McIntosh announces a successor to the MC207-- the MC257, a 7-channel home cinema power amplifier featuring a TripleView Power Output Meter, a means to independently indicate the real-time power reading of the three front channels.
The 38cm TripleView meter design is an update on the three individual metres found in the previous model. The chassis is in stainless steel, and customers can switch off the distinctive McIntosh blue lighting to reduce distraction in dark home cinema environments. The amplifier can power a 7-channel home cinema, and installers can pair it with a McIntosh M128 8-channel or MI254 4-channel amplifier for home cinemas with more than 7 channels. It can also drive a 5-channel system and a separate stereo second audio zone.
Power output is rated at 250W per channel across the front left, centre and right channels, dropping to 200W when driving all 7 channels. McIntosh Dynamic Power Manager (DPM) technology delivers the full 200/250W regardless of whether 4- or 8-ohm speakers are used. The amplifier also offers a 94% increase in dynamic headroom (from 1.7dB to 3.3dB) over the previous model, and low-frequency performance.
Keeping the unit cool are 5 McIntosh monogrammed heatsinks connected to advanced high-current output transistors, ensuring no cooling fan noise. Around the back are gold-plated speaker terminals. The amplifier includes both balanced and unbalanced inputs for connection to a home cinema processor. Power Guard prevents potential speaker damage caused by clipping or over-driving, while Sentry Monitor technology protects against short circuits.
The MC257 ships from October 2019.