McIntosh has been perfecting tube amplifiers since the late 1940s and their transistor counterparts since the 1960s, with the brand's creations having been used at such relevant historical events as US presidential investitures. .UU and the legendary Woodstock concert.
A legacy that has allowed the legendary New York firm to develop a unique audio amplification system destined to become the definitive solution, without compromise, for bi-amplifying speakers: the MC901 double monophonic power stage. “Double monophonic” and not “double monophonic”, because, unlike any other monophonic power amplifier available on the market, the MC901 combines two power amplifiers, and also of different types, in a single chassis.
Specifically, a 300 watt continuous one based on vacuum tubes (eight KT88, four 12AT7 and two 12AX7A) and a 600 watt continuous transistorized one, with the first of them intended to reproduce the middle and high areas of the spectrum and the second to Do the same with the lower area.
The MC901's tube section uses one of McIntosh's exclusive Unity Coupled Circuit output transformers (dating back to McIntosh in 1949) to deliver its full 300 watts to 8, 4 or 2 ohm speakers, while its solid-state counterpart uses another McIntosh exclusive, Autoformer technology, to perform the same task.
A key conceptual element of the MC901 is that its two amplification sections have been designed to work synergistically, while also being specifically developed to ensure that each (including its own dedicated power supply) amplifies uniquely and exclusively. the frequencies that correspond to it.
The management of this very particular configuration is done through controls located in the upper area of the rear panel of the MC901, which allow you to adjust both the cutoff frequency and the relative gain levels for each amplifier.
The MC901 is completed with a top-level construction presided over by the unmistakable treated glass front panel and one of McIntosh 's legendary analogue VU meters with a blue background, adapted in this case to the uniqueness of this amplifier in the form of the Dual View, which It includes two independent level meters, one for the “valves” section and another for the “solid state” section.
Characteristics:
- Absolute reference double hybrid “monophonic” power stage.
- Tube section with 300 W RMS for the middle and high areas of the spectrum.
- Transistor section with 600 W RMS for the low end of the spectrum.
- McIntosh Unity Coupled Circuit technology for the tube section.
- McIntosh Quad Balanced technology for the transistor section.
- Output power immune to impedance variations of the speaker.
- Adjustment of cutoff frequency and relative gain between sections.
- Power Guard Grid Screen protection system for the valve section.
- Sentry Monitor protection system for the transistor section.
- Dual View high precision dual analog gauge.
- Monogrammed Heatsinks heatsinks in the transistor section.
- Balanced (XLR) and unbalanced (RCA) line inputs.
- McIntosh exclusive Solid Cinch output terminals.
- Frequency response of 10-100,000 Hz for the transistor section.
- Frequency response of 10-70,000 Hz for the transistor section.
- Signal-to-noise ratio of 112 dB for the tube section.
- Signal-to-noise ratio of 122 dB for the tube section.
- Dimensions: 445x340x750 mm (WxHxD).
- Weight: 81.6 kg.
