McIntosh & Snell Announce New Blu-ray Player, Speakers and More
By Rachel Cericola
McIntosh and Snell teamed up for a bevy of product announcements today.
Well, Snell just had one announcement, but it was a good one. The upcoming Phantom speaker will capitalize on the super sound of the company's
Illusion speaker, but with a smaller footprint. The bass reflex tower speaker has a D’Appolito array, with a 1-inch SEAS silk dome tweeter, two 4.5-inch SEAS machined magnesium midrange drivers, two 8-inch aluminum cone woofers, and a 1-inch dome hi-pass (@ 5 kHz) rear tweeter. The company plans to start shipping in October, with an SRP of $10,000 per speaker. Other specs on the speaker include:
- Frequency Response: 32Hz-22kHz +/- 3dB
- Sensitivity: 89 dB
- Impedance: Nominal 4 Ohms
- Maximum Output: 111 dB
- Crossover Frequency: 300 Hz / 2.88 kHz
The MXA60 combines an AM/FM/RBDS tuner and 2-channel CD/SACD and MP3 playback.
McIntosh had a bit more to celebrate, besides the company's 60 years in business. Today's announcements kicked off with the pricey, pretty MXA60 Integrated Audio System. This nifty tabletop unit combines 2-channel CD/SACD and MP3 playback with an AM/FM/RBDS tuner. However, it's not so much the content as how it's distributed -- via a vacuum tube inside the preamp. Promising 75 watts per channel, the SRP is $7,500.
The next new product is McIntosh's MX150 12-channel AV preamplifier/processor. Designed for the discerning audiophile in need of multichannel sound, the unit cranks 12 channels to two zones. Five HDMI 1.3 inputs can add a lot of excitement into the mix, which includes decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. Aside from RoomPerfect Auto-EQ functionality, the MX150 comes packaged with its own backlit, learning IR remote. The SRP is $12,000.
No new A/V array would be complete without a Blu-ray player. McIntosh's MVP881BR doesn't just handle the high-def stuff, but it's a one-stop solution for SACD, DVD Audio, CD and standard-def DVD as well. The Profile 2.0 unit supports BD-Live, as well as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio technologies. They seem to have a lot of the insides worked out, but the price is still up in the air at this point.
McIntosh's MVP881BR plays Blu-ray, SACD, DVD Audio, CD and standard DVDs.
For those that command perfection, the MEN200 room correction system should deliver. With built-in EQ and RoomPerfect features, the unit can correct phase and time-alignment anomalies and enhance the quality of your sound and image. Expect that kind of perfection to cost $4,500.
Last, but not least, McIntosh has announced the latest in their HD Radio line, the MR88. Not only does it tune in standard AM and FM bands (including HD Radio stations), but it can also control subscription-based satellite radio via the outboard XM/Sirius Mini Tuner. That one is $4,000.
All units should be coming in October, with the MR88 available now. Expect McIntosh as well as Snell to release more info on the products in the upcoming weeks.
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