McIntosh has a cult-like following around the globe for good reason; the brand has manufactured some of the best audio equipment in the world for decades at its factory in Binghamton, New York. The demand for vintage McIntosh gear has never been higher, and with one of the most impressive showrooms in the world at the WoM (World of McIntosh) Townhome in New York City becoming an audiophile mecca — the brand is attracting a lot of mainstream coverage.
McIntosh gear gets featured in more television programs and movies than any other brand, and being married to Sonus Faber, Audio Research, and Wadia Digital has only widened the potential base. The brand new MA352 Integrated Amplifier will only add to the excitement and may prove to be the right product for a new generation of music lovers who can afford its $6,500 asking price.
The MA352 Integrated Amplifier in an interesting mix of a 200-watt per channel solid-state amplifier, and tube pre-amplifier which includes a single MM phono input with adjustable load settings. The pre-amplifier utilises 2 x 12AX7A and 2 x 12AT7A tubes (tube rolling society already licking their chops) which are both reliable and affordable to replace when they expire.
The MA352 doesn’t quite double its power output into 4 ohms (320 watts should be enough for the most demanding speaker loads), but we can’t think a pair of Sonus Faber, Wilson Audio, Dynaudio, or Focal loudspeakers that this monstrous amplifier would have difficulty driving.
No McIntosh amplifier or pre-amplifier would be complete without its signature dual blue meters, and the MA352 doesn’t disappoint.
The MA352 is an all-analog design; there is no DAC or built-in digital streamer so audiophiles will have to provide their own.
The sixty-six pound piece of steel is available now for pre-order and units should begin shipping in September.
