Cool Old Kit You Never Heard Of

[Macca]

I love this - nice and simple and not too blingy: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/189005270...hoCYPYQAvD_BwE

Marco.

This one is tastier:



https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/226258225132?

[Marco]

Yes!

Would be nice to see it lit...

I used to sell them, with the matching preamp, back in the day. The preamp wasn't as good, and held back the power amp, but partner the power amp with a decent pre, and the results were great

Marco.

[Barry]

Didn't know you sold audio gear Marco. Was that before you started your picture framing business?

[Barry]

You could get a marketing job at Bose

Oh the irony! Bose now own McIntosh - a brand who has done more than the rest to foist their vulgar-looking large blue meters onto the hi-fi buying public. They have even stuck one on their turntable; but because it doesn't have a calibrated scale is pretty useless when it comes to adjusting rpm. They should have used a stroboscope like everyone else.

[Marco]

Didn't know you sold audio gear Marco. Was that before you started your picture framing business?

Yes, mate. I used to work for Bill Hutchison Hi-Fi, in Glasgow in the early 90s, who was a big Technics and Denon dealer

Marco.

[User211]

Oh the irony! Bose now own McIntosh - a brand who has done more than the rest to foist their vulgar-looking large blue meters onto the hi-fi buying public. They have even stuck one on their turntable; but because it doesn't have a calibrated scale is pretty useless when it comes to adjusting rpm. They should have used a stroboscope like everyone else.

Apart from MC275 and similar exposed valve amps of theirs, I don't like the looks of their gear either.

[Pigmy Pony]

I'm not a fan of their looks either. I think much of it has to do with their gothic-looking choice of fonts. If Gomez Addams was shopping for hifi they would probably be his choice. And if their amps could be engineered so that when you go to turn the volume up with the remote, the top of the amp flips up and a hand emerges to turn the volume knob manually, that would seal the deal

I wonder if McIntosh's sales spike during the Halloween period.

[Macca]

The older Mcintosh doesn't look so bad:



I can live with the small amount of Gothic font, not like they go over the top with it like Manley or Alchemist. Although it's use should be avoided outside of the credits for Dracula films, really.

[Pigmy Pony]

Yeah, they look a lot better. Apart from the knobs. I'm sure they will be nice and solid, but my air fryer's are similar looking.

[Barry]

I'm not a fan of their looks either. I think much of it has to do with their gothic-looking choice of fonts. If Gomez Addams was shopping for hifi they would probably be his choice. And if their amps could be engineered so that when you go to turn the volume up with the remote, the top of the amp flips up and a hand emerges to turn the volume knob manually, that would seal the deal

I wonder if McIntosh's sales spike during the Halloween period.

I think we have discussed the choice of fonts for the labeling on audio gear before. Coming from an electronic engineering background I'm used to, and prefer, all labeling and legends to be in a clear font sans serif. But Hi-Fi is different as it it is used in a domestic environment, and as such will sometimes use italic script lettering or a mixture of several different styles.

In that respect I find Marantz gear particularly annoying with their use of three different style fonts. Obviously if the name of the manufacturer is displayed in, say, a cursive or gothic font, then that is how it will appear on the equipment.

Fortunately all my gear uses plain lettering for the legends; with the sole exception of the Miyajima SUT where the manufacturer's name is in a green cursive font. And talking of colours, I really dislike the use of a mixture of coloured LEDs: just keep them to the one colour - either red, blue or green.