New McIntosh MA352 Integrated Amplifier Blends Tubes And Transistors
Audio brand McIntosh Labs has announced its latest hybrid integrated amp: the MA352 Integrated Amplifier.
The new amplifier incorporates the advantages of the sound produced by vacuum tube technology, alongside the benefits f solid-state design.
The MA352 features a vacuum tube preamplifier section powered by a pair of 12AX7A and a pair of 12AT7 vacuum tubes. The output stage is a direct-coupled, solid-state amplifier that pumps out 200 Watts per channel into 8 Ohm speakers, or 320 Watts per channel into 4 Ohm speakers – that should be more than adequate to drive almost any pair of loudspeakers. Dual-scale power meters, illuminated with the iconic McIntosh blue lights, provide an accurate readout of power output for both levels of speaker impedance.
The amplifier also features a stainless steel chassis, monogrammed heatsinks, and die-cast labels, plus exposed vacuum tools, for that classic McIntosh look.
With two balanced and three unbalanced inputs, plus a moving magnet phono stage with adjustable loading, the MA352 is all set to handle any analog source. It has gold-plated speaker binding posts for signal integrity plus there’s also a stereo preamplifier output stage for connecting the unit to an even higher-powered amplifier. There’re also connections for hooking up one or two powered subwoofers.
The MA352 Integrated Amplifier can be partnered with a wide assortment of audio sources, including CD players, turntables, tuners, media streamers and speakers to form the heart of a high-end, home-audio system.
It will be displayed in early September at the 2019 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest and 2019 CEDIA Expo. Priced at $6,500, it will be available for pre-ordering in the USA from next month.