McIntosh MA9500

Product details

• Product : McIntosh MA9500 Integrated Amplifier

• Color : Black with illuminated blue VU meters and brushed aluminum side panels

Product Description

The McIntosh MA9500 is McIntosh’s flagship integrated amplifier and is the successor to the multi-award-winning MA9000. While its predecessor received numerous awards, the MA9500 takes the concept to the next level with technological improvements, increased performance and a more powerful design.

With a robust 300 watts of power per channel regardless of speaker impedance (2, 4 or 8 ohms), the MA9500 delivers effortless control, dynamics and finesse. This is made possible by McIntosh’s patented Autoformer™ technology , which ensures stable performance regardless of the connected speakers.

One of the biggest improvements over the MA9000 is the doubling of the filter capacity , resulting in greater dynamic headroom (from 1.8 dB to 2.8 dB). This allows musical peaks to be reproduced with even greater precision and the bass response benefits from additional control and depth.

Cosmetic description

In typical McIntosh fashion, the MA9500 McIntosh combines high-end technology with classic design. The signature black glass front panel, bright blue VU meters, illuminated logos and solid aluminum side panels create a timeless, luxurious look. Controls are intuitively laid out, while the central display provides clear feedback on source selection and volume.

Functional notes

Analog inputs

The MA9500 has ten analog inputs :

• 2 balanced XLR inputs

• 6 unbalanced RCA inputs

• 1 Moving Magnet (MM) phono input

• 1 Moving Coil (MC) phono input with ground connection

This extensive analog section allows for easy connection of multiple sources, such as CD players, turntables, tuners or tape decks. In addition, the MA9500 offers outputs for connecting a separate power amplifier, for those who require even more power or bi-amping.

Digital section – DA2 DAC module

The integrated DA2 digital module is modular and replaceable, and features an advanced 8-channel, 32-bit/384kHz Quad Balanced DAC. It supports high-resolution audio up to DSD512 and DXD 384kHz .

Inputs of the DA2 module:

• 2x coaxial

• 2x optical

• 1x USB-B (Roon Tested)

• 1x MCT (McIntosh SACD/CD transport)

• 1x HDMI ARC (for TV sound with CEC volume control via the amplifier remote control)

The optical and coaxial inputs support audio up to 24-bit/192kHz and are perfect for digital sources such as network players or Blu-ray players. The USB input is Roon Tested, which means the MA9500 is automatically recognized within Roon and can be optimized via the settings. The MCT input allows for a secure DSD connection to McIntosh’s own transport systems.

The modular design of the DA2 makes future upgrades easy – for example to an even more powerful DA3 module once available.

Power and performance

• Output power : 2 x 300 W RMS into 2, 4 or 8 ohms

• Frequency response : 10 Hz – 100 kHz (+0, -3 dB)

• Total harmonic distortion : 0.005%

• Signal to noise ratio :

  • 114 dB (power amplifier)

  • 98 dB (line level)

  • 84 dB (MM phono)

  • 82 dB (MC phono)

• Damping factor : >40

Other features

• 8-band tone control (±12 dB in 2 dB steps)

• Headphone Crossfeed Director (HXD®) for realistic headphone reproduction

• Power Guard® overload protection

• Sentry Monitor™ Overload Protection

• Home Theater PassThru for integration into AV systems

• Monogrammed Heatsinks™ for efficient and silent heat dissipation

• Roon Tested Certification

• Dimensions : 44.5cm (W) x 24cm (H) x 50.2cm (D)

• Weight : approx. 45.8 kg