This post contains no news or surprises. Most audiophiles would agree that McIntosh is not state-of-the-art compared to Audio Research, Pass and Spectral. Their claim-to-fame is not to advance the SOTA and be the best that money can buy, sound-wise. They have a certain allure and following not because of their sound quality, but because of their macho looks, build quality, reliability, low noise and, yes, reputation.
I don't think that everybody buys audio equipment strictly on the basis of sound quality alone. To some, the bling factor plays a huge role.
Here is an analogy: A Rolex watch has a huge bling factor and the company has a stellar reputation. Most Rolex watches, however, are analog with old fashioned hands and dials and don't necessarily keep good time compared to a SOTA digital watch. Does this mean that they are behind the times (ha, no pun intended)? No, they have their niche in the market, just like McIntosh.
