First of all, the McIntosh MP1100 is designed for analog audio, which is reflected in the most accurate correction (signal equalization) in the entire history of the brand. The phono stage uses four 12AX7A tubes, two per channel, in a fully balanced configuration. This design makes the McIntosh MP1100 the first fully balanced tube phono stage. On the rear panel of the device there are three pairs of unbalanced RCA input connectors and one pair of balanced XLR inputs. For each input, individual parameter settings are possible: 6 resistance options and 8 capacitance settings.
For ease of use right out of the box, the McIntosh MP1100 comes with pre-programmed factory profiles for MM and MC heads, as well as proprietary MT10 and MT5 turntables. Five additional included profiles are reconfigurable and can be assigned to any input. In addition to the standard RIAA correction curve, the McIntosh MP1100 comes pre-installed with additional LP, NAB, AES and 78 curves. The uniqueness of the phono stage is confirmed by the pre-installation of two rarely used but extremely useful filters. The Rumble Filter is designed to eliminate noise that may have leaked into the track during the recording process, and the Scratch Filter helps to get rid of noise and clicks caused by wear or minor damage.
As an additional setting, it is possible to adjust the gain in the range from 40 dB to 64 dB, and the “Mono” mode ensures correct playback of mono recordings. Among other things, there are a pair of balanced and unbalanced high-level inputs for connecting other signal sources. Fixed level output connectors come in the form of balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA connectors.
Given the popularity of digital recording formats, McIntosh engineers could not afford to lose sight of this trend. The McIntosh phono stage has the ability to digitize records, for which it has three options for digital outputs on board: optical, coaxial and USB. The bit depth of the digitized data is limited to 24 bits, and the sampling frequency can be selected from two available options: 96 kHz or 192 kHz. When using properly configured software, the USB output can be used to record a digital version of the album being played on your computer. During the digitization of recordings, special indicators monitor and notify the user of emerging distortions caused by too loud moments in the recording, which allows timely adjustments to be made to create accurate and undistorted digital copies of albums.
To prevent noise, the McIntosh MP1100 features a dual mono design. The equalizer can work with any amplifier or processor that has a volume control, but as an ideal partner, the brand suggests the McIntosh C1100 preamplifier, which also has a dual mono design and a similar attractive design.
Characteristics McIntosh MP1100
Number of channels 2
Frequency range, Hz-kHz 20 – 20
S/N ratio, dB 80/84 (MS/MM)
Harmonic coefficient, % 0.02
Gain, dB 40, 46, 52, 58, 64 dB
Input impedance 25, 50, 100, 200, 400 Ohm, 1, 47 kOhm
Output impedance 200/100 Ohm (XLR/RCA)
Output voltage 4/2 V (XLR/RCA)
Sensitivity, dB 1.25/10 mV (MC /MM)
Audio DAC 24-bit/96-192 kHz
Inputs: Analog audio 4 x RCA, 2 x XLR, Others 1 x 3.5 mm trigger
Outputs: Coaxial 1 x S/PDIF (RCA), Optical 1 x Toslink, i-Link 1 x USB type B, Analog audio 1 x RCA, 1 x XLR, Others 1 x 3.5 mm trigger
Dimensions, mm 445 x 152 x 457
Weight, kg 11.8
