Time Magazine Update

[masterlu]

I looked hard for the old thread before starting a new one, but it's been so long ago.

Time Magazine called yesterday and said my Mac System will be featured in next weeks issue. I spoke at length to them, it is a 2 page spread with photos. Somewhere in the back under lifestyles.

I hope they get it out as promised (supposedly at the printers now). I just felt if I didn't post this & waited, those who are interested would miss the chance to get it.

[vintage_tube]

Very cool, Ivan. Looking forward to the article & for once I won't have to run out and buy a copy -- I'm a subscriber.

[masterlu]

Very cool, Ivan. Looking forward to the article & for once I won't have to run out and buy a copy -- I'm a subscriber.

Nice Avatar! :thmbsp:

P.S> I spent alot of time in Raleigh (Tri-angle) years ago, great area.

[markc2]

Congratulations Ivan !! :cool:

So what's it like to be interviewed? :scratch2:

[vintage_tube]

Thanks Ivan -- I've changed it quite a few times over the last couple weeks -- may have found a shot I can settle on for awhile.
Agree, nice area (great college BB area), and hey, don't forget we (NC) won the Stanley Cup!
Just send us some rain (we're in stage II water restrictions -- stage III is next -- paper plates/utensils at restaurants will be implemented).

[masterlu]

Thanks Ivan -- I've changed it quite a few times over the last couple weeks -- may have found a shot I can settle on for awhile.
Agree, nice area (great college BB area), and hey, don't forget we (NC) won the Stanley Cup!
Just send us some rain (we're in stage II water restrictions -- stage III is next -- paper plates/utensils at restaurants will be implemented).


I remember spending time in Asheville also, some 250 rain days a year.

[masterlu]

Congratulations Ivan !! :cool:

So what's it like to be interviewed? :scratch2:


It's fun, while at the same time frustrating because the interviewer knows virtually nothing about the gear/industry they are writing about.

The photo shoot was the best part. Once the article runs, I will get all the shots that were taken.

[william.keith]

Masterlu, if just listening to music (preferably a jazz ensemble consisting of piano, horn, guitar, bass, percussion and female voice) in a typical living room environment was a priority, what McIntosh SS, CD, and speaker gear would you recommend?

[masterlu]

Masterlu, if just listening to music (preferably a jazz ensemble consisting of piano, horn, guitar, bass, percussion and female voice) in a typical living room environment was a priority, what McIntosh SS, CD, and speaker gear would you recommend?


You forgot one vital piece of info.

Budget?

[PHC1]

Time Magazine called yesterday and said my Mac System will be featured in next weeks issue.



That is awesome Ivan! :banana:

[william.keith]

My thought process is that very few people will be able to afford a sytem like yours that will be shown in the Times. But many might like to know just what would be involved to obtain a sound consistent with McIntosh quality without their living rooms looking like a retail store or garage workbench.

For example, it might be nice to have a set of MC501s or MC1.2KWs but it is not necessary. Also, while the new XRT1k would be wonderful, they too or not necessary. I often show friends pictures of your main system and they all of course say it is way out of their reach. But they often ask just what would be necessary...

[eljr]

I looked hard for the old thread before starting a new one, but it's been so long ago.

Time Magazine called yesterday and said my Mac System will be featured in next weeks issue. I spoke at length to them, it is a 2 page spread with photos. Somewhere in the back under lifestyles.

I hope they get it out as promised (supposedly at the printers now). I just felt if I didn't post this & waited, those who are interested would miss the chance to get it.

Great job!, again!

Thanks for the FYI, I will be buying the issue.
all the best
eljr

[masterlu]

Necessary is a relative term. Everything Mac makes is good until you compare it to something better.

So the real question is where do you find Happiness/Satisfaction. There is no right or wrong answer. The real beauty is in the ears of the beholder.

For me, Audio became a hobby, then the Hobby became a passion, then the Passion became an Obsession.

[markc2]

Necessary is a relative term. Everything Mac makes is good until you compare it to something better.

