[Closed] iPoddocktrackworld : McIntosh McAire

really? not one of the STW hifi buffs even had a listen?

no one?

This is the kit in question: http://www.mcintoshlabs.com/us/Products/pages/ProductDetails.aspx?CatId=lifestyle&ProductId=McAire

seriously considering one, anyone?

If you favour product aesthetics as your primary consideration then yeah - go for it....it looks typically mcintosh in design and will be a "relatively" cheap £3k introduction to the mcintosh family, however if sound quality is important to you then i'd be looking at a pair of quality active speakers and sub perhaps from KRK or Adam with matching sub (i use KRK), a 192Khz/24bit external soundcard (i use Native Instruments Audio Kontrol) and a suitable input either from a line out dock into the soundcard or the usb output from a pc/mac (i use line out dock + mac).

I can send music with airplay to any room in the house and i can control it with my ipad or iphone, i dunno how the mcintosh would stand up to my sort of system soundwise as obviously it depends on what quality of signal/recording you feed it but on well recorded tracks it's sublime to listen to.

It'd work out a fair but cheaper as well but when it comes to Hi-Fi stuff cost considerations go out the window i guess.

you think it'd be a case of more style over substance?

Fabulous looking thing, but I can't help thinking a B&W Zeppelin would sound almost as good, and would save you around £2.3k, which would buy a shit-load of music. Soma's system would probably be even better, I don't know what the price difference over the MacAire would be, but the greater flexibility would sell it to me.
If money wasn't a consideration, however... 😀

I've consulted with folk who have spent enough on a single system, enough that could have bought them a pretty little village in North Wales, and they had the following to say about the McAire: "It performs way beyond our expectations, to achieve the same sound (albeit with greater volume) with individual components you'd have to spend in excess of £30k, its a real "jaw dropper" of a little box of tricks".

I suppose there's something to be said about the fact that its 100% built by McIntosh, that the speakers are the same as used in their reference systems and there's no fannying about with ultra low base metal cryogenically treated oxygen free vacuum manufactured platinum non directional shielded interconnects.

...but you COULD by a reasonable car for that!

...but you COULD by a reasonable car for that!