Quote:
Originally Posted by 80B
This whole phenomenon of upgrading equipment like Mcintosh is a bit perplexing. Take Julian's MVP871 for instance. It's an MSRP $4,500 player, and the UC charges $1,000 for the upgrade. Let's assume McIntosh could do the same upgrades to the parts for $500-$600 additional price to the unit (cost of new less cost of old, likely stronger buying power than the UC). If the upgrade is truly significant, wouldn't McIntosh incorporate that into their product? It's already expensive, and the additional price probably would not deter many customer.
I'm not saying the upgrades are not effective or worth it - I'm happy for both David and Julian's good results. I'm also tempted to do it myself someday. The mystery seems that McIntosh doesn't have the upgraded components to begin with, given its premium market position and proven engineering excellence. A significant improvement in sound should also garner more passionate reviews. Then again, there inevitably would be somebody doing upgrades and/or tinkering no matter what - they do it with Porsche and other top-quality automobiles. So, if anyone wants to contradict me, I've beaten him to the punch!  |
I recall in a aftermarket power cord thread someone saying that McIntosh's position on PCs was, to paraphrase, "our components work best with the pcs we provide", or some such. MAC also has never, as I recall, been a big proponent of exotic cables using fairly ordinary cabling in demos. Could it likewise be that MAC doesn't see the value in installing "exotic" R,L and Cs in their designs? But what do they know?!
