McIntosh MA8900AC Limited Edition Integrated Amplifier

There it is again: The classic MA 8900 AC is now available as a Limited Edition - including the signature of McIntosh CEO Charlie Randall. There are exactly 89 pieces of the MA 8900AC Ltd Edition, each of which is of course equipped with a copy number.

The MA8900 AC was the first product to feature 'McIntosh Monogrammed Heatsinks™'. They are made of a high-quality alloy with excellent thermal conductivity properties and are so efficient at dissipating heat that they rightly bear the 'Mc' logo. These heatsinks are connected to the latest technologically advanced high-current output transistors, which effectively eliminate thermal response delays, so that the first note sounds just as good as the song played after several hours of listening. A nice side effect: although they cool the MA 8900 AC on the one hand, they visually warm the heart of every McIntosh fan on the other.

To enable the MA8900 AC to work seamlessly with the ever-changing world of digital audio, all digital inputs are housed in the new DA1 Digital Audio Module. The DA1 can be replaced with future modules to keep the MA8900 AC current with the latest digital audio formats and component technologies. It has an 8-channel 32-bit DAC in quad-balanced mode and provides 6 digital inputs. The USB input accepts signals up to 32-bit/384kHz and supports DSD256 and DXD 384kHz. There are 7 analog stereo inputs (1x balanced and 6x unbalanced), plus one input each for moving coil and moving magnet (MC/MM pickup). For convenience of use of the MA8900 AC, all inputs can be given custom names for system control and configuration.

The MA8900 AC received many more updates over its predecessor. These include new, powerful microprocessors to ensure trouble-free system operation and the latest sound-related components that enable the MA8900 AC to deliver its excellent sound. As is usual with McIntosh, all transistors are selected to allow nearly equal 'gain' across the entire gain range. These selected transistors have uniform current gain, high bandwidth and extreme reliability. At 200 watts per channel, the MA8900 AC has enough power to drive virtually any speaker correctly and with tremendous power. In addition, the renowned McIntosh autoformer guarantees that these will always receive the full 200 watts, regardless of whether they come with 2, 4 or 8 ohm impedance.

The MA8900 AC overall unit embodies the timeless McIntosh aesthetic, with its blue wattmeters, black glass faceplate, illuminated McIntosh logo, aluminum finishing strips and beautifully polished stainless steel chassis.

Other McIntosh features in the MA8900 AC include:

PowerGuard®
Monitors signal levels at the speed of light and adjusts them as needed to rule out speaker damage in the event of high levels of distortion and clipping.

Sentry Monitor™

McIntosh's short circuit protection circuit which shuts off the power amp before current exceeds regular operating levels and automatically resets when operating conditions return to normal.

Home Theater PassThru,
which enables seamless integration into a home theater system. This turns the MA8900 AC into a pure power amplifier, the volume of which is controlled by the AV processor or AV receiver.

High Drive Headphone Amplifier
with Crossfeed Director (HXD®), which can give the headphones an additional sound dimension.

Discrete, 5-band tone control (equalizer)
which enables a manual-analogue setting of the favorite recordings

Corrosion-resistant, gold-plated speaker terminals
which ensure that a high quality signal is always sent to the speakers

McIntosh Autoformer
A transistor amplifier works best at an impedance that is optimal for it. In some cases, this impedance can vary greatly from speaker to speaker. In several cases speakers can go below 2 ohms in impedance. If a power amplifier is connected to an impedance that is below its optimal impedance, more output current is required, which also has an effect on increased temperature. The Autoformer creates an ideal connection between amplifier and loudspeaker. In terms of measurement, there are no quality limitations for the McIntosh Autoformer. The frequency response corresponds exactly to that of the output stage. The distortions are so low that they cannot be displayed using any measuring device. In some cases, the autoformers can even protect your speakers from significant damage. The special McIntosh Autoformers, with which McIntosh has more than 50 years of experience, are an essential building block of the famous McIntosh sound.