(From the McIntosh/Jordan Acoustics press release)
McIntosh Laboratory, the global leader in high-performance home entertainment systems for over 60 years, has launched a highly flexible new integrated amplifier, complete with three-input DAC, high-quality headphone amp, plus a dedicated Moving Magnet phono input. The MA5200 has been designed to deliver the full McIntosh audio experience in a sleek, compact chassis.
Perfect as a modern audiophile system ‘hub’, the MA5200 offers D/A decoding at up to 32-bit/192kHz for digitally connected devices, plus a high-quality complement of analogue inputs. The three-strong digital input suite in the advanced McIntosh Digital Engine includes an assignable coaxial and optical input, plus a dedicated asynchronous USB 2.0 input (operating at up to 32-bit).
The MA5200 has nine inputs in total: four line-level; one balanced; three digital; plus a high-quality MM phono input. Also included, is McIntosh’s new internal High Drive headphone amplifier which offers increased gain and output power, optimising it for virtually every headphone type, from in-ear to over-ear.
Offering a (conservatively rated) 100-watt output, the solid-state MA5200 is every bit a McIntosh thoroughbred and yet has been engineered into a compact 15cm-tall chassis for modestly sized living environments. The MA5200 also benefits from a Home Theatre Pass Through feature, for seamless integration into existing multichannel home cinema systems.
The MA5200 retains McIntosh’s legendary 1950s styling and world-class sound quality, and comes complete with the iconic glass-fronted fascia, retro controls and blue power meters. Further features include McIntosh’s Power Guard® technology: a waveform comparison circuit that continuously monitors both input and output signals, dynamically adjusting them when necessary, in order to avoid potentially damaging clipping.
First unveiled at CES 2013, the new MA5200 is perfectly suited to exploiting the full potential of today’s digital devices, while delivering the legendary McIntosh sound quality from a wide number of source components. Like all McIntosh products, the MA5200 is skillfully handcrafted in the Binghamton, NY factory and boasts classic 1950s styling with contemporary features and technology.
Price and availability
The MA5200 sells for £4,995 and is available now.
McIntosh is distributed in the UK by Jordan Acoustics
Technical specifications
Power output per channel: 100 watts
Speaker impedance: 8 ohms
Rated power band: 20Hz to 20kHz
Total harmonic distortion: 0.005%
Dynamic headroom: 1.8db
Frequency response: +0,-0.5db 20Hz to 20kHz; +0, -3db 10Hz to 100kHz
Sensitivity MM phono: 2.5mv
Sensitivity high level (balanced/unbalanced): 0.5v/0.25v
Sensitivity (power amp): 1v
Signal to noise ratio (moving magnet): 84db
Signal to noise ratio (high level): 95db
Signal to noise ratio (power amp): 110db
Input impedance (balanced/unbalanced):20k/20k
Damping factor: >200
Maximum output (balanced/unbalanced): 8v unbalanced
Connectivity
Headphone output
High drive, high level inputs unbalanced: 4 stereo
High level inputs balanced: 1 stereo
Variable outputs unbalanced: 1 stereo
Digital USB input: 1 (USB 2.0 asynchronous)
Digital coaxial input: 1
Digital optical input: 1
Moving magnet phono
Home theatre pass through
RS232 control input
Power control output
Rear panel data ports
Rear panel IR sensor input
Input level match
General specs
Dual-layer chassis
Output meters
Solid-state design
Standby power requirement: <0.25 watts
Dimensions (WxHxD): (44.45cm) x (15.24cm) x (55.88cm)
Weight: 17.2 kg
About McIntosh Laboratory
Founded in 1949, McIntosh Laboratory is known for offering distinguished quality audio products, superior customer service and the ultimate experience in music and film. All McIntosh products are handcrafted at the Binghamton factory in New York by 130 employees with a passion for music and the McIntosh heritage. McIntosh continues to define the ultimate home entertainment experience for discriminating consumers around the world, with the iconic ‘McIntosh Blue’ Watt Meters globally recognized as a symbol of quality audio.
Since its inception, McIntosh has been powering some of the most important moments in music history and pop culture. From President Lyndon Johnson’s inauguration speech, to Woodstock, to the infamous Grateful Dead ‘Wall of Sound’, McIntosh has not only witnessed history, it has shaped it. With McIntosh, customers have the ability to create their own premium audio experience – and truly live their music.