Every time I see one of the McIntosh tube amps, I think about how impractical they would be, how expensive, etc. Yet I want one.
Anyone ever played around with one of these? Are they actually worth the price, or are they just fancy do-dads for audiophiles?

Wood Goblin wrote: Fri Nov 19, 2021 9:09 pm Every time I see one of the McIntosh tube amps, I think about how impractical they would be, how expensive, etc. Yet I want one.

Anyone ever played around with one of these? Are they actually worth the price, or are they just fancy do-dads for audiophiles?

I did a dealer event in Seattle and they had one on static display but it was not connected to anything. They are a lot larger in person, so large that there are few racks that are deep enough to adequately support it. I have heard they sound good but I think the bulk of McIntosh customers will find it too "extreme" looking compared to the more normal stuff with big blue meters. The industrial designer, Livio Cucuzza, is the same guy who overhauled the Audio Research livery which is pretty sharp.

I would enjoy a 70s separates system with analog meters and such. Kenwood even made a matching oscilloscope that you could rack with your integrated amp, tuner and “de-noiser”.
I also fully realize that it’s purely for aesthetics, most of those old amps don’t sound as good, and even if I got a McIntosh or something, my ears aren’t going to pick up much nuance after years of high volume shows. I can justify spending a few hundred, but not a thousand plus. And anything like that is going to need service, and this is a terrible time to buy anything “vintage”, price-wise. So, probably not going to happen.

I do go to estate sales and secondhand stores every week or so just to keep an eye out.

Someone on craigslist near me has a set of Rectilinear Lowboys, which would be a matching speaker option for such a system, but too big for my little 11x12 living room.

Music Reference RM-200 power amplifier. Hand made in Santa Barbara. I don't think dude makes amps any more, just sources tubes.
Music Reference RM-5 Pre Amp


Simon Yorke s9 (the only one still made I think) with whatever cartridge he recommends.
Yeah, that'd do her.

Missing a heavy and level rack or table for my turntable.

I'm always trolling around for a 2nd hand butcher block thing or something but can't pay that Audio Furniture cash money. Two sideways Expedits packed with records and CDs are fine and fit the side wall perfectly but it would be better to have something else I imagine...

LBx wrote: Sat Nov 20, 2021 8:45 am I'm always trolling around for a 2nd hand butcher block thing or something but can't pay that Audio Furniture cash money. Two sideways Expedits packed with records and CDs are fine and fit the side wall perfectly but it would be better to have something else I imagine...

If you have a friend in the restaurant business maybe they would let you use their membership to a restaurant supply shop? Could save some money on that butcher block work table...

Old McIntosh stuff looks so fucking rad. I have no experience with it, but damn it looks great.

I had a terrible experience buying an old McIntosh 4280 last winter from a local shop. Brought it home, set it up, sounded great, then the left channel kept cutting out. Redid everything, same problem. Took it back to the shop and they "fixed" it, but same intermittent issues. Did some research and apparently it was a common issue with some of the relays, took it back to them AGAIN, explained the issue, they again "fixed" it, same fucking thing happening. Finally just returned it, they put it right back on Ebay and sold it within a day or two.

tallchris wrote: Sat Nov 20, 2021 1:32 pm Old McIntosh stuff looks so fucking rad. I have no experience with it, but damn it looks great.

I had a terrible experience buying an old McIntosh 4280 last winter from a local shop. Brought it home, set it up, sounded great, then the left channel kept cutting out. Redid everything, same problem. Took it back to the shop and they "fixed" it, but same intermittent issues. Did some research and apparently it was a common issue with some of the relays, took it back to them AGAIN, explained the issue, they again "fixed" it, same fucking thing happening. Finally just returned it, they put it right back on Ebay and sold it within a day or two.

That sucks! Some of those old solid state pieces are super finicky.

WeStartToDrift wrote: Sat Nov 20, 2021 1:53 pm

tallchris wrote: Sat Nov 20, 2021 1:32 pm Old McIntosh stuff looks so fucking rad. I have no experience with it, but damn it looks great.

I had a terrible experience buying an old McIntosh 4280 last winter from a local shop. Brought it home, set it up, sounded great, then the left channel kept cutting out. Redid everything, same problem. Took it back to the shop and they "fixed" it, but same intermittent issues. Did some research and apparently it was a common issue with some of the relays, took it back to them AGAIN, explained the issue, they again "fixed" it, same fucking thing happening. Finally just returned it, they put it right back on Ebay and sold it within a day or two.

That sucks! Some of those old solid state pieces are super finicky.

Yeah and that's not a super great era of McIntosh, as that model and the 4275 were sub-contracted out to a Japanese builder (from what I've read).

If I had stupid buckets of money I'd get a 7200 receiver though:

Apparently separates are the way to go with old McIntosh. Even some of the early integrated amps are regarded as having design compromises.