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McIntosh Group gets a grip

McIntosh Group gets a grip

At a packed presentation on the island of Sardinia, the McIntosh Group (Audio Research Corporation, McIntosh Laboratory, Pryma, Sonus faber, Sumiko, and Wadia Digital, as well as the World of McIntosh stores and ‘Experience Center’ spaces opening around the planet) announced several a slew of new and upcoming products across its many lines.

Earlier in the year, Audio Research announced its Foundation Series; a trio of PH9 phono stage, DAC9 DAC, and LS28 line preamplifier all priced at $7,500 that all draw heavily from the Reference Series. During the post-presentation listening sessions, the first examples of these three new devices were being played in a system that also comprised a Pro-Ject Signature 12 turntable with a Sumiko Palo Santos MC cartridge for vinyl and a MacBook Pro running Fidelia for digital, together with a pair of Audio Research’s Reference 250 mono power amps all on Bassocontinuo stands and connected with Shunyata Research cables, and a pair of Sonus faber Il Cremonese floorstanding loudspeakers. The Sumiko subwoofer in the system was a prototype but was not used. This was the first time anyone outside of the Minnesota factory had heard the three new amplifier components, and the initial listening results were positive, even in a relatively narrow room.

, McIntosh Group gets a grip

Later in the year, a new matching power amplifier called the VT80 will join the Foundation Series. The stereo, 75W VT80 will ship with KT120 output valves as standard for $7,500, or with KT150s for a premium (the new KT150 costing roughly 4x as much as the KT120). The amplifier has a sophisticated active auto-biasing that is suggested to operate each time the amplifier is powered up, can support balanced or single-ended operation and is expected to ship by the end of the year. Sadly, no samples were available at the event, but Audio Research Senior Engineer Ward Fiebiger showed a photo of the mock-up during his presentation.

, McIntosh Group gets a grip

 

Now, to McIntosh. The legendary brand announced three models, all on display or playing in the second listening room, and all expected in August. This season, McIntosh showcased three new products, including the company’s first standalone phono stage, the $2,000 MP100. A midi-sized phono stage, the MP100 has six adjustable loadings for both moving coil and moving magnet cartridges, and has capacity to rip LPs to a computer, as it also includes a USB connection and a built-in 24/96kHz analogue-digital converter. The smaller, narrower chassis is designed to match in with McIntosh’s existing MXA70 system, MHA100 headphone amp, and MB50 streamer, to add LP to these systems.

, McIntosh Group gets a grip

This is joined by the $7,000 C2600 valve preamplifier, which adds a more substantial digital conversion stage to the current C2300 and C2500 one-box chassis. With seven digital inputs (including USB and McIntosh’s proprietary MCT connection, but curiously not Ethernet), the new preamplifier features an onboard 32bit/384kHz DAC capable of DSD256 and DXD 384kHz performance, as well as three balanced and four single-ended analogue inputs, a separate moving coil and moving magnet input, a home theatre pass-through and McIntosh’s Headphone Crossfeed Director, which brings a loudspeaker-like presentation to headphone listening.

, McIntosh Group gets a grip

Last up from McIntosh was the MVP901 Audio Video Player. This upsampling to 4K Blu-ray player also supports SACD, DVD-Audio, and CD through its own transport mechanism, as well as replay of audio (and video) files through its three USB ports and its Ethernet connection. Alongside the eight 32bit/192kHz channels of on-board decoding, the player includes coaxial and optical digital outputs. A first for McIntosh AV disc spinners, the MVP901’s disc loading time is somewhat faster than ‘glacial’.

, McIntosh Group gets a grip

These were on display in a second room, which was shared with a system comprising MCT450 player, MB50 streamer, D150 DAC/preamp, C1100 two-box analogue preamplifier, MEN220 room correction, MC601 mono amps, and MPC1500 power conditioner, into a pair of custom McIntosh finish Sonus faber Lilium loudspeakers ($5,000 premium over the standard $70,000 per pair price). The system demonstrated the effectiveness of the RoomPerfect correction system, albeit to the person in the hot seat.

