A CONSUMER'S GUIDE
Preparation supervised by
Robert Long. Harold A Rodgers.
and Edward J. Foster
Laboratory data (unless otherwise rioted)
supplied by CBS Technology Center
Mclntosh's New Receiver: Breeding Tells
Mac 4100 stereo FM/AM receiver, in case with simulated
wood-grain finish, Dimensions: 18
5
/
8
by 5
3
/
4
inches (front), 14
inches deep plus clearance for controls and connections. AC
convenience outlets: 2 switched plus 1 unswitched (600 wafts
total), 2 for auto on turntable switching (100 watts total).
Price: $1,499; optional RMA-5 rack-mounting adapter. $29.
Warranty: three-year service contract, free with purchase of
the receiver, has provisions comparable to typical "limited"
warranties but covers normal wear and tear. Manufacturer:
Mclntosh Laboratory, Inc.. 2 Chambers St., Binghamton. N.Y.
13903.
Mclntosh has for some years kept a very low profile vis-a-vis
the press. This hiatus in communications has fostered a po-
larization of opinion about Mclntosh: Is the company still de
serving of its reputation for superb engineering, or is it trad-
ing on past glories? One review can't provide a definitive
answer, of course, but the Mac 4100 receiver can be taken as
a positive sign of health in Binghamton.
The personality of this receiver is like that of an accom-
plished servant used to coping with pampered aristocrats who
demand the finest but are not always technically knowl-
edgeable or manually dexterous. Accordingly, it takes respon-
sibility in a manner that, paradoxically enough, is unassuming
yet quite intolerant of intervention by its master. But once it
has taken over, it performs virtually impeccably and can even
ward off the consequences of ineptitude without noticeable
fuss.
REPORT POLICY Equipment reports are based on laboratory measure
merits and controlled listening tests Unless otherwise noted, test data and
measurements are obtained by CBS Technology Center, Stamford. Connecticut,
a division of Columbia Broadcasting System. Inc . one of the nation's leading
research organizations. The choice of equipment to be tested rests with the
editors of HIGH FIDELITY Samples normally are supplied on loan from the manu-
tacturer Manufacturers are not permitted to read reports in advance of pub-
hcation, and no report, or portion thereof, may be reproduced for any purpose
or in any form without written permission of the publisher. All reports should
be construed as applying to the specific samples tested, neither HIGH FIDELITY
nor CBS Technology Center assumes responsibility for product performance or
quality
FEBRUARY 1979
33
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