Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/11/14
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]- -----Original Message----- From: Walter S Delesandri <walt@jove.acs.unt.edu> >Mcintosh= LONG TERM CUSTOMER COMMITMENT = LEICA >Bryston,Parasound,Cary,Joe's basement,== who knows in 5-10 years? Walt, when it comes to hifi, I think you gotta go with whatever helps you to enjoy the music more, and while it was nice to know that Mark Levinson Audio Systems was promising that my ML-1 was essentially guaranteed to give like-new performance, regardless of age, these things were sonically eclipsed long ago by far less expensive products, so dunno if this has proven to be a big deal in the long run. Ask them (Madrigal, or whoever owns the rights to the ML brand name these days) to update it to 1998 performance, and I can just imagine that response *that* inquiry will get! Fortunately, you can get modern performance out of any M-series Leica simply by changing the lens :-) Jeff > >BTW, I don't sell or even use Mac -- all my gear is tube, designed and built by me. - >BUT for the long term consumer, I'll put my money on Mac. (I >did< use it for >years, but sold all of my collection when I wanted to pay down on my house -- at >a tremendous profit, I should add) > >Final example = God protect me from anything Bruce Moore or MFA ever made. Would >YOUR shop take it in for repair? > >And golden ears be damned, Mac sounds fine. (yes, even the solid state junk - and >it STILL will after you're dead.) > >Walt (the don't-buy-what-I-use-buy-what's-good-for-you egotist) > >On Fri, 13 Nov 1998 07:18:26 -0500 Andre Jean Quintal ><quia250249@yahoo.com> wrote: >> If i may, you will find a lot of up-to-date information >> on very good to excellent to out-of-this-world >> audio through the UseNet group >> rec.audio.high-end, >> also accessible through >> http://www.dejanews.com >> Seldom do McIntosh owners (or would-bes) participate, unfortunately. >> One of the dimensions the McIntosh business philosophy >> espouses caters to the "other needs" of the consumer: >> a need for security, which they call "peace of mind". >> >> As an experienced former McIntosh salesman and >> store manager, the above is an important fact of life: >> some people do NEED to feel secure about what they >> purchase and are willing to part with much more money >> for a chunk of the "real thing". >> >> LEICA is one such product. >> The difference, however, is that LEICA products >> have been, are, and will remain a technical reference >> at the forefront of photographic technology, >> while manufactured to stand the test of time. >> >> McIntosh audio components are very, very well built. >> But, a great number agree, they too often fail to stand their own >> in double blind listening tests, some far less expensive >> equipment often eclipsing the gilded midnight black >> units of the world-famous brand. >> Dependability is no problem, i must add. >> But : that's also true of a Bryston, half the price, >> seen the most in recording and broadcast studios, >> outstanding quality AND sonic performance. >> Many other brands can claim the same, too, >> some with even better sound, obvious from the first minute ! >> >> LEICA originated photos have a general image quality >> that no fool will ever question, on average even. >> >> The audio world market is dominated by huge corporations. >> BUT the demands of audiophiles, especially, >> have made it viable for smaller excellence-driven >> firms to emerge and survive in a cut-throat marketplace. >> A few younger brilliant music-loving AND business >> oriented engineers have reshaped the high end audio >> marketplace and McIntosh, all incumbent that it is, >> is under pressure to deliver. >> >> LEICA, with the benefit of almost a Century >> of outstanding products and fairplay business practice, >> has survived the onslaught of mass market gizmo cameras, >> then some pretty hairy non-photo world-market pressures, >> and will still be around 25+ years from now >> simply because there always will be people >> and institutions who require such a product. >> >> You perhaps will be amused to read that, to me, >> an audio system is only as good as the loudspeakers >> will allow, no matter how expensive the electronics. >> >> Much the same in photography: put a substandard "production" >> lens on a high end "pro" or "semi-pro" mass-market brand >> camera and your creative work is lost to mediocrity, >> while you get the can't-do-nothing-about-it grin >> from some in-store you-get-what-you-pay-for comic. >> You get spot-check quality from spot-check quality control. >> Specs on paper are one thing, real world performance >> is what you really want. >> Put a LEICA brand lens upfront and it's a known fact >> that this most definitely will not be a limiting factor. >> >> Still to be realized, soon now, my lifelong LEICA dream : >> focus on photo essentials. >> >> I love you Santa Claus ! >> >> Andre Jean Quintal >> >> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >> >> At 04:07 -0500 13/11/98, Custodian@aol.com wrote: >> >Pascal >> > >> >What light? >> > >> >I used McIntosh equipment, both tubed and solid state, and I thought build >> >quality was excellent but sound quality was average. No way did it reach high >> >end standards. >> > >> >David >> >> > >