McIntosh has powered through the past two years under very difficult circumstances in New York with incredible proficiency. As we discovered during our recent factory tour in Binghamton, the company has not allowed the pandemic and supply chain issues to derail some very important new product introductions like the MC3500 MKII Vacuum Tube Power Amplifier.
McIntosh is not like other brands and a healthy McIntosh Group is good for the entire industry because it lets us know if consumers are really spending on high-end components; and more affordable high-end products like Pro-Ject turntables and Rotel integrated amplifiers.
The brand new McIntosh MA8950 and MA9500 definitely fall into the more expensive product category but they are also two of their most popular products and were definitely due for an upgrade.
Shared features of the MA8950 and MA9500 include:
- McIntosh signature large Blue Watt Meters and front panel dial controls.
- McIntosh Autoformer™ amplifiers can deliver full power with 2, 4, or 8 Ohm speaker impedance.
- McIntosh’s Power Guard® technology continuously monitors input and output signal and dynamically adjust input levels for maximum output while avoiding distortion and clipping that would cause speaker damage.
- Fuse-less short-circuit protection technology (Sentry Monitor™) can disengage the output stage before current exceeds safe operating levels and resets automatically when operating conditions return to normal.
- McIntosh Monogrammed Heatsinks™ made from high-quality materials provides excellent thermal conductivity and heat dissipation properties.
- Home Theater Audio PassThru allows for easy integration into a home theater system.
- High Drive headphone amplifier with Headphone Crossfeed Director (HXD®) for a more “speaker-like” listening experience – 1/4-inch headphone connection.
- Power Control to send power on/off signals to connected McIntosh components for easy system power up and shutdown.
DA2 Digital Audio Module installed on both models – Roon Tested designation from Roon Labs.
McIntosh MA8950
Here are some of the additional features and specifications of the MA8950.
- Power Output: 200 Watts x 2 (0.005% maximum THD from 20Hz to 20kHz)
- Analog Audio Inputs: 1 Balanced, 6 Unbalanced, Moving Coil and Moving Magnet phono inputs.
- Digital Audio Inputs: 2 Digital Coaxial, 2 Digital Optical, 1 HDMI (ARC), 1 USB, and 1 MCT (used with McIntosh SACD/CD transports).
- 5-Band EQ/Tone Control: +/- 12dB range in 2dB increments at 30Hz, 250Hz, 500Hz, 2kHz, and 10kHZ.
- Amplifier Weight: 75 pounds.
For complete features and specs, check out the official MA8950 product page.
McIntosh MA9500
In addition to the above, here are some of the additional features and specifications of the MA9500.
- Power Output: 300 Watts x 2 (0.005% maximum THD) from 20Hz to 20kHz
- Analog Audio Inputs: 2 Balanced, 6 Unbalanced, Moving Coil and Moving Magnet phono inputs.
- Digtial Audio Inputs: 2 Digital Coaxial, 2 Digital Optical, 1 HDMI (ARC), 1 USB, and one MCT (used with McIntosh SACD/CD transports).
- 8-Band EQ/Tone Control: +/- 12dB range in 2dB increments at 25Hz, 50Hz, 100Hz, 200Hz, 400Hz, 1kHz, 2.5kHz, and 10kHZ.
- Speaker Terminals: McIntosh Solid Cinch Speaker Binding Posts
- Amplifier Weight: 101 pounds
For complete features and specs, check out the official MA9500 product page.
Availability & Pricing
The McIntosh MA8950 and MA9500 can be purchased through Authorized McIntosh Dealers at the following prices: $12,000 (MA9500), $9,000 (MA8950).
