The McIntosh Group Introduces New Products at NYC Event, Part One
- Thread starter joeinid
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restorer-john
Addicted Member
Is that because they are going to have to stock the $130k speakers?
They look absolutely fabulous.
Ok Ron you win the comment of the year award for that one.
jayvis
Super Member
I think everyone agrees that it's "bad ass". It just seems odd to many that McIntosh has $130k speakers in their line. Feel free to write the check.
I have no clue why that would be odd, mac has been making speakers something like 40 years.
ron-c
Addicted Member
Two points, XRT2.1K is a ported design so +3dB on the woofer output which is quick, deep and strong. The 'Mid Bass' drivers are Very narrow range and steeply filtered in response. The human voice sounds very good with the mid bass bridge to the line array of dome midranges so you would have to hear the system to judge
Ron-C.
ron-c
Addicted Member
I think it is odd that many of my friends drop 200K or more on a kitchen remodel when they could have bought a Mc Mega system for the same money!
Ron-C
I heard that, priorities. I'll just use my BBQ, Colman camp stove and a ice chest.
Typically, without the space to do it justice or the interest to appreciate it.
I know very folks that have room for a grand piano, or interest in lessons f.i., if they inherited one.
Ultimately these things get decided by the accountants and the dreaded " accepted accounting practices".
Dealers need to finance their inventories and justify those holdings with their and their bank's accountants. Inventory is all about turns and if you do not turn your inventory you have to change your products or close shop.
Adding the cost of the XRT speakers to the typical full display dealer back in the late 70's was approximately a 20% addition, and with the XR7s being discontinued really even less. I speculate adding these speakers would be a 100% if not more in added display inventory......try justifying that to your banker....
If you understand inventory turns you can extrapolate the typical dealer COG and their at cost Mac purchases back then and the accounting gymnastics and profit margin needed to justify the display expense.
Ultimately, outside of forums like this, audio is a business and best business practices need to be respected.
It looks to me that Mac's management is angling for just a handfull of full line dealers located only in maybe 50 metro areas world wide.
I find it doubtful that 30 or so dealers nationwide will be able to hold up the respect and value added by McIntoshs long term history, our international posters and their local issues with the national distributors could be a preview of the future....certainly the ongoing factory service backup must cause all to pause.
Ultimately the accountants of their investment bankers will determine if this gamble succeeds.
Dealers need to finance their inventories and justify those holdings with their and their bank's accountants. Inventory is all about turns and if you do not turn your inventory you have to change your products or close shop.
Adding the cost of the XRT speakers to the typical full display dealer back in the late 70's was approximately a 20% addition, and with the XR7s being discontinued really even less. I speculate adding these speakers would be a 100% if not more in added display inventory......try justifying that to your banker....
If you understand inventory turns you can extrapolate the typical dealer COG and their at cost Mac purchases back then and the accounting gymnastics and profit margin needed to justify the display expense.
Ultimately, outside of forums like this, audio is a business and best business practices need to be respected.
It looks to me that Mac's management is angling for just a handfull of full line dealers located only in maybe 50 metro areas world wide.
I find it doubtful that 30 or so dealers nationwide will be able to hold up the respect and value added by McIntoshs long term history, our international posters and their local issues with the national distributors could be a preview of the future....certainly the ongoing factory service backup must cause all to pause.
Ultimately the accountants of their investment bankers will determine if this gamble succeeds.
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jayvis
Super Member
$200K for a kitchen remodel? Some of you people live on a different cost of living planet. Makes me glad to be living in a flyover state.
Small world department, Ron. I was visiting my nephew who had recently moved to San Jose. And we're both into audio & video. And Century Stereo was one of the first places that he took me to. I also watched the Parasound event held at Century Stereo.
twiiii
Lunatic Member
Must I remind you that ported systems depend on resonance to achieve the goal and that resonance means ringing, carry over, non linearity, complex impedance curves and poor transient response. Laws of Physics haven't changed since 2000. Mac proved that with ML-1's less we forget. Narrow sharp passive filters also screw up transient response with coils and caps storing vast amounts of energy to be released at a later time. I love the ideas of line arrays , but why stick a narrow band omni speaker spreading sound every where calling attention to itself sonically and physically. If its been toned down to not be obvious, why have it there in the first place? Looks like a bandaid to me and spoils the looks of an otherwise very impressive speaker system.