So the real question is where do you find Happiness/Satisfaction. There is no right or wrong answer. The real beauty is in the ears of the beholder.

For me, Audio became a hobby, then the Hobby became a passion, then the Passion became an Obsession.

this could describe some femme fatales....

[Tom Blasing]

At this rate it'll make National Geographic:scratch2:

[masterlu]

this could describe some femme fatales....


:lmao:

[masterlu]

At this rate it'll make National Geographic:scratch2:


At least my Power Station should. ;)

[salm]

Necessary is a relative term. Everything Mac makes is good until you compare it to something better.

So the real question is where do you find Happiness/Satisfaction. There is no right or wrong answer. The real beauty is in the ears of the beholder.

For me, Audio became a hobby, then the Hobby became a passion, then the Passion became an Obsession.

Good point! I think this describes the process a lot of us have gone through.

"Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!"

[william.keith]

So the real question is where do you find Happiness/Satisfaction. There is no right or wrong answer. The real beauty is in the ears of the beholder.

I would answer my own question as follows:

XLS340 (can be floor or wall mounted)
XLS112
MC402
MCD301

Simple, modern technology, powerful, and all McIntosh. With the help of Audio Classics and others cost would be around $15k.

[Jem666]

At least my Power Station should. ;)

---Breaking News---Breaking News---Breaking News---Breaking News---

...eyewitnesses in Florida report strange anomalies in the space time continuum, a breakdown of the laws of physics, ...a ripple in "da force"...

...are sith lords experimenting with the very fabric of our existence and powers beyond our imagination...?

Professor of fysics Ihav Noclu at the institute of Global Powergrid Management laments the fate of the once mighty race "The Krell"...who's downfall was preceeded by the very same harbingers.

Reports are coming in of passionate individuals trekking to a central location in Florida, from where the ripples in "da force" are eminating, the epicenter of the anomalies. When asked, these individuals whisper repeatatly "Gotta be there Saturday May 24th, Gotta be there Saturday May 24th". Some individuals volunteer more info..."dude...its gonna be like Encounters of the Third Kind...but louder, way louder" before they lapse back into a blissful gaze

---Breaking News---Breaking News---Breaking News---Breaking News---

[masterlu]

---Breaking News---Breaking News---Breaking News---Breaking News---

...eyewitnesses in Florida report strange anomalies in the space time continuum, a breakdown of the laws of physics, ...a ripple in "da force"...

...are sith lords experimenting with the very fabric of our existence and powers beyond our imagination...?

Professor of fysics Ihav Noclu at the institute of Global Powergrid Management laments the fate of the once mighty race "The Krell"...who's downfall was preceeded by the very same harbingers.

Reports are coming in of passionate individuals trekking to a central location in Florida, from where the ripples in "da force" are eminating, the epicenter of the anomalies. When asked, these individuals whisper repeatatly "Gotta be there Saturday May 24th, Gotta be there Saturday May 24th". Some individuals volunteer more info..."dude...its gonna be like Encounters of the Third Kind...but louder"

---Breaking News---Breaking News---Breaking News---Breaking News---


Great Post! :yes:

[mac man]

congrats Ivan a system such as yours deserves to be shown. I for one think it is great that alot of people will get exposure to our hobby and realize that their bose lifestyle system does not live up to dr. bose's marketing genius!!

I am bringing along a copy to be signed at the may extravaganza!!!:thmbsp:

Dave

[@TOMMY@]

Will I be able to buy this issue in Canada? Or does Time magazine have different US and Canadian edition?

[masterlu]

Will I be able to buy this issue in Canada? Or does Time magazine have different US and Canadian edition?


Not Sure, but I have requested a case of the issue from Time mag.

For my friends here of course. :yes:

[PHC1]

Recently: Vladimir Putin, Tsar of the new Russia, followed by : Masterlu, Tsar of the new McIntosh. :D

http://img.timeinc.net/time/magazine/archive/covers/2007/1101071231_400.jpg

[Laemmle]

Necessary is a relative term. Everything Mac makes is good until you compare it to something better.

