I was born around the time the first McIntosh amps were built! Excellent synergy! Great combinations with Klipsch! Early Mac amps had a rated 0.5 % THD. This is, `high' by today's standards, consider: McIntosh rates conservatively, and one apparent advantage: tubes were all that we had for a long time. `We became used to this sound.' Looks like: tube amps when they distort, produce Even Order Harmonics Distortion. Solid State, transistor: Odd Order Harmonics Distortion. We, generally perceive even order THD to be, `nice, even desirable.' Conversely, Odd Order THD is, `undesirable, grating, akin to scraping chalk on a chalkboard.' Can be very bad, intolerable for melodic music! UNLESS - You like very highly distorted Rock Guitar Music - Fuzz Tone, HEAVY DEATH METAL, Black Sabbath, & such! Then, likely an advantage! Is the concept: Very High Fidelity, Audiophile level reproduction of Lemmy Kilmister, `Motorhead Band,' `music' reproduction, a contra - diction? Even, an, `Oxy - MORON?'