That was't the focus of my post in the first place. The focus was failing to mention Roger Russell and his pioneering work that all your speakers were and are based on for the past 45+ years. Remember, those who for get the past are doomed to repeat the same mistakes. Is this speaker like Saul Marantz's 10 B? Is it the wrong move at the wrong time? I hope not. Is it a worthy successor to the 2k? We will have to wait and see. I hope so! Everyone knows I didn't like the tweeters, or maybe it was the way they were implemented in the 2k and 1k. But I guess if Steinway Lyngdorf can sell million dollar speaker systems, Mac should be able to succeed, too.
And as far as paper is concerned. Without having the 300 dealers stocking product for all of us to audition in the US of A as in the past how else are we to be able to compare. We can't depend on reviewers, because of their bias toward sterile speakers capable of splitting hairs. They forget a lot of us don't want to hear the cooked up presentations of the gurus in the control rooms, but want to hear the sound of a real live unamplified concert. Be it just a piano or SFO. I grew up listening to that orchestra and a Grand Piano at home. My DAD the pianist and Butter-fly Grand piano are both gone now. My Dad had a special gift. I am still waiting for speakers and electronic systems to capture and replicate that sound! Have any of you sat at Bakers key board within arms reach of OP's piano while he's humming along what he going to do so many bars ahead while delicately or dynamically pounding the keys. Thats what a sound system should do.
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That was't the focus of my post in the first place. The focus was failing to mention Roger Russell and his pioneering work that all your speakers were and are based on for the past 45+ years. Remember, those who for get the past are doomed to repeat the same mistakes. Is this speaker like Saul Marantz's 10 B? Is it the wrong move at the wrong time? I hope not. Is it a worthy successor to the 2k? We will have to wait and see. I hope so! Everyone knows I didn't like the tweeters, or maybe it was the way they were implemented in the 2k and 1k. But I guess if Steinway Lyngdorf can sell million dollar speaker systems, Mac should be able to succeed, too.
And as far as paper is concerned. Without having the 300 dealers stocking product for all of us to audition in the US of A as in the past how else are we to be able to compare. We can't depend on reviewers, because of their bias toward sterile speakers capable of splitting hairs. They forget a lot of us don't want to hear the cooked up presentations of the gurus in the control rooms, but want to hear the sound of a real live unamplified concert. Be it just a piano or SFO. I grew up listening to that orchestra and a Grand Piano at home. My DAD the pianist and Butter-fly Grand piano are both gone now. My Dad had a special gift. I am still waiting for speakers and electronic systems to capture and replicate that sound! Have any of you sat at Bakers key board within arms reach of OP's piano while he's humming along what he going to do so many bars ahead while delicately or dynamically pounding the keys. Thats what a sound system should do.
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I’m afraid your friends live in a stratosphere that most of us can only dream of.
For most of us seeking sonic veracity, this has to happen on a smaller but no less worthy scale.
But the banker would be OK with it.....go to the bank with your bride with the plans for a 200k remodel and if you have the ability to make the payments the bank will happily apply a lien against the home and loan you the money for 25 years at a few points over prime.
Go to the bank with your audio guy to get a loan for a 200k audio system....you better have other collateral....
Go to the bank with your audio guy to get a loan for a 200k audio system....you better have other collateral....
ron-c
Addicted Member
Who said anything about loans? For those interested in a speaker like the XRT2.1K you will travel to a dealer to hear them much like the past XTR2K speakers. This is not an everyman product that needs to be displayed in every store. Although they could be the right speaker for anyone who wins the lottery!
Ron-C
Ron-C
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I was not aware of your lack of knowledge about business Ron......most dealers need to finance their inventory in some fashion. I assume the investment bankers who now own the Mac group are more aware and will ultimately be the final judge.....
However the old saying does go" How do you make a small fortune in the audio business.......start with a large one!"
However the old saying does go" How do you make a small fortune in the audio business.......start with a large one!"
