“When they were sold” is the key to that.
Mark set a standard for the appearance of the equipment. Dan followed sit and evolved Mark’s work (he also got many of the original engineers when Mark moved on from ML).
Both company’s products, from the early days of each, still command silly sums of money (and will need refurbishment).
Personally, I knew about McIntosh before the other brands of hi-end, but I never liked their appearance. I always thought they looked “old” and still, I am not attracted to their appearance at all. My best friend’s dad had a wall of McIntosh equipment- it was loud, clear and complicated to operate. It just never did it for me.
But, conversely, I respect them as a company for staying more true to their roots than any other hi-end company. That is something to be proud of for sure.