The McIntosh MC301 power amplifier is a monoblock that develops a very serious output power of 300 W. The McIntosh MC301 represents McIntosh’s new approach to its products and is the smallest in the brand’s line of power amplifiers. The model stands out with its updated, laconic design, lower body compared to its counterparts, but retains its characteristic family features. The front panel is made of black glass with fiber optic backlighting and LEDs and is framed by side aluminum inserts.
In the center of the McIntosh MC301 front panel is a dial wattmeter with a blue backlight, which can be turned off using the button located on the left. On the right there is a red LED indicating the activation of the Power Guard overload protection system, an LED diode indicating that it is connected to the network, and a power supply button.
The McIntosh MC301 uses a fully balanced Quad Balanced topology, whereby the McIntosh MC301 has two matched amplifiers, and their outputs are connected to an output autotransformer that has separate taps for the corresponding load. Noise and interference are suppressed by an autotransformer, which ensures very low distortion. The MC301’s harmonic distortion is only 0.005%. The power supply unit has a powerful power transformer with high-capacity capacitors. As a result, the amplifier easily copes even with low-impedance speaker systems and is capable of delivering 300 W of clean power at 2, 4 and 8 ohms. The monoblock uses transistors with Thermal Trak technology to control their temperature. The Power Guard circuit protects against clipping, the Sentry Monitor circuit monitors the operation of the output stage, and the Thermal Protection circuit prevents overheating of the amplifier.
On the rear panel of the McIntosh MC301 there are the following inputs: a balanced XLR connector and an unbalanced RCA connector, which are duplicated by similar outputs for connecting another power amplifier. There is an input selector switch and a “slider” that activates the Auto Off function, which automatically turns off the monoblock after 30 minutes after the signal stops. The terminal has three pairs of gold-plated screw terminals, each of which is designed to connect speakers with a specific impedance (2, 4 or 8 ohms).
Based on two McIntosh MC301, you can build a stereo system with perfect channel separation and minimal distortion. The terminal also allows you to organize “bi-amping”. The model provides clean, transparent, musical and accurate sound with a large margin of power and dynamics.
Specifications McIntosh MC301
Power 1 x 300 W (at 2, 4 or 8 ohms)
Frequency response 20 Hz – 20 kHz (+ 0, – 0.25 dB), 10 Hz – 100 kHz (+ 0, – 3 dB)
Harmonic distortion 0.005%
Dynamic range headroom 2 dB
Input sensitivity 1.7 V (RCA), 3.4 V (XLR)
Signal-to-noise ratio 118 dB (RCA), 120 dB (XLR)
Input impedance 22 kΩ (XLR and RCA)
Ratio damping more than 40
Peak output current 60 A
Gain 23 dB (2 Ohms), 26 dB (4 Ohms), 29 dB (8 Ohms)
Output autotransformers 1 pc.
Dial indicators 1 pc., backlight, scale markings: watts and dB
LED backlight, fiber optic
Possibility of bi-amping connection yes
Inputs 1 x RCA, 1 x XLR
Outputs 1 x RCA, 1 x XLR
Speaker output 3 pairs of gold-plated terminals (separate terminals for speakers with impedances of 2, 4 and 8 Ohms)
Other input and output of the Power Control system bus
Power consumption approximately 440 W; in standby: less than 0.3 W
Dimensions (WxHxD) 445x152x508 mm
Weight 30.4 kg