So the real question is where do you find Happiness/Satisfaction. There is no right or wrong answer. The real beauty is in the ears of the beholder.

For me, Audio became a hobby, then the Hobby became a passion, then the Passion became an Obsession.

Jeez,

Those are the exact words of Jenna Jamison:yikes:

[masterlu]

Recently: Vladimir Putin, Tsar of the new Russia, followed by : Masterlu, Tsar of the new McIntosh. :D

http://img.timeinc.net/time/magazine/archive/covers/2007/1101071231_400.jpg


A post on AK a day keeps the Blues away! :thmbsp:

[Jem666]

He doesn't really look that happy...he probably doesn't listen to McIntosh.

and Laemmle...have you been a naughty boy :naughty: :angel:

[jrsystems]

Masterlu, if just listening to music (preferably a jazz ensemble consisting of piano, horn, guitar, bass, percussion and female voice) in a typical living room environment was a priority, what McIntosh SS, CD, and speaker gear would you recommend?

I'll take a stab at this. On the component side a C2300, MCD301, and a pair of MC501's (or an MC402) would make a particularly sweet little system. Not cheap though, in the high teens.

The speaker side is where it gets tricky. This equipment would really not cut it with XRT1K's. I am running 2 MC501's a side and that is barely enough. Also the 1K's are spectacular with rock, orchestra, and anything large scale, but female voice is a weak spot. I am not familiar with any of the lower end McIntosh speakers. For your listening, I would pair the above system with a bit more delicate speaker such as Sonus Faber or a Magico Mini if you wanted to get exotic. The electronics are easy, speakers and wires is where it gets complicated!

[william.keith]

jr, thanks for the reply. For those not overwhelmed with McIntosh like most of us, there needs to be some sensible direction. That is why I tried to stay with just an amp like the MC402 along with the MCD301 and forego the cost and complexity of a preamp. You are correct, speakers are difficult but staying with something like the XLS340 and XLS112 is simple and effective and provides quality McIntosh sound. The idea is to get people to see Ivan's system and think McIntosh but move them in the direction of affordability and practicality. Most of my neighbors and friends simply do not want a large mega system in there living/family rooms. The concept that the XLS340 can be wall mounted interest a lot of people, etc.

[exracer]

Will I be able to buy this issue in Canada? Or does Time magazine have different US and Canadian edition?

From the various copies I have seen in doctors and dentists offices I would think there is only one edition.

[chuckworkb]

I will be sure to check this out - I was wondering about it the other day believe it or not.

Maybe you will be this years Time Magazine's McMan of the year, oh wait,you already hold that title!

You must be very excited.

It is way cool ( as my kids used to say) to make it into Time, especially when your not there because of some Senate Investigation :D

[masterlu]

I will be sure to check this out - I was wondering about it the other day believe it or not.

Maybe you will be this years Time Magazine's McMan of the year, oh wait,you already hold that title!

You must be very excited.

It is way cool ( as my kids used to say) to make it into Time, especially when your not there because of some Senate Investigation :D


Thanks again, I'm looking forward to May's Event.

We're all gonna have Big Time Fun!

[@TOMMY@]

From the various copies I have seen in doctors and dentists offices I would think there is only one edition.

Cool :banana: Definitely going to check it out next week!

[Mack]

I looked hard for the old thread before starting a new one, but it's been so long ago.

Time Magazine called yesterday and said my Mac System will be featured in next weeks issue. I spoke at length to them, it is a 2 page spread with photos. Somewhere in the back under lifestyles.

I hope they get it out as promised (supposedly at the printers now). I just felt if I didn't post this & waited, those who are interested would miss the chance to get it.

It 's about time! Yippee :beerchug: Look foward in picking up a TM issue.

