In today's ultra competitive money driven business world many companies compromise quality for profit margins, this statement is especially true in the audio component industry. They figure most people sparsely use an audio component for a couple of years then replace it. Lets face their goal is to get a few hundred bucks from us every couple of years, they could care less about what happens to their products after they are sold.
McIntosh Labs is the complete opposite of this ideology; they create an audio component with the idea that this is something that you will cherish the rest of your life. This is not just a groundless claim; the fact is 80% of the McIntosh components produced since 1949 are still in use today, no other audio component manufacture can make this claim. The exceptional longevity of McIntosh products owes to a design philosophy established with the very first McIntosh amp: that every component will be created with capacity so great that it will never be operated at or near its stress point. From the initial design process all the way to the shipping department, they take painstaking efforts to ensure that every McIntosh component is “perfect”. Since the late 40’s this rare philosophy has been the driving force behind this exemplary company and it has certainly been the reason why so many people love McIntosh components.
The McIntosh MC-1201 was originally introduced in 2001 and is still a current product of theirs. From the design philosophy throughout every detail of construction to the sound they produce, everything about these amps is big, bold, setting a new level of ingenuity, design extremism, and sonic reproduction. Its design is the audio equivalent of a Ferrari or Lamborghini- no cost compromise.
The MC-1201 is circuitry roots deeply into McIntosh’s 59 years history. It encompasses the philosophy and patented technology that served as the backbone of their success, albeit in a much more progressed state. The MC1201 is fully balanced from input to output. Two matched amplifiers operate in push-pull, with their outputs combined at the Autoformer, so each half of the amplifier contains complementary balanced circuitry. This "double balanced" configuration cancels virtually all distortion, and this revolutionary circuit is possible only with the exclusive McIntosh Output Autoformer. The distortion levels of the MC1201 are so low it defies measurement even with the finest distortion analyzers, McIntosh engineers had to invent special measuring techniques to make accurate readings. McIntosh guarantees the distortion limits are no more than 0.005% at rated output for all frequencies from 20 Hz to 20,000Hz, the true readings are much, much less. Considering the MC1201 has a continuous average power output rating of 1,200 watts with an output-current reserve to deliver more than 5kW output on tonebursts, that is pretty impressive.
Sonically the MC-1201 is as advertised, an absolute dream, with a level of sound purity and effortless power unmatched in the industry. Music is rendered with absolute accuracy down to the tiniest tonal nuance. Its power is effortless, able to drive even the most power hungry speaker systems on the market to optimal performance. It presents the dynamic range of music in such a uniquely, true-to-life fashion that you will be blown away. Soundstaging is equally impressive, presenting the placement of instruments with the authenticity of a live performance. Where other amplifiers fall apart the MC-1201 shines, it is completely natural with finesse and a seemingly endless supply of force. A pair of MC1201’s is one of the rare amplifications sources that have the ability to, not just reproduce music, but to convincingly portray music truthfully and involve the listener in a compelling musical experience.
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