Could you point to the hate directed at any of the McIntosh gear?
I would think absolutely NOT. I remember my earliest years as a young teenager going into a high-end store in Berkeley, CA (probably one of the few, if not only, high-end stores anywhere near us at the time) and marveling (with a touch of admitted lust) after those
McIntoshes with their cool blue analog level meters. I remember the smell of hot bakelite and ozone -- that may have been what made me fall in-love with the whole audio thing at the time. In fact,
McIntosh is very responsible for the progression of the "audiophile" and "high-end" niche of the industry in those earlier days. I still love
McIntosh equipment - got my first AV processor years ago, and it was a
McIntosh (probably
McIntosh's first AVP too) -- and, probably also a big mistake -- they were just getting into the field at the time and hadn't gotten things perfected at all -- but I still loved it. And I still love
McIntosh's esthetic and think they still make great and worthwhile equipment, especially for those that can afford it. Would I get any
McIntosh presently? - I don't think so - looking for better value for the buck (even if it might cost near as much) -- but I still think they're great and totally legendary !!!
BTW, I agree with you - so many crazy senseless tweaks that aren't real. I've always wondered if the purveyors of this stuff really believe in what they're doing or if they have just discovered how to make a quick buck off of people that want to be part of some kind of imagined exclusive group (and then keep on doing it for as long as it can last; and, maybe, after some success, end-up really believing in it themselves).
Sorry -- I have gotten REALLY off-topic here. However, I think we all know as much as we need to know about
PS Audio DACs right now -- it will be interesting to see what kind of reception their super high-end Obsidian DAC receives when it finally comes out.
- John