. I am not blasting Mcintosh.
I am blasting the Mcintosh cd player I heard. It was boring. The guy's tuner was more musical. Very true, we each have different tastes, but that box cannot convey a musical moment, I don't care who's room or system it is in.
Best to you .

More importantly than our different tastes is the fact that we all hear differently from each other. I have the MCD500 in one of my better systems and it more than holds it own (for digital, of course) amongst other higher end gear, i.e., Well Tempered Amadeus, Audio Research electronics, Verity Fidelio Encores, and a REL B2. As part of that system, for me, and for all of my audiophile friends who have listened to the system extensively, the MCD is highly musical. I offer this perspective not to be argumentative but rather in support of the fact that we all hear differently!

I always find these forums interesting as individuals put forth thoughts as absolutes. I hope that the audiophiles out there have the sense to realize that the synergy between the components and that includes the room will determine how a piece sounds. Yes, there are levels of quality, but no one knows for sure how equipment will sound till it is heard in a room. Everything is not black and white. Even the reviews are limited. I find that I have less patience for audio people who act like they know it all. Its like a dealer that tells you that a brand that they do not carry is crap. Take all the information in and make your own choices. The Mcintosh MCD500 is very musical, has a very nice midrange,and is very pleasant to listen to in my system. That is just my opinion but I don't claim to know everything. I have owned the Ayon CD2, Ayon CD2S, and the Ayon CD5. I also had a Wadia Player some years ago, tried the Ayre C-5xeMP, and one of the current Meridian players. The Mcintosh holds its own with that group of players.