McIntosh Announces Mc451 Dual Mono Power Amplifier Using Hybrid Drive Technology

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.

70 years since the company's foundation, and McIntosh continues to expand its portfolio of ultimate-quality audio solutions for today's luxury home. The company introduced the MA12000 Hybrid Integrated Amplifier, which is also McIntosh's most powerful integrated amplifier ever, delivering 350 Watts per channel of clean, high performance power that produces a breathtaking home audio experience. This fully loaded, hybrid MA12000 Integrated Amplifier is a product of uncompromising audio engineering and expert craftsmanship.

McIntosh announced the MC257 7-Channel Power Amplifier, designed to satisfy the most demanding home theater dreams. The stunning solid state design sits on a polished stainless steel chassis and bears the classic McIntosh design of a black glass front panel with the new TripleView power output meter, illuminated logo, control knobs, and aluminum end caps. Direct coupled with Dynamic Power Manager output, the MC257 provides 250 Watts on 3 channels or 200 Watts on all 7 channels (8 Ohms) with a 94% increase in Dynamic Headroom.

Having recently made (sound) waves with its passive CLA-10 studio monitors, effectively bringing ‘back’ to market an iconic studio reference monitoring mainstay, affordable high-quality audio products producer Avantone Pro now announced availability of its complimentary CLA-200 Studio Reference Amplifier — a classically-designed Class A/B amplifier, also developed in close collaboration with GRAMMY Award-winning mix engineer Chris Lord-Alge, to whom it not only owes its ‘initials’ but also its very existence.

Jensen mic input transformers from Jensen Transformers Inc. were specified for the newly released ART Trans X two channel solid state preamp by Ontario, Canada based Applied Research and Technology (ART), a division of Yorkville Sound. The release of the new ART Trans X, signals the company's third-generation discrete preamp which provides clean quiet gain while maintaining incredible transparency.

In this simple amplifier project, Ed Simon describes a Class-A amplifier design that mainly intends to reproduce music with reinforced emotional expression. That's what you normally get with a quality design, but to achieve it, the author shares the complete concept, power requirements, circuit topology, construction and testing of this single-ended amp... in a solid-state design. This article was originally published in audioXpress, April 2006.

Which sounds better — a tube or solid-state amp? The "Great Debate" has been going on for decades. Now it's time to put the debate to rest. In audioXpress, November 2012, Richard Honeycutt's published this article exploring how to detect audio amplifiers’s differences in sound and the need for a correct subjective evaluation process of components and systems.

Member Name: Bruce Heran Location: Sierra Vista, AZ Education: Bruce has a BS in Biology and he has taken some master’s levels courses. Member Status: He has been reading audioXpress for a number of years. Occupation: Bruce co-owns and is …

Member Name: Dennis L. Green Location: Farmington Hills, MI Education: BSEE Occupation: Retired Member Status: Dennis has been a subscriber since the first issues of Audio Amateur and Speaker Builder. He switched to audioXpress after their demise, mostly for the …