WE sensed it was coming, and here it is – the new flagship integrated amplifier from McIntosh Labs, the MA9000. Apparently, the MA8900 shown a couple of months ago is a less intimidating beast.
The MA9000 brims with all the features you would need of a combo amp unit, including 300 watts per channel of power on tap – this is the true replacement for the MA8000.
There are 10 pairs of analogue inputs – two balanced, six unbalanced and one each for MM and MC for turntable connectivity (with adjustable loading). All unbalanced analogue connectors are premium gold-plated solid brass.
On the digital front, there are two coaxial, two optical, one USB and one MCT input (for use with the MCT450 SACD/CD Transport), all housed in the new DA1 Digital Audio Module, which is future-proof.
The DA1 features an eight-channel, 32-bit DAC in “Quad Balanced” mode. The coaxial and optical inputs will decode music up to 24-bit/192kHz; the USB input accepts PCM signals up to 32-bit/384kHz resolution and supports up to DSD256 and DXD 384kHz. All inputs can be custom-named; they function independently of each other and are always available for use regardless of how your sources are connected.
Additionally, from the literature:
The MA9000 features our new McIntosh Monogrammed Heatsinks that are made from high quality materials with excellent thermal conductivity properties. They are so efficient at dissipating heat that they warrant bearing the McIntosh “Mc” logo. They also have a higher quality finish thanks to a new manufacturing process. They are connected to advanced high current output transistors that eliminate thermal equilibrium lag time (or warm-up time), meaning the first note played will sound just as good as those played later in your listening session.
New, more powerful control microprocessors have been used in the MA9000 to improve overall system operation. Some of the latest audio-grade circuit components have also been utilised to allow the MA9000 to deliver the best sound possible. The MA9000 has enough power to properly drive virtually all loudspeakers – and our renowned McIntosh Autoformer guarantees your speakers will always receive that full 300 Watts regardless if they have 2, 4 or 8 Ohm impedance.
Other McIntosh features included in the MA9000 are:
– Power Guard that monitors and adjusts the sound wave at the speed of light to prevent harsh sounding distortion and clipping that could damage your speakers.
– Sentry Monitor is our fuse-less short-circuit protection circuit that disengages the output stage before current exceeds safe operating levels and then resets automatically when operating conditions return to normal.
– Home Theater PassThru that allows for seamless integration into a home theatre system.
– High Drive headphone amplifier with Headphone Crossfeed Director (HXD) which can bring an added dimension to headphone listening.
-A discrete, eight-band tone control that allows for advanced manual analogue adjustment of your favourite recordings.
– Power Control to send power on/off signals to connected McIntosh components for easy system power up and shutdown.
– Our patented Solid Cinch speaker binding posts that easily but securely attach the speaker cables to prevent them from coming loose and possibly causing a short; the binding posts are also gold-plated to prevent corrosion and ensure a quality signal is sent over your speaker cables to your speakers.
The MA9000 is wrapped in the classic McIntosh aesthetic with blue watt meters, a black glass front panel, control knobs, illuminated logo, aluminium end caps with built-in handles and a polished stainless steel chassis.
Check with your local dealer if you need more information.
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