My McIntosh addiction continues to rage out of control. I found this MAC 4200 on eBay two days ago and thought it would complement my collection well. . .plus it was a local pick-up so I'd save on shipping. See all the excuses I come up with?!?The MAC 4200 is a mean-lookin' motha. The menacingly-dark faceplate, black pushbuttons, and large red LED tuner window give this unit a real Darth Vadar feel. This is in stark contrast to the white and silver purity of the MAC 4100. This is what the 1980's did to gear design, and even McIntosh decided to follow suit with their receivers. It's okay by me - I love this look.
But this isn't what you wanted to know, now is it? How does it sound?
It sounds every bit as good as any other good-sounding receiver I own. To me, the real strength with McIntosh gear lies in its retention of value, build-quality (MTBF), brand prestige, and industrial design (in the eye of the beholder). Sure, the specs tell me that this puppy will put out cleaner sound (lower distortion) at much higher volume levels than comparable receivers, and this is a good thing, but it's not how I listen to music. Don't get me wrong - I love the idea that, if needed, I could crank this puppy up to near-clipping and it will still output clean sound, it's just that I doubt I ever will. That's what the bigger McIntosh amps in my collection are for :)
I do love the five band EQ and the variable loudness control. Typical loudness controls apply a fixed amount of compensation for listening at low volume. McIntosh employs a separate volume circuit that applies loudness proportionally. Between this and the five band EQ you can cater the sound to your listening volume and environment very effectively.
Here's the data sheet from Berners.
Have any stories or photos of your McIntosh receivers? Leave a comment or shoot me an email - thanks.