A couple of us here at AV Specialists, were recently were given the opportunity to take a trip to Binghamton NY and tour the McIntosh Audio factory. Being able to see how this product is made as well as formal training on how the circuits work was eye opening indeed. Also valuable was the explanation on why they have so many different models.

McIntosh is one of those names where, if you have been a fan of audio for any time you know the name. The McIntosh name has long represented the finest in home audio gear. By long time we are talking decades. The company was founded in 1949. In fact, McIntosh Audio gear powered the sound at Woodstock. McIntosh is one of those brand names some of us music lovers have longed for, ever since our teenage years.

I always knew McIntosh was very good gear, what I didn't really know was “exactly” why. For starters McIntosh is built right here in the USA. It’s made and put together by people that care about the product and the McIntosh name. McIntosh has integrated machines in their assembly line where it makes sense. These machines help both to keep the build quality up and make assembly faster without compromising build quality. For some of their components, McIntosh will often have to engineer and build their own parts. One example of that is that they build and wind their own transformers. This was made necessary because McIntosh was not able to purchase transformers with the specs they needed. In order to create as much power (wattage) as McIntosh wants along with the extremely low noise, they have to build their own.

Power Guard is one of the McIntosh features we learned about on the trip. Power Guard steps in to protect your speakers when the amplifier runs out of reserve power. The way it works, is that It turns the amplifier volume down in less than 1/200 of a second. It then disconnects or returns the amplifier to normal as soon as the danger passes. This feature definitely saved my Totem Forest Signature speakers this week. After coming back from training we were listening to the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra on the Telarc CD Ein Straussfest. I had the volume at way too high of a level for the cannon shots that are recorded on the first track. Power Guard kicked in when the cannon fired and lowered the volume. I was then able to then lower the volume myself to a point that would do no harm to the speakers.

The large blue meters have long been a McIntosh staple. These meters along with the glass faceplates they use give the line a consistent and similar look. The blue meters in addition to being cool, are also useful. By looking at the meter you can tell how much power you will really need. In our tests at the store, we saw how much more power is required for classical music over mellow pop music. Because a lot of pop music is typically compressed when it is recorded, it sounds more “even” on the radio. It does not have the need for the amplification that the bigger dynamics of Orchestral music does. The difference in the amount of power required is actually amazing. When you start paying attention to the music and what is happening to the meters during the playback, you can see whether or not you would be disappointed. If your meters are constantly pushed to limit, you are under powered and should purchase a higher wattage amplifier.

Way back in in 1995 we started this venture known as AV Specialists we would never have guessed that one day we would be your local McIntosh dealer. We are honored and happy to add McIntosh to a growing list of premium brands we carry. Brands such as Totem, Sony 4K video, Control4 and others.