[mike5500]

Time Magazine called yesterday and said my Mac System will be featured in next weeks issue. I spoke at length to them, it is a 2 page spread with photos. Somewhere in the back under lifestyles

Hey Ivan....is next week's issue this week's issue...or last week's issue?...or... what week's date?

mike:music:

[masterlu]

It is supposed to be the next issue to hit the stands.

[2000B King]

It is supposed to be the next issue to hit the stands.

Can post the cover of this particular issue so we wont be buying the wrong edition or copy. I sure would need that help.:yes: Thanks.:D

[basite]

It is supposed to be the next issue to hit the stands.



or you could always post the cover and the article, so can all enjoy it.

Seriously, it would take me a while to find a time magazine here in Belgium...

[Ampzilla]

I tried finding info on the Time website and could not find anything.

[chathamdad]

I subscribe to Time and got this week's issue this morning. The article does not appear to be in it, but that is based on a one-minute review of the issue.

[Mack]

I subscribe to Time and got this week's issue this morning. The article does not appear to be in it, but that is based on a one-minute review of the issue.

Is this the one with George Clooney on the front cover? March 3, 2008 issue.

[masterlu]

You guys are as anxious as me. :thmbsp:

I just spoke to Time Magazine, my Mac Article will run in this weeks issue which should go out to subscribers by Saturday or so.

I found this out, which is interesting; it will not be in the news stand issues. They run articles like this for subscribers only, by zip code. When I asked why, they said it is geared to the affluent markets only. :thumbsdn:

Personally, I think that is major discrimination.

[Mack]

You guys are as anxious as me. :thmbsp:

I just spoke to Time Magazine, my Mac Article will run in this weeks issue which should go out to subscribers by Saturday or so.

I found this out, which is interesting; it will not be in the news stand issues. They run articles like this for subscribers only,:thumbsdn: by zip code.:thumbsdn: When I asked why, they said it is geared to the affluent markets only. :thumbsdn:

Personally, I think that is major discrimination.

Triple discrimination! :dammit:

[Stillone]

or you could always post the cover and the article, so can all enjoy it.

Seriously, it would take me a while to find a time magazine here in Belgium...
There are a couple of magazine stores near Antwerp that carry Time. One along the walking street between the Groenplatz and de Lei and another in the Wenigem (sorry about the spelling) Mall.

[Mack]

Look for it in the March 10, issue.

[Mack]

FYI: Time Magazine carries different covers for different regions of the world.

[@TOMMY@]

You guys are as anxious as me. :thmbsp:

I just spoke to Time Magazine, my Mac Article will run in this weeks issue which should go out to subscribers by Saturday or so.

I found this out, which is interesting; it will not be in the news stand issues. They run articles like this for subscribers only, by zip code. When I asked why, they said it is geared to the affluent markets only. :thumbsdn:

Personally, I think that is major discrimination.

Not cool :no:
Could you scan the article and post it here perhaps? for us non-subscribers..

[saltwater]

Not cool :no:
Could you scan the article and post it here perhaps? for us non-subscribers..

Please Lu? :thmbsp:

[masterlu]

Not cool :no:
Could you scan the article and post it here perhaps? for us non-subscribers..


Absolutely! :thmbsp:

P.S> I'm not renewing my subscription either. I still can't believe it!

[howiebrou]

How can we get a copy of this if we are not subscribers?? :thumbsdn: Ivan, any chance of saving a (signed) copy :scratch2::scratch2:

howie

[vintage_tube]

Please assist me in my quest for a pair of MC2301's --- I'm selling copies of my subscriber issue for $5 + mailing.

Just kidding -- I wouldn't know what to do with all the money. ha

[masterlu]

How can we get a copy of this if we are not subscribers?? :thumbsdn: Ivan, any chance of saving a (signed) copy :scratch2::scratch2:

howie

Maybe, if you're a good rat...

[howiebrou]

Maybe, if you're a good rat...

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u43/howiebrou/winged_rat.gif

[masterlu]

The issue date will be March 10, 2008. As mentioned the article will only appear in Subscriber issues. I will post the article here.

Thanks to Everyone!

