MX135 AV Control Center: This fourth generation preamp/processor proves indisputably that McIntosh is a prime force in high performance audio/video. The MX135, which combines unerring sonic fidelity with maximum video flexibility, features five sets of component video inputs along with composite and S-video up-conversion. Pro Logic IIx lets you listen to stereo recordings through a full complement of theater speakers for enhanced realism, and a phono input, meticulously shielded for minimal noise, even lets you play LPs though the MX135. An optional, dealer-installed tuner module, the McIntosh TM1, is available for those who want the finest FM reception.

MC207 7-Channel Amplifier: Home theater sound should be backed by muscle, but never at the cost of musicality. That’s the reasoning behind this multi-channel amp, which delivers full power of 200 watts-per-channel x 7 channels into either 4 or 8 ohm speakers. The MX207 provides everything expected of today’s highly refined McIntosh amps: soft-start in-rush current protection, which cushions components during startup; oversized, cool-running power supply; remote power control trigger; stainless steel inverted chassis design with exposed heat sinks; multi-way speaker binding posts; balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA input jacks, all gold plated; peak-responding wattmeters with switchable hold function; and McIntosh’s own glass front panel with fiber-optic illuminated nomenclature.

C2300 tube preamplifier: This unit offers substantial advancements over its popular predecessor, the C2200, including all new circuit design, the flagship C1000’s phono stage and an audibly improved line stage. It also boasts a fiber-optic, LED-lit front panel and meter as well as paired phono inputs with remote-controllable variable loading and impedance adjustment. Seven inputs accommodate as many as three power amps, and users are able to assign or delete inputs, all of which have memory-storable bass, treble and mono settings. Add a top-mounted glass window that exposes the glow of the C2300’s tubes, and you know this preamp is destined to become an audiophile classic.

C1000 Configurable Controller + Tube/Solid State Preamplifier:
This is the ultimate stereo control/preamplification system. For true musical purity, components that generate noise (display, power supply transformer and others) are housed in an enclosure that isolates them from the signal path. The C1000C controller module mates with either the C1000T tube preamplifier, the solid state C1000P preamplifier, or with both simultaneously. The first configuration is for listeners who prefer the sweet sound of tube electronics while the second is for those who want solid state. Combining all three modules will give you tube sound or solid state performance from any linked music source at any given time. Whatever configuration you choose, you get a host of features, including: low-noise moving magnet and moving coil phono inputs; fully balanced circuitry; dual mono mirror-image design; three outputs per channel for tri-amping; listen and record processor loops; peak responding output meters; front panel 1/4-inch headphone jack; remote controllability; fiber-optic front panel illumination; fluorescent display of operating modes; and passthrough home theater mode.

MC402 Power Amplifier: Naturally, McIntosh offers several power amps, but we’re spotlighting this one because it provides the most power per dollar. In the stereo mode, you get 400 watts per channel while mono power output doubles to 800 watts. Happily, a high power-to-price ratio doesn’t mean the MC402 skimps on features. It provides balanced differential design; Output Autoformer, a handcrafted device exclusive to McIntosh that provides an ideal impedance match for all speaker types; McIntosh’s Power Guard, which prevents the audibly disturbing distortion on musical peaks that can also damage speakers; Sentry Monitor, which keeps voltage and current output within a safe limit; thermal sensors and DC failure protection; turn-on delay and soft start inrush protection; balanced connections; remote power control; illuminated peak-responding wattmeters and fiber-optic light diffuser illumination; plus a striking new 3D glass front panel design.

MC2102 Tube Power Amplifier: McIntosh understands why some listeners continue to insist on traditional vacuum tube amps, which have a sound unique to them. That’s why its current product roster includes the MC2102, a 100 watt-per-channel dual-monoblock amplifier that descends directly from the company’s earliest product, the 50W-1. Like that groundbreaking amplifier, this latter day tube unit features Frank McIntosh’s famous Unity Coupled circuit, which has been refined over the years and continues to set standards for wide bandwidth, flat frequency response and low distortion. The MC2102 is pure McIntosh — which is to say top tier — in every other respect as well, from its ceramic tube sockets with their gold plated contacts to its remote power control trigger. The sound is sweet, and the sight of all those illuminated tubes through the amplifier’s front-panel viewing window is lovely to behold.

MA6900 Integrated Amplifier: Integrated amplifiers, because they combine preamp and amp on a single chassis, save buyers both money and space. In this category, we recommend the MA6900 for its high power output and numerous features. Conservatively rated — McIntosh amps are rigorously tested and rated very conservatively — at 200 watts per channel, it allows users to control as many as six attached source components, and its moving magnet phono input is easily changed to an auxiliary high level input. The MA6900’s 5-band equalizer is a big help in taming room acoustics and can make old recordings sound considerably better. You needn’t worry about powering more than a single pair of speakers with this amplifier, since it’s capable of handling loads down to 2 ohms. 

MCD201 CD/SACD Player: McIntosh designed the innovative MCD201 from the ground up to give you more from your Compact Discs and Super Audio Compact Discs. Its specially designed transport spins CDs at four times normal speed and SACDs at twice normal speed; this gives the laser more chances to focus on digitally encoded data and extract musical information. High performance multibit D/A converters provide wide dynamic range with ultra-low distortion, and you get all the imaging, air and musical nuance a disc includes. Not only does a precision analog volume control (duplicated on the unit’s handheld remote) let you connect the player directly to a power amp and speakers for a streamlined CD-only playback system that eliminates the preamp, but the MCD201 also has enough gain to drive just about any amp to full power. A built-in high performance headphone amp behind the 1/4-inch headphone jack on the front panel takes the fine art of private listening to new levels, and a front panel switch mutes rear panel outputs during headphone listening.

MR85 FM/AM Tuner: Because company founder Frank McIntosh was a former radio engineer, it’s fitting that the MR85 is a broadcast-grade monitor, an instrument that receives radio signals with a rare degree of fidelity. This superb tuner employs a smooth flywheel-weighted knob that during manual tuning actuates a sophisticated optical encoder, and it has permanent memory for 18 preset stations, nine FM and nine AM. An alphanumeric fluorescent display shows the selected band (FM or AM), signal strength, station frequency and station preset number. Presets can be labeled with names up to eight characters long.