McIntosh Bashing

[audioguy3107]

One thing about the McIntosh bashing I've read on other forums......it always seems that the various "experts" are comparing apples to oranges.....for example, I remember reading through one back and forth thread where the OP was broad brushing McIntosh gear as overrated, old school, only for "doctors" etc.......but was then comparing the brand to a manufacturer whose components sold for 3 to 5 times the price of the comparable Mc pieces. The thing is, if you want to bash (or compare), you at least need to make the effort of comparing similarly priced components. I have no doubt that the stereo DartZeel amplifier will better my MC 402, but at what cost? I've always thought that dollar for dollar you get more than your moneys worth with McIntosh, but at the same time, sure, if I want a cost no object amplifier, then perhaps they're not the brand to go with, but that's not their focus.

- Buck

[djwhog]

Thanks for the post agreed!

I am an avid McIntosh guy and have had a lot of gear and some I am embarrassed years ago that I spent so much for so little was all about the name.

Any I love my gear and I agree it does get bashed and over looked

[findthomas]

+1 thanks Dan.

[62caddy]

To underscore Dan's point, it is the penalty of leadership:

[Andrei]

Ok, I know this is going to sound petty but the reason I would never try Mac is the looks. In particular it is the gothic font they use. Apart from it being an unattractive font with below average legibility, it is old-fashioned and not really suitable to Hi-Fi. Then they go and compound the situation by making it some sort of 'feature' by illuminating it. You would not find a Fortune 500 Company using Comic Sans. Obviously other people like it.

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by vegaracer1

I have a Dealer of high end here in Connecticut that sells high end, but no McIntosh. He bad mouths the brand to no end. I think it is a sour grapes mentality because he sells the competition. If I had never heard the McIntosh products and parrot what someone else said the fire could have been fed.

Dean.......I have had experience with dealers that want to bad mouth audio components they don't represent. As soon as that negative aspect creeps into the conversation I tend to end the conversation and leave, usually not to return. Berating the competition is no way to convince me of another product's superiority. In fact, that kind of sales technique makes me suspect of the dealer's integrity, both personally and professionally. The idea that making a sale right that moment is more important than ensuring a customer's needs are being met is unsatisfactory to me. If a dealer has to put down other products in order to sell his product, I am fairly confident I need to find another dealer. Persoanal preferences are one thing but trashing a competing product is a red flag and a major turn off.

In most cases I cannot be sold anything. When I approach a dealer I have long since done my research. I am there because I have already made a decision and simply need to locate the item(s), negotiate a fair price, and make a purchase. On the other hand, if I approach a dealer for information, opinions, or an audition, then I can be influenced to some degree. That being said, I will still walk away if the dealer's conversation turns into a bitch session about someone else's product. I immediately question the dealer's credibility.

[bruno2009]

Originally Posted by jdandy

Kieran.......Lots of jealous folks out there. Lots of folks who have budget systems that want to believe their systems measure up to the premium gear so they bash the premium gear as a way to prove their choices are of equal value and performance.

McIntosh is a well known brand with a remarkable and long standing reputation, a history that precedes the majority of audio companies, and a large group of satisfied customers worldwide. Is McIntosh perfect? No, but they certainly bring serious engineering prowess to the table. Their amplifiers and preamplifiers are world renowned and envied by many audiophiles. McIntosh equipment maintains high resale values that other companies only wish they could maintain, not to mention being able to still get parts from the factory for vintage McIntosh components of 30 to 50 years old. Try that with your choice of audio manufacturers.

You are right, in my opinion, about how great McIntosh sounds. Many audiophiles, including a number of people I personally know, have waded through a lot of gear from many different brand names in their quest for satisfaction. Some started with McIntosh, left them, bought and sold many amps, preamps, and source components over a number of years, then ultimately returned to McIntosh and are happy they did. Others simply found their way to McIntosh after years on the audio component merry-go-round, then settled into McIntosh like a comfortable pair of fur lined house slippers.

Is McIntosh for everyone? No, of course not. There are many other well respected audio manufacturers building fabulous audio components. Each and every one has its personality, its house sound, its appeal to particular enthusiasts. It's a great big world out there and plenty of wonderful audio components to choose from. McIntosh Labs catalog of past and present audio gear is huge. I cannot think of another audio company that has offered so many choices over such a long period of time. Their latest offerings are exceptional and substantial in their design and build quality.

Returning to your original point about the bashing, McIntosh is an easy target, but they are not the only target. Audio Research, Accuphase, Constellation, Meitner, Esoteric, and many others get criticized right along with McIntosh. The guy with the AudioQuest DragonFly DAC and a laptop thinks his rig can take on all comers. Trying to belittle McIntosh makes the messenger feel he is somehow elevating his choice. He wants to believe his low cost mail order amplifier outperforms McIntosh on all perimeters, and his choice makes him smarter than the foolish people who spend big bucks to bring home McIntosh. It is important to people like this that they impress their friends with their audio knowledge and ability to build a superior sound system on a shoestring budget. They wish to be viewed as smarter than any misguided audiophile who builds a McIntosh system. This doesn't mean a great sounding system has to cost a fortune. Lots of folks have assembled very good sounding systems without a big budget or a single McIntosh component. All I can say about that is it takes all kinds to make the world go round. None of it bothers me in the least. From my house all I can hear are my sound systems.


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AMEN !!!

[audioguy3107]

Originally Posted by Andrei

Ok, I know this is going to sound petty but the reason I would never try Mac is the looks. In particular it is the gothic font they use. Apart from it being an unattractive font with below average legibility, it is old-fashioned and not really suitable to Hi-Fi. Then they go and compound the situation by making it some sort of 'feature' by illuminating it. You would not find a Fortune 500 Company using Comic Sans. Obviously other people like it.

I've always kind of liked the gothic font in green.....have no idea why but gives it such a distinctive look to it rather than the understated standard black/silver design others go with. Always thought it was cool even when I was little.

- Buck

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by 62caddy

To underscore Dan's point, it is the penalty of leadership:

Eric.......

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by Andrei

Ok, I know this is going to sound petty but the reason I would never try Mac is the looks. In particular it is the gothic font they use. Apart from it being an unattractive font with below average legibility, it is old-fashioned and not really suitable to Hi-Fi. Then they go and compound the situation by making it some sort of 'feature' by illuminating it. You would not find a Fortune 500 Company using Comic Sans. Obviously other people like it.

Andrei.......I have to recognize your post as unique. I have never heard anyone else say they will never try an audio component because of the logo font. I'll have to watch out for that with my future purchases. I sure don't want a font on a front panel that I can't live with, never mind the performance.

As for looking old, I prefer to think of the concept as timeless. As the say, everything old is new again at some point in time. You will never look at a McIntosh component from across the room and mistake it for another brand. There's genius in that even if you can't stand the site of it.

Finally, I don't think you are petty for expressing your view. I admire that you can stand by your personal conviction. No where is it written that we all must like the same thing. That includes the style of a particular font, back lit or not.