A Chinese- American 2301 ?

[Jerome W]

Hello my friends,

On a french forum, a guy keeps mentioning all the time that the 2301's are full of basic components made in China and that the printed circuits are too thin for the voltages applied.
He seems to consider that the build quality of the 2301 is crappy.

Well, this made me a bit confused. So I would like to have your opinions, impressions, and some feed back from Ron or Chuck at McIntosh would be highly appreciated.

1) if this is true, but I would be amazed if it is, it is a bit disappointing when you think of the price ticket for these amps. You could expect for an "all american" MADE and not ASSEMBLED product....
2) if this is true, is it the same for the 1.2 KW and the 501's ? Do some electronic components are made in China ?
3) With the top notch quality of the sound I 'm gratified with everyday, I don't really care where the components come from.
I mentioned here a few times that the 2301's are the best sounding amps I ever heard, no matter the budget. ( But I never heard the 2KW...)

So, as long as the amps don't have any problems for the years to come....,
I will still be very HAPPY

[Chad]

Sounds like just another Mac hater, some of them have never even heard a mac component.
Can this guy back up his statements especially the one about the printed circuits?

It's hard to get the kind of performance that Mac gets with its amps by having ''crappy build quality''.
Oh and they do quite a bit of in house manufacturing , and they source parts from outside venders so they do get some stuff from China.
The parts no matter where they come from still have to meet the specifications set by the engineers who adhere to company standards for
performance and reliability.

[Jerome W]

Originally Posted by Chad

Sounds like just another Mac hater, some of them have never even heard a mac component.
Can this guy back up his statements especially the one about the printed circuits?

It's hard to get the kind of performance that Mac gets with its amps by having ''crappy build quality''.
Oh and they do quite a bit of in house manufacturing , and they source parts from outside venders so they do get some stuff from China.
The parts no matter where they come from still have to meet the specifications set by the engineers who adhere to company standards for
performance and reliability.

VERY WELL SAID MY FRIEND !

[f1 fan]

Jerome... I agree with Chad You have two wonderful amps that are well designed and engineered that will give you years of musical bliss. The guy that is telling you these things is probably jealous because he doesn't own them

Dave

[schaefer11]

There is almost nothing, much less an electronic component, that has all pieces and bits made in one country anymore. I am certain that all McIntosh components have pieces and bits made from all over the world, even though the components are all assembled in the US.

Now as for the quality of each of the pieces and bits, I do not have enough knowledge to comment.

[tdelahanty]

Jerome: I would not consider this man an expert ! How would he know the required thickness of a printed wiring Bd ? Remember I spent a life time in the manufacture of military electronics, Mac equipment is built to lavish standards. It is true parts are sourced from arround the globe. Best part for the best price.

Most people don't understand the hidden costs required to build something of this nature. They just see the end product. Imagine that every tiny part and device must have its own engineering data sheet. The paper work is stagering. A manufacturer must have data that ensures repeatability because he will build thousands of the same item.

Your Mac equipment is high quality, a good value, and worth every franc.

CHEERS Tom

[jericho]

I've heard the 2301 with XRT1 speakers and vinyl, never heard a better setup!!!

[MC352]

I agree with everyone here. Just enjoy the musical bliss, and ignore people like that.

I challenge anyone not to find something made in China in any electronic gear today.

[jdandy]

Jérôme........Sounds to me like the person on the French forum you speak of is just another keyboard wizard pretending to be an electronics design engineer. The real design engineers at McIntosh are not in the habit of creating crappy circuit boards using substandard materials. Why would a prestigious audio manufacturer like McIntosh knowingly install an inferior amplifier component or circuit board in a premium amplifier like the MC2301? The simple answer is, they would not.

Products with 90 day warranties, like the amplifier this childish poster is probably using, are made poorly on purpose, so they can be sold very cheap. Products with 3 year warranties and longer must be manufactured durably to withstand the rigors of long term use, and the test of time. McIntosh doesn't design amplifiers that will require repairs due to meager standards. They produce products to very high standards that often become family heirlooms.

Ignore the jealous poster. As the old saying goes, never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.

[Still-One]

I do not get hung up on where a firm sources its components. I do like that McIntosh designs and assembles its gear here.

If you do not think that China cannot manufacture quality goods then you have not been in many of their manufacturing operations.