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Why would you buy a McIntosh Pre-Amp?

T

tr@nz

Active Member
Why would anyone in their right mind want to buy a Mc pre-amp, especially considering the high price and low functionality level?

Now before you burn me at the stake, I am being a bit of a devil’s advocate here to get some good feedback. (My first Mc purchase is on its way!)

I am considering Mc for a pre-amp solution, and then I read an article about the Integra DTC 9.8 THX Ultra2 pre-amp which does so much for $1700 msrp:

Here are a select few select functions that many of us are looking for in a pre-amp these days:

Audio

1. 7.1 Balanced outputs (XLR)
2. 2 Balanced inputs (XLR)
3. Adjustable Crossover by channel pair (Bi-amping anyone?) Frequency: 40,45,50,55,60,70,80,90,100,110,120,130,150,200 Hz
4. Audyssey room calibration with mic
5. All codecs including DTS HD-MA, Dolby TrueHD
6. Input level trim
7. Toroidal power supply transformer
8. 192K/24 Bit DACs Burr Brown (probably the same that McIntosh uses?)
9. Bi-amp Capability For Front
10. iPod, XM, Sirius ready
11. Ethernet (those of you with SlimDevices or streaming lossless?)
12. S/N 110dB

Video

1. Upconversion to 1080p using HQV Reon-VX Chip (ok it is not the Realta, but still)
2. AV Sync Delay
3. HDMI 1.3

Okay agreed, it has no pretty blue meters but……

Here is the link to the Integra details:

http://www.integrahometheater.ca/model.cfm?m=DTC-9.8&class=Separates&p=f

Here is the link to the review from Dec 2007 that I mentioned; they awarded it the Surround Processor of the year 2007:

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/proc.../ssps/integra-dtc-9.8-thx-ultra2-7.1-ssp.html

Thoughts? Comments?
 
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Alright I'll take the bait.....

I bought a Mc Pre-amp because

1. It looks great
2. It sounds great
3. It has all the functionality I need without compromising on 1. or 2.

Nuff said?
 
Don't be blinded by specification bling...in the end the only thing that counts is how it sounds...for 2 channel sound the C1000C/C1000P rules supreme.
 
So a decked out Casio G-shock watch would blow away my IWC?

Tranz, you forgot to mention how the Integra sounds.
 
Wow, sounds like you guys are conceding the features comparison to the Integra. Are Mc pre-amps that lacking in competitive features?
 
And why buy a MVP871 when an Oppo 870 only costs $150?

Yeah, right.

My friend, do yourself a favor and go LISTEN to a McIntosh Pre Amp. You will be amazed.
 
Gaucho1 said:
My friend, do yourself a favor and go LISTEN to a McIntosh Pre Amp. You will be amazed.
Click to expand...

You Betcha!


What about resale value?
Wonder how much that Integra DTC 9.8 THX Ultra2 will be worth in say 10 or 15 years, if it still works... ;)
 
tr@nz said:
Thoughts? Comments?
Click to expand...


Troll.jpg



Carl :boring:
 
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My decision to purchase McIntosh equipment was based not only on features or functionality,(which my C100 has), but on many other factors.

Factors like the quality of the reproduction...which cannot be bettered. Build quality which is undeniably first-rate..and the fact that my Mcintosh equipment has the support of a company that will be around for a long time to come. Also, McIntosh equipment keeps its value, if a sale is ever considered.(only for more McIntosh, of course.)

The best way to understand the passion that most Mac users have, is to listen for yourself...You may just begin a life-long love affair making beautiful music together.
 
You ain't gonna get a Rolex for Timex money-I don't care how much 'bling' the Timex has-it's still a Timex. You ain't gonna get a Ferrari for Mustang money-yes , the GT500 is fast. At 10/10ths , on the ragged edge , I want the Ferrari.
Bottom line-you don't always get what you pay for , but you almost never get what you didn't pay for. My $.02
 
who would own it that long? Uh, I'll bet a full 50% of the old Mc gear is still owned by the original owners. When we bought our units we wanted the best most reliable stuff and not the flavor of the week. For my 35+ years later my Mc system is still not a candidate for replacing. As for the original question, Mc tends not to be a functionality trendsetter nor a spec winner but instead offers long term reliability, sound quality not equaled by almost any company unless your are willing to spend much more, yes, Mc is not the most expensive out there. Long term ownership in the past has proven it is actually more inexpensive on an cost per year basis than many units with an initial cost that is less.

Buying a Mc is similar to auto purchasing. You can buy an Amanti (think that is the name) that has all kinds of bells and whistles and is a decent driver for about the same price as a Volvo but 10 years later which is still with its original owner, which is still providing enjoyment and which has probably not had major repairs such as engine and transmission replacement. I'll give you a hint. I own Mc that I boought in the late '60s and early '70s and drive a pair of 1995 Volvos each with over 150,000 miles on them and the engines do not leak, the drivetrains are like new and compression is within a few pounds of new specs.

If you like 15,000 inputs, every type of control function, Dolby, quad, dynaquad, centerchannel, blah, blah, then go for whatever you want. If you want sound, go for Mc.
 
Why would you buy a McIntosh Pre-Amp?

I bought my McIntosh Pre-Amp because I like the green light on the front black panel. The green light just looks beautiful.
 
I bought the C220 because it sounded great, had all the inputs and features I wanted, and NONE that I didn't want. I figure this gives me the most bang for my hard-earned buck.

If you want to have an A/V integrated system without spending McIntosh money (or having McIntosh sonics), I say go for it.

I wanted a two-channel tube preamp that would provide GREAT sound, have all the convenience features I desired, and possibly last the rest of my life.

I was about ready to seriously consider buying an $1800 Rogue Perseus (which by many accounts is a great sounding preamp), but is pretty bare-bones compared to the C220. I stretched my budget to get all the other things the C220 provides, which, to me, were worth it in the long run.

An unexpected bonus came the day I installed it in my system; my wife came in, saw the C220, and said "Wow, that looks cool!". She has NEVER said that about any piece of gear I have owned ...
 
Not knowing anything about the Integra that the op was talking about, I did a quick search--
and I gotta say that thing is ugly! (IMHO)

Oh another thing, Seeing as I am able to call McIntosh and buy parts for my 30 something year old components... :yes:
 
Build quality, sound quality and longevity of use. Enough said. Oh yeah, one more thing..."that Mc-Look!"
 
tr@nz said:
it the Surround Processor of the year 2007:
Click to expand...



they gave an EISA award to a $700 Denon integrated amp. Does that mean it's the best integrated ever made? NO.

the Mcintosh preamp will give you all the functionalities you actually need, and it will sound much better at the same time.
 
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