Inside America’s legendary audio gear factory
Making it old school (Stan Horaczek/)Frank McIntosh and Gordon Gow launched their home stereo company in 1949, one year after the invention of the long-playing record. Vinyl introduced consumers to high-fidelity sound and created a demand for audiophile equipment previously reserved for broadcasters. McIntosh has since earned a reputation for quality components built largely by hand at its factory in upstate New York. Although speakers, turntables, and music streamers all roll down the assembly conveyors, audio aficionados most revere the warm sound of the company’s amplifiers. Some models rank among the finest ever created for home use. Others powered the audio stacks at somewhat larger venues, like Woodstock and Grateful Dead concerts.All hands on deck. (Stan Horaczek/)The human touch is crucial to everything McIntosh builds. An automated water jet cuts the glass faceplates used on its amplifiers and other gear, but the precise work of finishing the edges and applying...