[Mack]

This is what the US March 10 issue looks like

81010

[Mack]

81012


"Nothing but the best or why bother?" is Ivan Messer's motto. His son describes him as a "first class or stay home" kind of guy. So it came as no surprise to his family when the 51-year-old money manager from Coral Springs, Fla., spent five years and a million dollars building a home theater. His setup includes 14 speakers, 16 amplifiers and 400 amps of current--more power than entire homes consume. "The system makes the speakers and walls disappear," says Messer. "You could get seasick watching Master and Commander in my theater."

Even more important to Messer than his 10-ft. (3 m) screen or $60,000 overhead projector is the McIntosh name that adorns every piece of audio gear. And we're not referring to Steve Jobs' brand--that would be MacIntosh--but to the American producer of hi-fi components, which has cultivated an insanely loyal following over the past 50 years. Messer started accumulating the brand about 20 years ago, as soon as he could afford its bank-breaking prices. He spent $25,000 on his first system--a steal compared with the four 7-ft.-tall (2 m) XRT2K Mac loudspeakers he recently purchased for $45,000 each. "It's a big boy toy," he says. "If there were another brand better, I would get it, but 90% of what McIntosh makes is the best in its class."

But being the best--or the highest priced--doesn't guarantee profits. Attacked by Japanese copycat brands from below and other cult brands from above over the past decade, the audio market has become a rough place for niche labels like McIntosh. That led to a buyout 4 1/2 years ago by D&M Holdings, a Japanese audio company traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange--a far cry from the rural headquarters of the McIntosh Laboratory in Binghamton, N.Y.

D&M Holdings was itself formed by the merger of Denon and Marantz, two struggling, mid-to-upper market Japanese audio firms, with an investment by the private-equity group Ripplewood Holdings. Soon after, D&M went on a consolidation spree, snapping up additional A/V brands like Boston Acoustics, Snell Acoustics, Replay TV, Escient and recently Calrec Audio, a British company that builds mixing consoles for broadcast production. Mac fit as the crown jewel. "I call us a big start-up," says Victor Pacor, D&M's president. In the past fiscal year, the company had sales of almost $1 billion and earnings of $53 million.

Perhaps you've heard that tune before? It's the strategy that Bernard Arnault used so brilliantly in creating LVMH out of a bunch of high-end, underachieving fashion labels: share resources, consolidate the back end to cut costs but nourish the brands' creativity, quality and individuality. "They have more money to do better development and make better products," says audiophile Tim Schwartz, 47, of Goodyear, Ariz., who owns $250,000 worth of McIntosh gear. "The company is leaving them alone so Randall can do his thing."

That would be Charlie Randall, 42, since 2003 McIntosh's amicable and revered president, who started working at the company when he was a 19-year-old student at Rochester Institute of Technology. Randall was there in 1991 when the outfit was bought by Clarion, a car-audio specialist, which transformed the brand into a supplier for the luxury-car market.

But ultimately, Randall wanted McIntosh to return to its roots, making superior vacuum tubes and solid-state amplifiers with enormous amounts of power and bulletproof accuracy. (Higher power and lower distortion rates are what characterized the revolutionary amplifier that launched the company in 1949.) By adding leading-edge CD players, music servers for digital files and iPod docks, Mac would be set for the next generation of audiophiles. D&M Holdings liked the plan. "We told them, 'Here is an opportunity to create what you want,'" says Pacor. "You can't do that when you're struggling to make payroll." One such venture: the first McIntosh turntable, to address the underground resurgence of vinyl. Yours for $8,000.

D&M has also infused much needed capital and resources into Binghamton's baby to expand its global footprint. Since the takeover in May 2003, McIntosh's export business has boomed; nearly half its retail is now outside the U.S. Mac sales have increased 59%, while production costs have decreased 11.5%. The net effect: gross profits are up a stunning 80%.

