Brand New McIntosh MA252 Scratched / QA

[techguy0192]

Yeah crazy enough it is true. The box was factory sealed on both ends with the McIntosh factory tape so I was definitely the first one to open it. My dealer certainly didn't have anything to do with this. They're in contact with Mc now working on getting me a replacement.

As a long time Mac owner and enthusiast, to read your post is super disappointing. Never would I dream that something in that cosmetic condition would leave the factory. Any chance it might have happened in shipping? Given the location (above the logo) I cannot see how this would be from shipping damage without the top of the amp being damaged/crushed to create those rub marks.

 

[twiiii]

As having worked for a Mac dealer for many years. I won't say we didn't have issues. But it seems everything was starting to go down a touch when Clarion bought MAC. I thought Charlie had turned things around at least with the electronics. I have been very happy with the pieces I have purchased new or preowned under his tenure. Everyone knows I didn't like the the current generations tweeters and thought all the speakers were under woofered. Asking a woofer cone to travel to far and using ports is just not my cup of tea. Thats why I am willing to give up some dynamic range to get the lower distortion and transient response I am after. I didn't observe any after production testing procedures when I visited the factory last in 2010, so have no answers for everyones speculations. . I know we unpacked and tested 90% of the units as I have said before. We would have the occasional sticking meter, noisy control, but it was very rare to see any Mac piece with a finger print and even more so with a scratch. We had a 240 come in one time with a loose name plate, and another with a missing knob. We had a few units that had shipping damage. That wasn't Mac fault when a ML-2c showed up where a fork lift truck had rammed the shipping container.

I am always impressed how far and beyond the Guys at Audio Classics go with their packing. As my 7084 is less than normal size the effort they went through to pack it safely was quite cleaver and beyond normal practices. The way the ship ML/xr/xrt series drivers is cleaver also.

One of my first duties at the Hifi shop while going to college was to un pack and check out electronics we sold. Mac was so far ahead of other lines. Fisher and Scott weren't my favorites and some of the Japanese pieces might as well have been wrapped in heavy duty Butcher paper. Now the wooden laminated crate the MC 3500 came in was a real piece of work. Fortunately we only had 5 tor 7 of them. I had long stopped packing and repacking by the time the real heavy weights came along. ML_ 2's and 4's and Concert Grands were a real challenge.for me. But the eV 800 Patrician I think was the worst. I never saw the Packing for a Paragon. Wasn't there 3 crates? Klipschorns had, two each. Mac center cabinets on a custom pallet were a chore.

Christmas eve was a real chore when I took my Grands home and uncrated them in the Living room by myself. My mom gave me the evil eye the entire time while visiting. Thank Heaven for the furniture dolly.

 

[c_dk]

the following is only a fragment of an ongoing story:
I ordered 2 mc units...went to pick them up..opened boxes, tested them, did not work for one of the inputs...it was 'established' that the receiving unit is bad (lets call it unit no.1)...dealer+mc promised to send a new unit (lets call it unit no.2)...new unit came, went to pick it up...guess where was the 'bad' unit no.1?
on a floor, with the sticker price attached, offered for sale...thats how mc dealer operates with mc knowledge..
only part of the ongoing story...

What did you expect him to do.......bring out back, stack wood around it and create a funeral pyre....I would expect to further test it and use it as a demo unit until a repair part can be obtained to get the 1 input up and working. As long as it does not get sold broken might as well use it to check for other problems rather than have it set on a shelf in the stockroom.

 

[Don Bocadill]

I had an issue with the silkscreening on my brand new mc275 mkVI. Contacted the dealer and returned the amp for a replacement they arranged from Mcintosh.

 

[denniswilson]

WOW !! So sorry to see that on your brand new Mc amplifier. That's unacceptable....and unbelievable! I had received my brand new MC452 with a nice gash on the chrome chassis. My dealer had the MC452 replaced, delivered to my house, carried up a flight of stairs and installed within 2 days. However I am still waiting 3 years for a new C50 glass that McIntosh agrees is defective, along with a new "CSA" sticker that was scuffed off and a new box that was damaged in transport (different dealer). Last time I heard an update from McIntosh about those items was October 2017 when they promised to ship those items to me as soon as the glass was made....which was ordered 3 years ago.

 

[Dave B.]

Mac can take a long time to ship certain parts. When I took the Mac plant tour last summer, the gentleman giving my wife and me the solo tour (I'm sure he had much better things to do that afternoon than lead an old married couple through the Mac plant) told me that they wait until they get enough orders for parts they don't stock before they do a run. I've been waiting for a set of XR100 speaker "feet" going on a year now.

Also, I bought a new MXA80 from a dealer and after returning the warranty card, I got an email from Mac telling me that they would not honor the warranty. That was last summer. The dealer said he sent a "nastygram" to Mac inquiring why they wouldn't honor my warranty, but I've yet to hear the answer on that.

I'm sorry to read the war stories in this thread. QA slips happen with all manufacturers, but Mac has always been my hero in that regard. I hope their hero status isn't slipping.

Dave

 

[jimimac]

Somebody dropped the Ball.Lets throw it in the Box no one will see it.Who can we blame this on???? The new Guy...

No they get inspected by everyone . When I get my cans I line them up under A light to make sure there are no imperfections.Before I pot them and after..

 

[armyslowrdr]

Any idea when another production run on MC75 amps will happen. I have 2 ordered (and of course I had to pay upfront) from an Austin dealer and he states Mc has told him to not even inquire on an ETA until sometime later this month.

No they get inspected by everyone . When I get my cans I line them up under A light to make sure there are no imperfections.Before I pot them and after. Every one should...

 

[exhippy]

That's a shame....
I've only bought one new (from a dealer.) McIntosh piece, that was my MC302 amp. I insisted that it be opened for inspection before it was loaded into my car.

 

[jimimac]

Lots of people damage there units when unpacking them.Especially units that are bolted to A board when packed.

 

[jimimac]

Any idea when another production run on MC75 amps will happen. I have 2 ordered (and of course I had to pay upfront) from an Austin dealer and he states Mc has told him to not even inquire on an ETA until sometime later this month.

I'm sure they quoted the dealership

Yeah crazy enough it is true. The box was factory sealed on both ends with the McIntosh factory tape so I was definitely the first one to open it. My dealer certainly didn't have anything to do with this. They're in contact with Mc now working on getting me a replacement.

Someone else opened that.Its easy to get the Factory tape off...

 

[armyslowrdr]

So after you told me you had worked up a small batch of MC75 pieces (transformers I think?), I actually received more forwarded email from the dealer that had been sent the prior Friday (9th) from Mc regional sales guy that said no set production date but they will be made and shipped by the end of the month. Just anxious to be getting them. I got the C2500 from Audio Classics and absolutely love it!

I'm sure they quoted the dealership

 

[miner]

That damage is unacceptable - return for a NIB MA252. Obviously mishandle a number of times, not just once.

 

[jimimac]

You have to be careful when you take the unit apart.Looks like you scratched it up pretty good...