While an entirely new design, the MC901 comes with the technology one would expect from a McIntosh amplifier:
- Power Guard® that monitors and adjusts the input signal in the 600 Watt solid state amplifier section in real time, then makes unobtrusive adjustments to prevent harsh sounding distortion and potential speaker damaging clipping.
- Power Guard Screen Grid Sensor™ (SGS). The 300 Watt vacuum tube amplifier section of the MC901 breaks new ground as it's our first amplifier to feature our new Power Guard SGS™ technology. Power Guard SGS helps prevent premature vacuum tube failure by monitoring the screen grid current in the KT88 output vacuum tubes. If the current becomes too high, a circuit in Power Guard SGS is activated which then dynamically attenuates the input signal in real time to keep the vacuum tubes operating at safe levels.
- Sentry Monitor™ observes the output current and shuts the amplifier off if it ever exceeds safe limits.
- Quad Balanced design that cancels virtually all noise and distortion that may have crept into the audio signal.
- Power Control that can send power on/off signals to other connected McIntosh components for easy system power up and shutdown.
- Our patented, gold-plated Solid Cinch™ speaker binding posts that easily and securely attach the speaker cables.
- McIntosh Monogrammed Heatsinks™ that are connected to advanced high current output transistors efficiently cool the solid state amplifier section.
- Our Power Management System that will turn the entire unit off after a set amount of time when no input signal has been detected.
Power Output per Channel
Solid State section: 600 Watts @ 2, 4 or 8 Ohms
Vacuum Tube section: 300 Watts @ 2, 4 or 8 Ohms
Number of Channels
1
Total Harmonic Distortion
Solid State section: 0.005% maximum harmonic distortion at any power level from 250 milliwatts to rated power, 20Hz to 20,000Hz
Vacuum Tube section: 0.5% maximum harmonic distortion at any power level from 250 milliwatts to rated power, 20Hz to 20,000Hz
S/N below rated output
Solid State section: 122dB
Vacuum Tube section: 112dB
Dynamic Headroom
Solid State section: 1.8dB
Vacuum Tube section: 1.2dB
Damping Factor
Solid State section: >40
Vacuum Tube section: >18
Rated Power Band
Solid State section: 20Hz to 20kHz
Vacuum Tube section: 20Hz to 20kHz
Frequency Response
Solid State section:
+0, -0.25dB from 20Hz to 20,000Hz
+0, -3dB from 10Hz to 100,000Hz
Vacuum Tube section:
+0, -0.5dB from 20Hz to 20,000Hz
+0, -3dB from 10Hz to 70,000Hz
CONTROL
Remote Power Control
Yes
Multi-Channel DB25 Cable
N/A
CONNECTIVITY
Speaker Binding Post Type
Patented Solid Cinch™ Speaker Binding Posts
GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS
Circuit Configuration
Solid State section: Quad Balanced
Vacuum Tube section: Unity Coupled
Circuit Design
Solid State and Vacuum Tube
Mono Bridge
No
Mono Parallel
No
Output Type
Solid State section: Autoformer™
Vacuum Tube section: Unity Coupled Output Transformer
Meters
DualView™ Power Output Meter
Meter Light Switch
Yes
Balanced Input
3 (1 Solid State, 1 Vacuum Tube, 1 Composite)
Front Panel
Glass
Illumination
Direct LED
Chassis Style
Polished stainless steel & black painted steel
WEIGHTS & DIMENSIONS
Dimensions (W x H x D)
17-1/2" (44.45cm) x 13-1/4" (33.7cm) (including feet) x 29-1/2" (74.9m)
Warranty
3 Years
Manufacturer
McIntosh
Model Number
MC901
Colour
Black
Total weight
77kg
Length
750mm
Width
440mm
Height
331mm
Voltage
220v / 240v Only