McIntosh Laboratory

McIntosh Laboratory, a U.S. manufacturer of audio and home theater equipment. The company positions itself in the high-end and luxury segment of the audio industry. The equipment range includes amplifier components, tuner, CD player, multi-channel components, equalizers, oscilloscopes, laser disc player and speakers. Just a short time records were produced. In Europe, the company is known for amplifier and tuner. The speaker series were not offered here for the most part.

Unlike companies like Marantz, The Fisher and Harman / Kardon McIntosh was able to maintain its independence against the Japanese investors even after 1990. In the years 1990 to 2003, the company was owned by Clarion, which was in May 2003, sold to the D & M Holdings Inc., also a Japanese parent company. Only in 2008 D & M Holdings was acquired by Bain Capital and is thus owned by a U.S. company.

Today is exclusively produced in America. The only admissions that had to be made ​​against the Asian owners were a cheap preamp and power amp combination, and a car audio line.

History

The first years

In 1947, Frank McIntosh, the company McIntosh Scientific Laboratory, based in Washington, DC., 1949, the company moved to Silver Spring, Maryland at, and the developer Gordon Gow joined the young company. 1950 was the first time be ordered McIntosh components by mail order, they were touted in major electronics shipping catalogs. In 1951 came the next move to Binghamton (New York).

1954 McIntosh was also active in the field of recording technique and took on various records, which they then brought to the market. These are mostly around music from the fields of classical and folk music, including a recording of Debussy's " Sonata ", which was interpreted by the violinist Paul Olefsky. This endeavor seems to have been, however, soon discontinued.

In 1957 the company moved to new premises at Chambers Street, where it today has its headquarters. Unlike much of the competition, which drove their devices as a kit ( Kit), McIntosh also offered through mail order only built components. Only the MC30 mono power amplifier was sold from 1960 to 1961 as a kit.

The first stereo components

As usual in these years McIntosh upgraded their device first with additional stereo adapters from. Thus the popular C8 preamps have a second unit was placed on the market with the name C8S. This combination was sold from 1958 to 1960 until it was replaced by the C11 as the first " real" stereo preamplifier. The principle of C8S thus explained, that this was merely a C8, which was just provided with additional functions for a balance - and two-channel volume control.

The C8, which was sold in 1955, was - not reported to the Patent Office - most devices McIntosh as at that time. Thus, the circuit has been copied shortly after the release of a competing company. In these years, the combination C8 / C8S, with two MC30 monoblocks, the best selling audio system from McIntosh. The price of this combination was moving around U.S. $ 500, which is a considerable investment represented. In 1960, the MC240 was launched as the first stereo power amplifier, followed in 1961 with the C11, the first "real" stereo preamp. Nevertheless, the mono blocks were, depending on the model, up to 1969 produced further. For cost reasons, many audiophiles supplemented their existing combination with a second boom, instead of switching to a stereo power amplifier.

The transistor

Published in 1962 with the MX110 preceiver the first teiltransistorisierte device in 1964 with the C24, the first fully transistorized precursor. Amplifier in transistor technology, however, came only in 1966 on the market. From this point McIntosh built consistently transistorized equipment, components only in 1995 was with the limited edition of the combination C22/II and Mc275 again produced in tube technology. For the 50th anniversary of the company appeared in 1999, the MC2000 in hybrid technology with 2 x 130 watts.

Amplifier

Many power amplifiers were produced in different versions that were specifically designed for laboratory purposes, cinema theaters, for broadcasting, etc.. Thus, various devices are provided with conventional housings or designed in small series as rack mounting.

Tuner (selection)

Other ( selection)

Special

The components of McIntosh are clearly recognizable as American appliances, the design pursued since about 1960, a single line that learned only slowly renewals. In contrast to the English high -end manufacturers that were often interpreted in minimalist style and are the units of McIntosh offers a wealth of facilities. This circumstance charged in the 1980s and 1990s, the market position of the company, as the high -end sector was geared more to simple devices.

However, McIntosh could - in terms of first-class production quality and its legendary reputation in the field of tube technology - secure its segment. In 1995, the C22 precursor and the Mc275 amplifier in a limited series were re-released, but these are not identical replicas of the components from the 1960s. Since the company primarily serves the American and Asian markets, the devices often have features that might be viewed with skepticism when European customers.

For ( almost ) all appliances wood housing were available as an option, these are shown with the type designation "L". In general, it involves walnut, but also a few housing in other woods are known. The price of this accessory moves from U.S. $ 25 in 1958 to U.S. $ 200 by 1995 The massive price -. A MR71 tuner cost U.S. $ 399, the case again to U.S. $ 99 - kept many customers in the 1960s and 1970s years away from acquiring this accessory.