, McIntosh Group gets a grip

There was also a brief suggestion of a timeline of future products, including a new McIntosh RS200 arriving in September this year and an even larger RS400 system scheduled for September 2017, and the McIntosh ‘BT’ – very likely a Bluetooth headphone – between them, set for a CES 2017 launch. In addition, owners of the MX160 AV processor can look forward to a V2.0 software update later this year.

 

Perhaps the most interesting launch at the show was the new Sf16, a distinctive all-in-one lifestyle system. Drawing upon S-f’s first product (the original ‘snail’ system), the Sf16 combines a new 3D shaped wood and brushed chrome exterior, powered outrigger ‘ears’ for the mid and tweeter and a central bass unit that borrows heavily from the best of 1950s sci-fi with the front grill shape from classic 1960s Chevy Camaro. The system – expected to cost around €10,000 – features front-and-rear firing midrange and tiny Peter Larsen-designed 12.7mm tweeters in the pods, with a long-throw aluminium/magnesium bass cone in the main unit. It is designed to be both a standalone design-led system or a part of a multi-room wireless audio network.

, McIntosh Group gets a grip

The new Sf16 is designed for wireless playback and supports 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi protocols, but uses DTS Play-fi instead of the more commonplace Bluetooth (or Apple AirPlay). This means users of iOS or Android phones and tablets, and PC owners, can access the Sf16 through a DTS Play-fi app or program, but MacOS users with MacBooks and iMacs (and AppleTV users) have to rely on wired coaxial or optical S/PDIF or analogue RCA inputs. There is a USB input, but this is reserved for firmware updates. In truth, the Play-fi only option seems a little strange: the wealthy, style-led people Sonus faber is targeting with the Sf16 are precisely the kind of people who use Apple computers. They also use iPads, however; so perhaps it’s not quite as strange as it first appears because Play-fi offers the iPad user greater multi-system flexibility and latency-free playback than iTunes.

, McIntosh Group gets a grip

This new system was unveiled at the show to considerable fanfare and lots of appreciative excitement from the distributors and dealers at the show. The hand-built nature of the Sf16 means that just 200 per year will be produced, and even before these dealers and distributors knew how it performed (or its cost) the order books were filled to the start of 2018.

, McIntosh Group gets a grip

The system itself was on display in one of nearby villas, an elegant venue that possibly reflects the environment in which many Sf16s will ultimately reside. Two samples were on display, coupled with several McIntosh RS100 Play-fi enabled wireless loudspeaker systems. This showed precisely how little latency Play-fi offers a wireless network as all systems played in perfect sync. Naturally, the interior Sf16 system sounded a lot better than the poolside one. The Sf16, whether app controlled, or driven from the few buttons on its curved top panel, sounded good for a ‘lifestyle’ system, going more for the refinement and elegance of sound that typifies Sonus faber, than the scaled down slam-bam! sound of some of its peers. It’s early days and we want to hear more, but we think the combination of its performance, looks, and the sheer cool of powered opening wings will prove extremely enticing for many prospective buyers at this level.

, McIntosh Group gets a grip

Sonus faber also showed a ‘teaser’ video advert about future loudspeakers, which looked more like a trailer for a Bond movie. The implication was there are new loudspeakers on the way, which draw heavy influence from classic Riva motor launches. Given the longest standing range in the current S-f line is the Homage series, it stands to reason there is either a new range or a new line of Homage models far down the pipeline.

The newest brand in the line, the headphone line Pryma, had no new models on display, although a new all black ‘Notte’ variant on the 0/1 model launched last year is expected soon. For CES 2017, Pryma is expected to add a Bluetooth wireless version of the 0/1 called the ‘Aria’, and hinted at an in-ear ‘Pulce’ and a second ‘Piuma’ headphone later in 2017. There was also discussion of an undisclosed ‘Bomba’ from the brand set to appear in October 2017. What the Bomba actually is remains a mystery, however.

Finally, there was something of a holding pattern on Sumiko and Wadia. There were no new developments or impending launches from either brand at this time, but this was more ‘watch this space’ than ‘zombie brand’. Wadia’s latest ranges of products continue unchanged for now, but it seems like developments are in the pipeline, possibly once this latest round of McIntosh Group launches are finalised.

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