A New Turntable from McIntosh and It's Not That Expensive

McIntosh has unveiled a new turntable that brings its famous McIntosh sound and build quality at a new "low price" point. The new MT2 was announced with a suggested retail price of $4,000, which his significantly less than the brand's flagship MT5 ($8,000) and MT10 ($6,000). Of course you don't get the glowing green plate, but according to the company, you get the latest turntable technology with the New York giant’s legendary aesthetic, design and build quality.
 
And that's the main part of the story, the new MT2 Precision Turntable is McIntosh’s most affordable turntable ever produced. It features an advanced electronic and mechanical design, plays both 33-1/3 and 45 rpm records and is ready to use straight from the box, with all presets taken care of at the New York factory. 

Highly versatile, the MT2 comes with a pre-installed moving coil- (MC) type cartridge with an output high enough to enable compatibility with moving magnet (MM) inputs on partnering equipment. The cartridge design benefits from noise-free musical reproduction thanks to its high impedance and high output voltage, and features an alloy cantilever and an elliptical diamond stylus with exceptional tracking capability.

Its lightweight yet rigid tonearm is constructed from Dural-Aluminum with special damping materials. The noise-free vertical bearings feature two precision-ceramic surfaces with damping fluid; the horizontal bearing is a gimballed sapphire design.

The belt-driven solid black outer platter is made from a special dynamically balanced polyoxymethylene (POM) and is over 1” (25.4mm) thick. Its mass helps to both resist and absorb the external vibrations that can cause unwanted noise during playback; its large mass also provides the perfect flywheel action for stable playback speed.  

The inner platter is made of CNC-precision milled aluminum. The platters rotate on a polished and tempered steel shaft in a sintered bronze bushing. The DC motor is driven by an external voltage-stabilized power supply and is completely decoupled from the chassis, isolating the record from any mechanical interference.
 
The MT2’s sturdy plinth has a resonance-optimized and highly compressed wood base with a black lacquer finish, while the top and middle acrylic plates help absorb unwanted vibrations. A subtle green glow emanates from under the platter and the outside edges of the plinth for a touch of refined ambience and connection to the McIntosh design aesthetic. A clear, contoured dust cover is included.

For anyone thinking of integrating the MT2 with the recently announced MA252 integrated amplifier ($3,500 USD), the price to pay for this new turntable can in fact be considered an affordable high-quality package. Orders can be placed now with authorized McIntosh dealers with shipping expected to begin in April/May 2018.
www.mcintoshlabs.com