The McIntosh Amplifiers – McIntosh mc205, ma7000, mc225 and ma 6900

One of the popular amplifiers in the McIntosh family is the McIntosh 205. The MC205 is famous for its high-performance in regard to the home theatre systems. This belongs to the category where the power range is about 200 watts for all the 5 individual channels present in the home theatres. The MC205 includes the signature technologies of the McIntosh family like the Dynamic Power Manager which helps it to give the entire power to the 8 as well as 4 Ohm speakers. This functionality makes the MC205 a good choice for home theatre speakers. There is the option to use it as a two-zone amplifier where three of the channels will be operated with one zone and the rest of the channels will be given to the second zone. 

When it comes to the MC205 there is no requirement for a cooling fan. This enables even the lowest soundtracks to be audible eliminating the fan noise. Other popular technologies like the Power Guard and Sentry Monitor are also present there.  For enhancing flexibility there are balanced and unbalanced cables for input. There are three blue watt meters, which give instant recognition for the power output in the case of the front channels. The appearance of the MC205 is classic with the black glass front panel combined with the custom machined end caps.

Looking into the power assurance system here, it basically combines the technologies which will improve the performance and the reliability along with the protection for the loudspeakers and the amplifiers. There is the Power Guard, which is a waveform comparison circuit. It will monitor the input and the output signals on a continuous basis. In order to prevent clipping during the harsh sound distortion, the Power Guard will adjust accordingly. To prevent damage due to short-circuit the SentryMonitor will disengage the output stage, even before the current goes above the safe level. After this, it will reset automatically. 

There is the Dynamic Power Manager in the MC205 which ensures there is an efficient power transfer. It also makes sure that the distortion is minimized and the cool level of the system is maintained. To maintain the power limits there is the Wattmeter which is also swift in its response. The MC205 comes from one of the most reputable American Companies which is been in the making of audio equipment for over 70 years now. All the high-quality audio instruments have good heights and modern layouts in the case of tube techniques. This particular amplifier is a good choice as it is affordable and delivers high-performance like the competitive ones in the industry.

This is because of the budget as the McIntosh mc205 price is around $3670 to$7800. While the price might start a bit cheaper it does not affect the audio qualities and the functionality of the amplifier. The five balanced and the five linear inputs speak to this fact. All these are present at the end of the platform. Talking about the acoustic outputs, they are kept in two vertical rows. This makes it easier to connect the thickest cables also even when there is minimal space present. With the Dynamic Power Manager, there is better control over the speaker systems. It also extends the power wherever distortions occur. The MC205 might seem simple, but in terms of effectiveness, it is simply extraordinary.

Supplied to the front and the central channel there is the three-pointed indicators which have a good logarithmic scale to show the power. For the back channels, the T is not particularly relevant. It might be because the signal levels are really small. The supply power is similar to the 207 model which gets the power from the 12 kg transformer. All the required electrochemical capacity will be got with six identical characteristics. This will include the parallel in every arm. When looking at the radiators they are also considered to be the power elements present in the body.  The MC205 is considered to be a neutral amplifier. It does not come with a transistor touch. Comparatively, it stands better than all the relevant products in the category in terms of the harmonic and spatial resolution along with the micro-dynamic factors.

When listening to classical music, the balanced inputs show their performance. In the case of rock programs, there is ultra-detaining in the given sound. Due to these facts, all the technical highs and lows are heard in the device. The transfer quality of the low range might be affected because of the position of impedance. As such there are no prominent negative factors in the MC205. It will act as a perfect choice for those who are not very lazy to search for the acoustics, cables, and the pre-amplifiers. It is a good choice for audiophiles. This one is very sensitive to the surrounding components which might not be seen in the other McIntosh devices.

McIntosh MA7000

The MA7000 is considered to be an integrated amplifier. This, however, has some limitations. When taking the space between the speakers into consideration, there is not much happening here. In the case of the elements which are out of phase, they are slightly kept behind the listener and to the sides. This helps in creating the surrounding space. The important factor here is the part behind the speakers. The way the relation of the basic sound connecting the reverberations is built should be one of the highlights of this device. In this case, the company actually promotes the initial one by shortening the last one. This makes the acoustics a little blurry.

