Is McIntosh WORTH THE MONEY?

[square_wave]

I heard the DartZeel amplifier a long time ago amplifying music from both a turntable and from digital sources. That really shook the foundation of what I thought were good amps. The speakers were hand made single driver and multi driver speakers.

Recently, I listened to the McIntosh driving McIntosh speakers. The source was completely digital using a networked Plex server.

The difference? Hard to describe.

McIntosh was full bodied, pushing the music hard into your face. At the same time, it created a huge soundstage and ensured you heard every voice and instrument with clear separation and placement. Clarity is something that came through clearly. The background was black and it ensured you heard even the tiniest of sound.

DartZeel, on the other had, enveloped you in the music. It never pushed anything at you. At the same time, you could visualize the soundstage, the singers and the instruments easily. With familiar numbers, you could literally know what voice or instrument is going to come - where, and when. It made you yearn for the sound and heave a sigh of relief when you did hear it. That is the kind of involvement it forced on you.

Both have their positives. Any Negatives? I am not sure. But both are systems you could live with happily.

Cheers

I think venkat pretty much nailed it.

@Decadent_Spectre , the difference between the 2 systems is on similar lines. With audionote it was all about the connection with the musicians. Microdynamics are abundantly clear. The tone of the sound makes you connect with the music emotionally. However large scale orchestras were more convincing on the MAC / SF system in terms of scale. End of the day, it is all a matter of taste.

A system I heard that walked a balance between these 2 opposites but offered even greater dynamics and scale were the fyne f702 on sim audio moon 40th anniversary edition gear. But that is a different story altogether.

 

[arj]

A system I heard that walked a balance between these 2 opposites but offered even greater dynamics and scale were the fyne f702 on sim audio moon 40th anniversary edition gear. But that is a different story altogether.

thats my current recommended speaker !!

 

[keith_correa]

McIntosh have a USP of being quite Reliable and long lasting amplifiers, With a typical Warm detailed British tonal characteristics (of course these attributes will change with Room and other components).

The dealer is quite friendly and he described the sound as big american sound. Meaty and big but refined.

I think they have a "sound" in the middle of America and Great Britain - viz.: the Atlantic Ocean Sound!!!

 

[square_wave]

@Decadent_Spectre , the amp was either the MA9000 or the 8900. Forgot to add that in my post.

 

[captainsubtext]

Second what venkat said. The Mcintosh isn’t the last word on detail and you do miss out on the micro details.

What you get in turn is a great sound stage, big dynamic sound with good instrument separation and a generally smooth sound which is comfortable to listen to for hours without fatigue.

This is based on my time with the MA8900 / tannoy Sterling GR. For me it was a big step up from the leben cs300x I was running it with.

Is it my preferred amp though? not entirely - I tend to prefer chains which pull out a lot more detail but I also tend to get ear fatigue from those chains so the Mcintosh is a good break from that.

I can’t comment on the other amps without auto formers or tube amps since I haven’t heard those.

As for pricing, yes it’s overpriced but similar to any name brand where there are massive markups. Whether or not it’s worth it for you personally depends on your chain and sonic preferences

 

[amitk777]

Does Mcintosh have a authorized service centre in India ?

 

[reubensm]

but all said and done, Mcintosh has the respect for many and not for no reason. Take this for an example - not too many would have heard of or remember the band, Grateful Dead from the mid-1960s and 1970s. They were famous for their 'wall of sound' speaker systems that were powered by a battery of.....well, you guessed right - Mcintosh amplifiers. Yes its rare for hi-fi amplifiers and speaker rigs to be used in a concert setting but this was actually the case.

Check this out:

 

[COOLDUDE7808]

I have always liked Mac Amps ....heard them in What HiFI Exhibition every year ....its much better than Accuphase to my ears .

 

[square_wave]

I have always liked Mac Amps ....heard them in What HiFI Exhibition every year ....its much better than Accuphase to my ears .

Those are 2 very different amps. Design approach and customer base are quite different. Almost like apples and oranges for comparison.