I’m constantly browsing facebook marketplace looking for the cheapest things available by these companies to try to score my way into hi-fi. Any thoughts?
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For mcintosh, avoid anything with an autoformer
Opinions are super split on that. People love them or hate them, why do you avoid them?
I repair a lot of mcintosh equipment, both vintage and modern. And I have heard a lot of their equipment. Every autoformer amp I’ve head has almost a non-cohesiveness between the low and high end. The reason mcintosh stated designing with them way back in the day is because they didn’t know how to design with the brand new transistor technology. After they figured out how to make a proper push pull output stage, they stopped using them. Then mcintosh brought them back just to be different. Worse actually.
The McIntosh USB DACs prior to the newer units with the DA2 and possibly the DA1 (although I haven’t tested the DA1) were basically unusable with USB since they would auto mute when there was no signal and would take a second to unmute meaning you often missed the first second of the first song or every song if you don’t have gapless playback.
Also the D100 was especially annoying since it had a relay that would click every time it muted and unmuted. All the DACs work fine with optical or coax but I wouldn’t recommend anything other than the DA2 if you want to use USB.
I’m not a fan of McIntosh speakers at all.
I have the Rotel Michi X3. Upgraded from a Rega Elicit-R. Massive upgrade and thoroughly impressed with the Michi.
Not a surprise. Rotel is an electronics company that sells big, chunky amps with big transformers and big heatsinks. Rega is a tonearm company that has a line of overpriced fashion amps in half-height enclosures that have no room for adequate transformers and heatsinks.
You can’t skimp on current delivery and thermals and expect a class AB amp to do well… not at higher volumes anyway. I’m sure the Regas sound great in quiet, treated showrooms at short distances.
Have you listened to either? If not, don’t buy just because of the brand or reputation.
Yes but there is also a point when a reputation is all that is needed. Those two brands have pretty much earned their spot in the audio world and would probably be a great purchase regardless of listening to them first.
That’s actually a good comment, I made a very thorough research for the last minute, but only got to see the KEF reference with Cambridge Audio and Electrocompaniet electronics . From looking online I liked most what I read about Pass Labs A class amps - I liked the explanations and they measure pretty nice for non feedback amps. And I saw a used CH Precision, and well they’re gorgeous products . But I’m really not sure how all this really sounds different then good middle tier amps because I never did testing in real life
The MX110Z is definitely to be avoided.
About 20 years ago me and a friend bought identical Rotel 5.1 integrated receivers from the same place on the same day. About 3 years ago they both died the same week.
I love my A12, even more as time goes on. I only heard McIntosh amps a few times, but that was over 20 years ago. I just don’t think they have a great price / performance. Can’t beat their style tho if that is important.
Former Rotel 8100D owner, so multichannel / may be less relevant, but mine died after a few years. Warranty repair process was great, but amp had low-level static afterwards, so I moved on.
My impression: depending on what you need, a repackaged Hypex / Purifi amp might be best bang / buck. Check out Buckeye.
Came here to also say don’t buy without listening first. To any product. I’ve heard a lot of both brands, have sold them both on sales floors, and think they sound almost opposite from each other, which makes me curious about your interest as those are two brands I would not think someone would include together in their final list of preferred brands to buy from.
To answer your question, yes there definitely are pieces to avoid. This happens with all companies to some degree. I would find forums for the two brands and learn from those communities. The irony, though, is it’s the less desirable pieces in which you will be able to find a score, and the best of a brand will likely always go for market value if not more.
Rotel will be the easier of these two to find a score on. The only way to score McIntosh, and it’s been this way for a long while, is to be the lucky person whose able to take something off someones hands for cheap as they simply don’t have the time or energy to post it up on an auction site. Those pretty lights go a long, long way. Lastly, if you haven’t considered other brands, I would open up your search. There are plenty of small brands that provide better sound than either, without the notoriety that would prevent a ‘score’ from being had.
only buying vintage mcintosh
McIntosh are VERY reliable, rotel not so, I had Michi x5, and first one was with broken button remote, they had to change this 50kg monster
New Mac AVRs no. 70s Mac stuff, absolutely. No experience with Rotel.
I have a Rotel amp and have had many other brands. For the $$ they are excellent. Always envious of Mcintosh gear. All I would say is my friend has a tube power amp and it’s gone back to the shop three times. He has had it for 3 years.
The “don’t buy without listening first” commenters underappreciate the existence of the used market - I’ve had success selling every working piece of audio gear I’ve owned…sometimes at a small loss, but c’est la vie. There really is no other way to appreciate how a piece of equipment is going to sound in your space, with the rest of your gear.
The best you can do is make sure it turns on and maybe test it in their room or with your headphones.
If I wanted people who appreciated the used market I should’ve posted in r/budgetaudiophile but I wanted opinions on items over their $1000 mark of “budget”
Oh well, I got an idea of what the McIntosh sound signature is from this post. And that some people think Rotel isn’t “audiophile” enough.
The non-budget audiophile market is replete with people who understand the value of high-quality componentry, and of being able to upgrade without spending MSRP (as well as being able to offer great equipment to others when the upgrade big hits, as it does with many). As usual, the Reddit “audiophile” group doesn’t fail to underwhelm.