So after 6 months of dealing with the limited McIntosh system I finally got around to replacing it. BUT... I wanted to do something that nobody else seems to have done and that is to fully integrate the McIntosh amp and factory speakers with an aftermarket head unit. After hours of forum searching and research, I could not find a single thread that achieved this without bypassing the McIntosh amp and/or replacing it with an after market amp but I was convinced it could be done. What you wil