Is McIntosh a stepping stone into HI/FI?

I am on my second real system and just like 15yrs ago I looked into the other brands and ended up with MC. With the MC 3-4 hrs. nightly w/out fatigue, if I could stay up later it would be more. Even my dog likes it as he sits in the chair next to me. Not switching to brand "x" any time soon.

Many people genreally perceive tubes amps as slower than solid state.

To me, the mc275 is the most satisfying amplifier I've ever owned. It is also one of the nicest amplifiers I have ever heard at any price, period.

It will probably be with me for a long time

My dog listens with me too!

A common misconception that a lot of people have IMO is that sound quality is directly related to price. While higher quality parts are more expensive and more often than not cost more, that's not the only thing that goes into the total cost. Mac does things without much regard to end cost...

They own their own factory in NY rather than contract out a design. That ain't cheap.
They pay their employees an honest wage for honest work. That ain't cheap.
They hand make everything they possibly can. That ain't cheap.
They stand behind their products by having an honest warranty that isn't full of loopholes. Ain't cheap either.
Their casing and front panels (along with everything else) are overbuilt to last a lifetime.
They can bring just about anything they've ever made back to at least factory specs, if not better.

None of that means anything if it doesn't sound great though. Mac isn't perfect, but it's no further from perfect than anything else in it's range IMO.
To my ears it's just as musical overall as anything else.

At one time McIntosh was highend. As the years go by you learn that more expensive doesn't necesarily mean better!