McIntosh MC255: Versatile amplifier for any Home Theater system

The McIntosh MC255 features McIntosh’s new TripleView™ power output meter, which independently displays real-time power readings for the amplifier’s three front channels. Instead of three separate meter windows like the previous...

McIntosh MC255
McIntosh MC255

The McIntosh MC255 features McIntosh’s new TripleView™ power output meter, which independently displays real-time power readings for the amplifier’s three front channels. Instead of three separate meter windows like the previous McIntosh 5-channel amplifier, the new amplifier houses all three meter needles in one easy-to-read 15-inch (38 cm) wide TripleView window.

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In addition to the new TripleView, the McIntosh MC255 has received many other performance enhancements to provide an unforgettable private movie theater experience. Filter capacity has been increased by 50%, dynamic headroom has more than doubled from 1.7 dB to 3.6 dB, and low-frequency performance has been improved. When using only the front left, center and right channels, output power was increased by 25% from 200 W per channel to 250 W. When using all 5 channels, everyone will receive their fair 200 watts. Regardless of how many channels are used, the 200 or 250 watt power remains the same and constant regardless of whether the speaker impedance is 4 or 8 ohms. This is achieved through the use of proprietary McIntosh Dynamic Power Manager® (DPM) technology.

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The McIntosh MC255 operates quietly and quietly, thanks to four branded McIntosh™ radiator heat sinks that cool the amplifier efficiently and quietly. The quiet, specially wound toroidal isolation power transformer also helps keep noise to a minimum. The speaker terminals have been upgraded to standard McIntosh gold-plated terminals, which prevent corrosion and ensure quality signal transfer to the speakers. Traditional McIntosh knobs now adorn the front panel to control the indicators and power function. Direct LED backlighting has been added to the bezel for improved color accuracy and longevity. McIntosh’s eco-friendly power management system will turn off the amplifier if no input signal is detected within a specified period of time. The same function is responsible for automatic switching on.

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While the McIntosh MC255 has received many upgrades, it also includes McIntosh’s time-tested technologies, such as Power Guard®, which prevents potential speaker damage from amplifier overload, and Sentry Monitor™, which protects against short circuits by shutting off the output. cascade if the current ever exceeds safe operating levels (it resets automatically when operating conditions return to normal). Both balanced and unbalanced inputs are provided to connect the McIntosh MC255 to the rest of your home theater system.

The McIntosh MC255 can be used to power a conventional 5-channel home theater system; it can be paired with the MI128 8-channel digital amplifier or the MI254 4-channel digital amplifier in home theaters using large numbers of surround sound speakers to reproduce formats such as Dolby® Atmos, DTS:X™ and Auro-3D®. In addition, the amplifier can be used as a device for sounding two zones, one of which uses three front channels of 250 W each, and the second a pair of channels of 200 W each.

Characteristics McIntosh MC255

Number of channels 5
Power 5 x 250 W per channel (4/8 Ohms)
Frequency range 20 Hz – 20 kHz (+/- 0.025 dB)
Signal-to-noise ratio 112 dB
Overload headroom 1.7 dB
Damping factor 140
Total harmonic distortion 0.005%
Inputs 5 RCA, 5 XLR
Output power meters available, for three channels
Output terminals for connecting acoustics 5 pairs of screw terminals
Dimensions (WxHxD) 445x240x533 mm
Weight 44.2 kg