McIntosh Announces Mc451 Dual Mono Power Amplifier Using Hybrid Drive Technology

December 9 2022, 00:10
Following the launch of the stunning MC901 Dual Mono Amplifier in December 2019, and the MC3500 Vacuum Tube Amplifier Mk II in November 2021, the Binghamton, NY-based company is back to tube powerhouses with the MC451 Dual Mono Power Amplifier. The McIntosh MC451 follows the success of the MC901 model, basically being its little brother, and combining a vacuum tube and solid-state amplifier that uses McIntosh's Hybrid Drive technology.
 

A more compact product than the massive MC901 Dual Mono Amplifier, the MC451 is strategically built so that it is easier to place within an audio system, offering 150 Watts of power from the vacuum tube section and 300 Watts from the solid-state section. True to the brand's tradition, the MC451 features a variety of McIntosh patented technologies including Power Guard and Power Guard SGS, Sentry Monitor, Autoformer, Unity Coupled Circuit, Solid Cinch speaker binding posts, Monogrammed Heatsinks, and a DualView Power Output Meter.

The MC451 is the latest model to incorporate McIntosh’s Hybrid Drive technology, offering flexibility in listening capabilities. The brand’s team of engineering experts took their extensive experience to seamlessly combine both vacuum tube and solid state to develop the company’s Hybrid Drive design that works to redefine sound performance. 
 

Key features of the MC451 include separate inputs for the Vacuum Tube and Solid-state amplifiers, allowing users to have an external crossover. On the 300W solid state stage, there is an output autoformer with 2, 4, 8Ω taps with an input that doubles as the mono input when using the internal crossover. The 150W vacuum tube stage amplifier has a unity coupled circuit output transformer with 2, 4, 8Ω taps, also with a direct input for using an external crossover. The front panel includes one knob that allows adjusting the balance between the solid stage and the tube stages, with another know on the other side to adjust the crossover frequency. At the center of the panel there is a large "McIntosh Blue" watt meter, making the compact design stand-out even more.

Like all the other McIntosh products, the MC451 is handcrafted at the Binghamton, NY factory and is available via authorized US and Canadian McIntosh Dealers for an MSRP of $14,000 USD beginning December 2022 and to the rest of the world shortly after.
www.mcintoshlabs.com
 
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