How Did You Discover McIntosh?

[jbaudio68]

Originally Posted by sandbites

I loved stereo equipment since I was 11. Soldering RCA's to our Nivico stereo's DIN output so I can record on my boombox. In the late 90s my family's construction business let me set up their client's home theaters as extra service because they knew I knew my "audio"stuff". I eventually got a gig for an uber rich client who demanded the best. We set up two home theaters, with Vidikron projectors, Stewart screens and of course C39 Mcintosh controllers w/ multi-channel power amps and Mac LD player and an outboard processor (MC3) I think. I was ecstatic and fell in love with the system. It also helped that the Long Beach dealer Put together a wonderful system, the dealers eventually became my friends. I had no saved much then so I could only drool but didn't buy any Mc stuff even if the dealer offered some deep discount. Fast forward to 2 years ago I heard Mc Tubes in Thailand and I was hooked! Because of these experiences I bought a C220 and Mc 275 which I plan to bi-amp as soon as I upgrade my sonus Faber Grand Pianos

Great story!

[Shorty]

In the mid 90's I had subscriptions to stereophile and home theater magazine and would droll over the mcintosh ad's and reviews. As a teenager picking up a date I was invited into her house to wait for her to finish getting ready and noticed an mx113 and mc2105 sitting in a stereo cabinet. Along side the TV. It was the first time I'd actually Mcintosh in person. Oh that blue glow! Her father was impressed that I knew what it was. Eventually I married her and acquired modern mcintosh equipment and spent many hours over the years listening to it with my father in law who just passed away in April.

[vinod_david]

I discovered McIntosh in AA. In my life, I cannot buy one.

[und3ad]

Not sure how or when I was introduced to the brand, but one of my earliest memories is from about 14-15 years ago. Seeing a wall of McIntosh gear at my local dealer and thinking "man, that gear looks old school".

A couple of years later one of my brothers bought a 6600 I believe and I remember really enjoying how it made his Dynaudio Audience 52SEs sing. I had the same speakers, but with a crappy integrated which I was stuck with due to financial reasons.

Somehow I lost interest in hifi for a number of years after that, but fortunately it got rekindled last year. Fast forward a year and I'm loving my C2500, MC452 and S3.4LE.

[Randy Myers]

I grew up in Binghamton. The factory is in my old stomping grounds. I never quite understood what they did there or what the McIntosh company was all about.

I was always into music, at first my old 8-track and then I got my first separate system with Pioneer receiver, turntable, Burhoe speakers and a separate 8-track deck from money earned caddying at the local country club!

Working a summer job at a restaurant and they had a McIntosh tube amp in the backroom powering their sound system.... I remember saying ahhhh, that is what this company does.... when working in a stereo store while going to college someone traded in an old tube pre-amp, tuner and a mc225. I was all over that. The owner let me have them for what he had given in a trade... God I wish I still had those pieces ....

[chops-tube]

My father was always into stereo equipment and music, mainly orchestral and pipe organ (classical music). He had TOTL Technics gear including their integrated amp (SU-8099), tuner (ST-8077) and turntable (SL-1700 MkII).

The TT I still use, the integrated I still have but it needs to be recapped, and the tuner he sold/traded years ago for some reason.

He also had two Nakamichi decks, a 680xz and 682zx, a Pioneer RT-707, a JVC XL-V220 cd player, Kenwood GE-770B equalizer, and a pair of Klipsch Cornwall II's.

As far as I know, he never had any McIntosh gear or looked at any. I can't be sure though.

Now my oldest brother, when he out of the Army in 1986, he had all Carver gear (C1 preamp, TX11 tuner, DTL-100 cd player, M-400T amp) with a Nakamichi Dragon deck, a Harman Kardon CD491 deck, Denon DP-62L TT, ADC SS-315x equalizer, and JBL L112's. He used to take me to all of the various hifi shops in the neighboring towns and we'd check out all of the gear, including Mac gear and speakers.

I remember oogling the massive Mac amps like the MC2600, MC3500 and such, but mainly the huge speakers like the XRT18 and XRT22.

Then in 1998, I purchase the very first piece of Mac gear in our family, a first year production MC250 off of eBay. About 6 months later, one of my other brothers purchased an MC2100. We both agreed my MC250 actually sounded better. Shortly after, he sold the MC2100 and got two MC250's and ran them bridged mono. Then a couple years later, my oldest brother purchased the MC7200. He only kept the MC7200 for a short while, maybe 6 months and it wasn't all that great sounding at all and had absolutely zero balls to drive the Magnepan MGLR-1's.

I sold the MC250 about 6 or 7 years later. Then just last month, I purchased the excellent C15 preamp that I'm using now. There will definitely be more McIntosh gear to come, and this time around it won't take 17 year to get it.

[62caddy]

I have to thank my grandfather's Stereo Review magazines for getting me started into Hi Fi - roughly at 11 years old.

It wasn't long before I started sending out those information request cards for free product literature and when I received the white McIntosh catalog, it became clear the type of hi fi company McIntosh was.

Plus McIntosh being based relatively local to me which I thought was pretty great too...

[McGuyDLF]

I've always loved the look of McIntosh and heard that they were warm and smooth. Decided last year to go all vintage - sold my Arcam A19 and went with a 2105, C28 and MR77 setup. love it all!

[RodeoDog]

Nice memories to have! I had just about forgotten about McIntosh! Never really had any thing other than some Marantz stuff in my younger years, and then a decent HK System. I stopped by a local vintage audio place, and saw a Mc - MR78 Tuner and then went out and bought a brand new MAC7200 Receiver. I'm like a kid with a new toy! Have fun with your gear, Keep on Rockin'.
Be Safe Out There!

[Masterlu]

RodeDog... Welcome to AA!