When taking the high-end devices into consideration one can see that the products or devices in the later part of the price chain do not give the same quality. Since there is the presence of an extraordinary sound stage the company is lacking in the case of dynamics and distance. But in this case, the dynamics are simply outstanding. However, there is one small hiccup as the sound of the instruments might not be differentiated clearly. This gives the feeling that something is lacking.

In terms of functionality, we can definitely say that the MA7000 is a dream come true. This device does know how to do things in the right way. There is no need to use the tone control here, but people who like to use it can opt for it. Also, there is the MM phono stage, which comes built-in with the device. Along with this when you add a set-up transformer you are all set to go. Pin in some high-grade MC cartridge and go ahead and listen to that classic music collection you have. The McIntosh ma7000 also has a head-amp. It might sound a little mechanical for the audiophiles, but it is still better than the ones found in the other usual amplifiers.

In addition to the existing surprising elements, there is the design which is sure to impress many. People who opt for headphones will have a very different take here as the experience of listening via the sound system will be quite different. Many people prefer to go with headphones and many tend to stick to the sound system. So there is an obvious chance that some might not like this experience. But we would suggest going forward and trying this device out first. This will help in analyzing which part of the crowd you fall into. After listening to music with this sound system and taking the price factor into account, it can be said that many will go home with the MA7000.

This device is considered to be the biggest integrated amplifier in the category belonging to the McIntosh family. Due to this fact, the weight of the amplifier goes to about 45 kgs. The design does represent the classic design for the McIntosh family. In this, the front panel is made out of thick glass. There is the blue illuminated power output found on the upper side. It is mentioned in Wattmeters, which allows the device to show even the smallest power output. There is also the meter system available which is basically kept to satisfy the users. Among them, there is the LED indicator which is part of the company’s signature patents which is the Power Guard.

In order to save the device from overdriving the power, there is a circuit to protect it. This will not abruptly cut the power but it will slightly compress power peaks which will allow the signal waveform to remain stable and make sure that there are no audible distortions. There is also a set of controls present where there are two big controls present on one side and there are five small ones present in the middle. The balance control is present on the left side, whereas the column control is placed on the right side. All the small controls which are kept in the middle part are complex equalizer controls. 

While some may consider the equalizer to be unnecessary in the present day, the right design will eventually come in handy. Equalizers are avoided due to simple reasons. The equalizers which have a very well constructed design will cost a lot of money. But there is no on or off switch present in the given equalizers. The signal will not be processed if the control is present in the middle position. There is also a whole row of pushbuttons present below which contains the input selector as well as the output, mono and mute. The rear panel connections are kept in two separate groups.

The first one is placed in the lower part of the chassis. The next one is placed in the upper part. In the lower part, there are the gold-finished RCA connectors along with the XLR preamplifier output. On the upper side, there are two balanced XLR inputs in addition to the RCA unbalanced which are kept beside them. There are also WBT speaker terminals present, which is similar to the tube amplifiers which will be different for every loading. These preamplifiers and the amplifiers sections will be connected with the help of jumpers. The price of this device will come around $7500. 

McIntosh MC225

The MC225 has two power amplifiers present, which has the capacity of 25 warts present on the one available chassis. This can be used as the usual stereo amplifier. But apart from that, the McIntosh mc225can also be used as a monophonic amplifier due to its flexibility as it delivers 50 watts. It also has two different 25 watts amplifiers where each channel amplifies different programs. There is an electronic crossover network present and this entire flexibility factor allows for maximum use. This makes it a great return on investment. The price of this device will range from US$ 3,194.24 to US$ 5,999.00.

McIntosh MA 6900

This device is particularly designed to give a continuous 200 watts for each channel. Along with this, McIntosh ma6900is also able to give control for 6 input sources which have one balanced input in it and a moving-magnet phono stage which is selectable. The device has a list of features that include the precision trimmed volume, 5-band equalizer, two sets of switched outputs, and loudness compensation.  When comparing with the solid-state amplifiers this one definitely is unique. It has an auto-former in the output stage for each channel. This auto-former is able to stand as a good match for the rest of the speakers in the market. The speakers you own might belong to any category, such as the 2,4 or 8 Ohms. But when it is combined with the McIntosh device, the output received from this device, in the end, will ensure that the expected power is delivered.  

The price of this device will go anywhere from US$ 5,510.00 to US$ 9,000.00. Since these devices are filled up with inert gas and they are glass-encapsulated there is no need to clean the device as it will never oxidize.