[Porter]

I had to share this.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=795667

Guy buys a McIntosh MX135 pre/pro, opens it, finds a Texas Instruments Aureus DSP chip, and loses his mind because he's convinced that McIntosh is "rebranding" inferior equipment rather than building it themselves.

He further goes on to insist that the MX135 is "no different" from a Yamaha receiver, that he is being deceived by evil audio company marketing, and that... get this... capacitors and resistors in the signal chain have no effect on the sound. 

It keeps getting better, too... especially when McIntosh corporate gets on the thread. 

Enjoy.

[Hantra]

On a side note, when I was changing the rotors on my BMW, I saw that they were actually Brembos!  YOU BASTARDS!   

[Porter]

    

Exactly!

[Bob in St. Louis]

On a side note, when I was changing the rotors on my BMW, I saw that they were actually Brembos!  YOU BASTARDS!   

Brembos, I would think that's a good thing!!

Bob

[Hantra]

That's a gorgeous piece on the inside.  I guess this idiot, who is just repeating himself over and over, would like to see McIntosh design a chip, build a chip fab plant, and then build the piece.  Of course then the price would be closer to $4,000,000.00 just to cover the cost of doing all that. 

[Thebiker]

Nothing more dangerous than a little bit of knowledge without understanding the entire picture.

Puts me in mind of the 3 blind men trying to describe an elephant .

[BlackSandCable]

I may take some heat for this but the sad part is that I was actually sympathizing with the guy (just a little) as buyers remorse is a bitch, that was until McIntosh jumped in and agreed to work with him on getting him his money back............and then the guy posts he is going to get the newer one!

That makes no sense..........on any level. If he does in fact own it and somehow feels betrayed, why on earth would you shell out yet more money on a newer model?

At the end of the day any and all manufactures are free to set there own selling price, if a consumer chooses to pay it that is there own choice. To start a public thrashing of the product and the company in question I don't think was called for. I can't afford to buy anything from McIntosh but that is my own fault, not McIntosh's. Chances are high that even if I had the money I still would not spend that kind of dough on a pre/pro anyway but to those who have it and do, good for them and more power to them!

[ctviggen]

You might be able to afford it if you buy via Audiogon and don't mind things that a bit behind the times.  That's my philosophy. 

[TONEPUB]

I think what I find the most bizarre is how much time all of these people spend arguing about
it....

I currently do not have any McIntosh gear other than an old vintage 1900, but currently
have their new 6300 integrated in for review and honestly, I don't know how they can build
such a nice piece of gear in the US for $3000. 

McIntosh is much more than just the parts inside, they are an institution.  Try and get
your Yamaha fixed when it's out of warranty.  And look at what 20 year old Yamaha
recievers are going for on EBay!

Pretty interesting perspective!

[Whitese]

On a side note, when I was changing the rotors on my BMW, I saw that they were actually Brembos!  YOU BASTARDS!   

Brembos, I would think that's a good thing!!

Bob

LOL...and they must be used...they have holes in them...or slots,,:-)

[jt1stcav]

This guy's a nimrod. He should be royally pissed if on the back of his Mac it said "Made in Hong Kong".

How many audio manufacturers actually make their own chips, caps, diodes, and resistors for their components? As far as I know, none do!

[Hantra]

but currently have their new 6300 integrated in for review and honestly, I don't know how they can build
such a nice piece of gear in the US for $3000. 

I completely agree with that.  The 6300 is stunning!  It was way closer in sound to my 501's and C2200 than it ought to have been. 

[Folsom]

That guy is stupid, that is all there is to it.

I would agree that McIntosh charges more than I would pay for the quality of the build. I mean unless those RCA jacks are solid high purity copper, PCB mounted... Also for output stages and what not something a little more fancy than some high tolerance Nichicons or whatever could be used. I suppose that places like Reference Mods are what things like that are for... I will admit McIntosh makes very good sounding stuff, not that it justifies the prices per say, always. I mean I listen to it fairly often, it just sounds good, even the not as good stuff that is less than what he bought.

Capacitors, resistors, man do they ever have sonic signitures, only a true fool would believe otherwise. This guy has a few nuts loose. McIntosh make their own IC's? Yeah right... At best any manufcaturer, including Wadia and things like that, will contract TI to make them something. TI makes all the Burr Brown chips I believe. They make all real ICs it seems like...

I tried to join the board just to leave a message saying, "You are stupid."

[Jim N.]

A thoroughly fascinating thread.

Let me get this straight: Instead of selling the Mac, buying a Yamaha and pocketing the difference he shells out another $1,500 to a company that he repeatedly claims ripped him off with "rebadged" gear for a unit that he apparently believes will sound no better than the vastly less expensive Yamaha because he wants to avoid (in his mind) taking a 4K loss? Extending his own logic, he avoided taking a 4K loss by taking a close to 5K loss instead.

He must work for Congress.

PS- I love Mac gear. Can't afford it but it is drop dead sexy stuff. Their room at HE2006 was a stunner, visually and sonically.

[Hantra]

He must work for Congress.

There is no emoticon, nor series of words that can convey how much I was laughing just now.