In other parts of this site and on others, I have raved about McIntosh`s sound quality, and I stand by every word of it. Their service, however, is not what I thought it would be when I made the decision to buy their expensive gear. Here is the story. I would be glad to hear from anybody who encountered the same technical problem. I started out with a MA6500 integrated I still own, before upgrading to a combo of the C200 preamp and finally a MC402 amp. First the MA6500, then the C200 developed the following problem: The illumination of the whole frontplate started to become unregular. Parts of the McIntosh logo and other lit parts of the faceplate, including the wattmeters, were lit as before, others less so or not at all. Sometimes lighting went off for good, before coming back, and settling for the unregular lighting which both units now show. I think this is not trivial, especially for McIntosh-junkies who are addicted to the looks at least as much as to the sound. The lit-problem does not seem to be an isolated one: The authorized repair shop of the McIntosh-distributor here in Moscow, where I live– who wants to charge several hundred dollars for each repair – told me this problem happened with a lot of Macs units. It certainly happened with two of mine. It may be the reason for the new, different face-plate and lighting-design of Macs new amps. To be sure, there are voltage fluctuations here in Moscow, but they not more than usually 5, rarely ten per cent of the voltage. So I do not think it should be a problem for Macs units. Or if it is, it should have been rectified long ago, as international customers like me buy at least 40 per cent of McIntosh`s units these days.
I am a German correspondent living here in Moscow, so I have bought the MA6500 in Moscow and the C200 in Germany. When I turned to the official McIntosh distributor Absolute Audio here in Moscow, to get the MA6500 repaired, I received the answer that the warranty-period of one year only had already ended. Big was my surprise: The warranty-card included with the unit clearly stated that warranty is three years. September 11, 2003, I mailed Ms. Fredendall of McIntosh, to find out what McIntosh´s policy is. I never received an answer. Working a lot, I let the matter rest. March 9, 2004, I first send another e-mail and then called her. She remembered my November-mail and said she had instructed the distributor already in November to contact me. He did not do so. Ms. Fredendall confirmed, however, that any distributor in foreign countries has the right to shorten the warranty as he sees fit. The included warranty-card was valid only for the US, which was indicated only in the small print on the other side. To my questions a) why McIntosh included the card if it knew it was sold to another country where the warranty would not be honoured, and b) why McIntosh does not simply oblige all distributors to give three years warranty (hardly too much if Bryston gives 20 years worldwide), I received no answer. Ms. Fredendall promised me that McIntosh would at least pay for the necessary spare parts, that she would send me an e-mail, and that the distributor would contact me this time. Again, none of it has happened. I do not think I will buy McIntosh again, as much as I like their sound.
I am a German correspondent living here in Moscow, so I have bought the MA6500 in Moscow and the C200 in Germany. When I turned to the official McIntosh distributor Absolute Audio here in Moscow, to get the MA6500 repaired, I received the answer that the warranty-period of one year only had already ended. Big was my surprise: The warranty-card included with the unit clearly stated that warranty is three years. September 11, 2003, I mailed Ms. Fredendall of McIntosh, to find out what McIntosh´s policy is. I never received an answer. Working a lot, I let the matter rest. March 9, 2004, I first send another e-mail and then called her. She remembered my November-mail and said she had instructed the distributor already in November to contact me. He did not do so. Ms. Fredendall confirmed, however, that any distributor in foreign countries has the right to shorten the warranty as he sees fit. The included warranty-card was valid only for the US, which was indicated only in the small print on the other side. To my questions a) why McIntosh included the card if it knew it was sold to another country where the warranty would not be honoured, and b) why McIntosh does not simply oblige all distributors to give three years warranty (hardly too much if Bryston gives 20 years worldwide), I received no answer. Ms. Fredendall promised me that McIntosh would at least pay for the necessary spare parts, that she would send me an e-mail, and that the distributor would contact me this time. Again, none of it has happened. I do not think I will buy McIntosh again, as much as I like their sound.