Rapid expansion has not altered the company's small-town feel. The Binghamton factory, while churning out a wide range of products, creates only a few of each per month, so outsourcing isn't efficient. Besides, customers swear by Mac's personal touch, with many making a pilgrimage to upstate New York for a factory tour. (Diehards bring their owner's manual so Randall can autograph it.) "Mac is one of those companies like Harley-Davidson that is nostalgic and supports U.S. jobs," says Schwartz. "How could you leave something like that?" There is still some hand assembly, and a final inspector, Shirley, approves each product before shipping. "We are never the earliest developers of a technology," says Randall. "We wait for the dust to settle, and then the technology is mature enough so we can add to it."

Still, who can afford $45,000 speakers? Rock stars, pro athletes, doctors, lawyers and audiophiles so obsessed with music they will skimp on other areas. "No one buys McIntosh when they're paying college tuition," says Pacor. L.A. Reid, chairman of Island Def Jam Music Group, got hooked 20 years ago. His first piece was a Mac preamp, and today he has Mac gear in his home and every professional music setting. "I am superstitious and had so many hit records with the preamp that I kept it and still have it today," says Reid. Those hits include Kanye West's Late Registration and OutKast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. "I think the average untrained person can hear that it's a smoother, silkier sound, a very warm sound that doesn't mistreat the music but enhances it."

After a factory demonstration, my amateur ears attest that the sound I heard was off the charts. I don't know if it was the widespread dynamic range, the subwoofer that made my pants shake or the power that seeped into my bones. I inquired about the cheapest McIntosh purchase. "It's $3,500," Randall said. Not so bad, I thought. "But that's just for the power and preamp." The $45,000 speakers are extra.

[Gaucho1]

Very Cool!

[@TOMMY@]

Excellent!
Is that the only pic?

[masterlu]

Mack thank you for posting the Article. I am in the Cape right now planning my new Theater. I did get to see the feature before I left.

Ivan

[Mack]

Excellent!
Is that the only pic?

The only one I saw.

[Gaucho1]

I'm on to you, Mack!

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1718581,00.html

[MisterBritt]

Great, great, great. I love it. Thanks for posting. :thmbsp:

[@TOMMY@]

The only one I saw.

Alright. Still a great article. Thanks for posting :music:

[salm]

Thanks for posting! This is cool.

[Jem666]

By adding leading-edge CD players, music servers for digital files and iPod docks, Mac would be set for the next generation of audiophiles.

so...we can expect a MciPodDock soon :scratch2:

[ron-c]

Reporters will say anything.

Thanks,
Ron-C

[@TOMMY@]

so...we can expect a MciPodDock soon :scratch2:

Will it have the 3D fiber optic glass panel and a blue meter? :scratch2:

[taylode]

Will it have the 3D fiber optic glass panel and a blue meter? :scratch2:

Or, how about a Mc iPod complete with Mc headphones. :music:

[vintage_tube]

I'm a subscriber and in that section of the issue -- has an article on "How to buy your own Island." Great, the advise I really need. I guess I can throw away all my "Island Buyers Guides" I've been picking up at the local 7-11 & been saving for the years ahead.

Thanks for posting the article.

[Mack]

I'm a subscriber and in that section of the issue -- has an article on "How to buy your own Island." Great, the advise I really need. I guess I can throw away all my "Island Buyers Guides" I've been picking up at the local 7-11 & been saving for the years ahead.

Thanks for posting the article.

You will not have to worry about disturbing the neighbours with loud music. See it all comes together :D

[howiebrou]

Or, how about a Mc iPod complete with Mc headphones. :music:

How about this McWalkman :naughty:

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u43/howiebrou/McPhoneThree.jpg

[vinyldavid]

So, now we have TWO Ak members in TIME!

WTG Ivan!

[Kevin M.]

The speaker side is where it gets tricky. This equipment would really not cut it with XRT1K's. I am running 2 MC501's a side and that is barely enough.

MORE,MOOOOOOORRRRRE, MORE POWER, MO POWER. MO, MO! Got luv a Mcintosh guy, big power guys.:)