accuphase compare to mcintosh

In any case, I would suggest listening to other brands too.
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Boy this got out of hand ... hopefully I will not make things worse.

Firstly, we shall all agree that Accuphase vs. Mcintosh is like MAC vs. PC, i.e we have two camps that almost never agree. One should never disregard this and make bold statements (irrespective whether these statements are correct or not).

Secondly, It is also important to realize that both these brands are very expensive and often highly overpriced in most parts of the world (let's leave USA and Japan aside). Because of this almost always they are partnered with top of the line speakers and since both brands make pretty decent electronics almost always we hear good sound from both brands. However, it seems to me that when compared directly Accuphase wins almost always, e.g. my dealer who carries both brands says he sells 3-4 times more Accuphase than Mcintosh units (the two brands have comparable prices here in Europe).

Personally, I would always choose Accuphase over Mcintosh. Firstly, because of the sound. To my ears Mcintosh amps always sound slow and dark (by dark I do not mean having black background but I mean colored), they also do not image as well as Accuphase amps. Secondly, because of the build quality the Accuphase devices are much more luxurious, e.g. Mcintosh potentiometers and buttons feel rather cheep. Because of the facts mentioned above, I consider Mcintosh to be an expensive (and more versatile) Musical Fidelity, i.e. not bad but not up there with the big boys.

Whatbdo you mean by colored? Hearing colors in music to me is a very good thing.

I could never understand why so many audiophiles like what they say is a faster versus slower sound. I have not heard an orchestra sound as we hear it on solid state syetems. If anything, they sound slower and warmer to my ears 95% of the time. I want to hear music as close to the real performance as possible. For me, I never played in a symphony orchestra but I do play clarinet so I do have experience with how instruments sound. I have never heard solid state electronics give me this sense of realism regardless if it is Mcintosh or Accuphase. Tubes get closer, McIntosh does make some decent tube gear. You may want to try Atma-sphere. They do make great gear and have excellent bass for a tube amp. In fact sometimes I cannot believe it is a tube amp. They are very natural sounding and make some of the most colorful music I have heard. Not to change the subject, but if you are looking to spend some money, you might want to give Atmasphere a listen. Great value for the coin. IMO.

Tzh2ly..faster or slower?..easy to explain..which pertains more to the amp than the Preamp. The rate of speed from the amp's output to the Speaker is called the slew rate and is measured in milliseconds. The higher the number, the faster the signal to the speaker. Its like rpm's in a car engine. Amps with slower slew rates sound sluggish and dull. If you want the best sound qualities of tube and solid state amp performance and can afford it, hook up a Luxman C-1000F Preamp to a pair of Bel Canto Reference 1000M monoblocks, with a Luxman D-08 SACD player, and the new Sony SS-AR1 speakers. This combination due to its design science, will take you to the gates of Audio Heaven regardless of price, providing you all the best dynamics, detail and smoothness and richness one could ever hope for.