MCINTOSH MC1.2KW

MJ11.09.2014

Power amplifiers

The McIntosh MC1.2KW is an excellent power amplifier. I cannot image an audio system where the MC1.2KW would be the weakest link. Therefore it is a pity that McIntosh Labs have no CD player or a preamplifier on the same qualitative level in their catalogue.

Function and form

95%

Ease of use

81%

Sound

96%

Appearance

McIntosh builds all the amplfier around the same principles (most notably the Output Autoformer section) so I am not going to repeat them - please check Audiodrom's review of the MC501power amplifier for more details. The key performance specifications of the MC1.2KW are that it is a mono amplifier with 1,200 W of continuous output power (200 A), 0,005% distortion, the damping factor of 100 and 124dB of signal-to-noise ratio.

The MC1.2KW has three inputs, 1xRCA and 2xXLR, so two MC1.2KW may easily become a heart of an audio-visual installation. Switching between the single-ended and balanced operation is possible via a small sliding toggle. Four McIntosh MC1.2KW (2x2) s can be daisy chained for bi-amping.

The front panel is made of glass with a sizable blue VU meter in it. I must admit that this feature is very attractive - perhaps more attractive than a butterfly collection for most female visitors. Two knobs control the power status (ON-OFF-REMOTE) and the meter's function - off, monitoring or peak hold for a fraction of second. As mentioned, this McIntosh is built to stun anyone who looks at it; I caught myself staring at hypnotically moving meters like on a TV screen.

Bass management

Weight

Slam

Articulation

The McIntosh MC1.2KW's enormous power reserve can make any speaker on the planet dance. My own Wilson Audio Sasha W/P including. Beltrami's World War Z soundtrack surprised me with its intense string section, great instrumental separation, kinetic energy of Zombies in Coach track and monumental orchestration. The sound is a bit darker than my reference amplifier (Spectral DMA-150) is and it is very dense in its fundamentals. The cinematic atmosphere fits the MC1.2KW great and the amp builds massive walls of sounds with thunderous bass.

Clarity & delicacy

Detail

Air

Transparency

The Rudebox's (Robbie Williams) rhythmic sequence was presented with dynamic transient peaks. Their edges were perhaps not that much laser-cut, they were rather a tad rounded which made the music even better to digest. Moving up to highs both cymbals and synthesized clinks were brilliant, but not overly brilliant. The mids were rich and natural. Another track, Bongo Bong and Je Ne T'Aime Plus conveyed slightly darker and different sonics. The explanation was in the booklet: each track was recordedd in a different studio. I was not aware of it until the MC1.2KW brought my attention to it.

Tonal accuracy

Timbre

Dynamics

Temporal resolution

Spatial resolution

Holography

Soundstage width

Soundstage depth

It is refreshing to listen to a piece that was written with a passion and invention. Atli Orvarsson's The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones soundtrack is such a music piece. The MC1.2KW provided me with an illusion of huge soundstage and with the sound that swept my room with dynamics and a certain portion of monumentality. At the end of the title track, City of Bones, the MC1.2KW built expansive space that was indeed holographic - it could challenge the Q-Sound treated Roger Waters' Amused to Death. The front wall of my room was torn down and the resonating brass of the military march tried to blow the window panes. These only survived to be blown by the big drum in the finale of Close to Dome.

Price as reviewed:750 000,- Kč

Recommended resellers

PP HiFi Studio, Otrokovice, tel. +420 603 581 305

Manufacturer's website: http://www.mcintoshlabs.com

Associated components

Sources: Linn Unidisk 1.1
Amplifiers: McIntosh C2500, Music First Audio Classic Silver, Spectral DMA-150
Interconnects and speaker cables: Audioquest Oak
Loudspeakers: Wilson Audio Sasha W/P, ATC SCM25A
Power conditioning: Furutech Daytona 303E

Gallery

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