How did you get started with Mac?

[70sMac]

I was just corresponding with another AAF member who deserves some praise. Why? Because damn near every piece of audio equipment he owns has the McIntosh logo on it. This lead me to think about my first experience with the Mac brand and why, even after I purchased some other so-called "high end" brands, I ended up right back with the stuff made in Binghamton, NY, USA.

I'm sure that there must have been similar threads created in the past, but I thought that I'd start out with how I was introduced to Mac and ask the others on the board -- including new members -- to write about how it all started for them.

I recall visiting a friend of the family back in late 1978. He lived in a duplex and had what every young man that I knew would've killed for: a big LP collection, a beautiful Teac reel-to-reel and two huge Altec Lansing studio monitors. Anyway, he put on Led Zep II, dropped the needle on the tune "Ramble On" and proceeded to demonstrate a great feature that came with the "new" McIntosh MAC-4100 receiver: something called "Power Guard."

Needless to say, the windows shook and the neighbors were definitely wide awake, but, for all of the sound coming out of those speakers, I don't recall any discomfort...and, even though that receiver -- which we own today -- is spec'c at a max of 75W per channel, I was hooked.

So how did you get your start with the McIntosh brand?