$11,000.00

7-Channel Solid State Amplifier

If you have a trade-in, request Trade-in Price.

 

Only available for in-store purchase.

Product Description

Bring your home theater dreams to life with the McIntosh MC257 7-Channel Power Amplifier. Experience the latest blockbusters along with your favorite movies like never before in your home theater with the sound quality and power only McIntosh can deliver.

The McIntosh MC257 is highlighted by our new eye-catching TripleView Power Output Meter that independently indicates the real time power reading of the amplifier’s three front channels. The easy-to-read, 15” (38 cm) wide TripleView meter design is a streamlined approach to the three individual meters found on our previous generation 7-channel home theater amplifier. Instead of three separate meter windows each housing a single meter, the TripleView features three of our traditional mechanical meters in a single meter enclosure. While a totally new design, each of the three pointers in the TripleView meter have the same inviting motion that McIntosh meters are known for and perform at the same high level as any of our meters. The captivating look and glow of the TripleView meter is sure to be a conversation starter, but its trademarked blue lighting can be turned off so as not to compete with your TV or movie screen.

In addition to the new TripleView meter, the McIntosh MC257 features many other upgrades. When using just the front left, center and right channels, power output has been increased by 25% from 200 Watts per channel to 250 Watts per channel. When using all 7 channels, each will receive a healthy 200 Watts per channel. Regardless of how many channels are used, the full 200 or 250 Watts is delivered to either 4 or 8 Ohm speakers via our Dynamic Power Manager® (DPM) technology. Filter capacity has been increased by 20% which has produced an amazing 94% increase in dynamic headroom from 1.7dB to 3.3dB as well as improving low frequency performance – both key features in a home theater amplifier, especially when listening to an energetic soundtrack.

The MC257 comes with five of our McIntosh Monogrammed Heatsinks which are connected to advanced high current output transistors to efficiently and silently cool the amplifier; as a result, noisy cooling fans that can interfere with the movie soundtrack are not needed. A quiet, specially wound toroidal isolation power transformer also helps keep noise to a minimum. Speaker terminals have been updated to our standard gold-plated binding posts that prevent corrosion and ensure a quality signal is sent to your home theater speakers. Our power management system that will turn the amplifier off after a set amount of time when no input signal has been detected has also been added. Finally, the front panel is now lit by direct LED backlighting for improved color accuracy and durability.

Besides all these upgrades, the MC257 comes with steadfast McIntosh technologies like Power Guard® to prevent potential speaker damage caused by clipping and over-driving of the amplifier. Our Sentry Monitor technology protects against short-circuits by disengaging the output stage should the current ever exceed safe operating levels (it then resets automatically when operating conditions return to normal). Both balanced and unbalanced inputs are included to connect the MC257 home theater amplifier to your home theater processor.

The MC257 can be utilized in many ways: it can power a 7-channel home theater by itself; it can be paired with either our MI128 or MI254 digital amplifiers in home theaters that have more than 7-channels; or it can be used in 5-channel home theaters with 2 of its channels available to power a second audio zone in your home.

The MC257 sits on a polished stainless steel chassis and bears the classic McIntosh design of a black glass front panel with the TripleView meter, illuminated logo, control knobs, and aluminum end caps.

ELECTRONIC SPECIFICATIONS

  • Power Output per Channel
    3 Front Channels only: 250W @ 4 or 8 Ohms
    All 7 Channels: 200W @ 4 or 8 Ohms
  • Number of Channels
    7
    (can also be used as a 2-zone amplifier with 5 channels in zone A and 2 channels in zone B)
  • Total Harmonic Distortion
    0.005%
  • S/N below rated output
    108dB
  • Dynamic Headroom
    3.3dB
  • Damping Factor
    >70 @ 4 Ohms
    >140 @ 8 Ohms
  • Rated Power Band
    20Hz to 20kHz
  • Frequency Response
    +0, -0.25dB from 20Hz to 20,000Hz
    +0, -3dB from 10Hz to 100,000Hz

CONTROL

  • Remote Power Control
    Yes, 7 or 5 + 2 Channel
  • Multi-Channel DB25 Cable
    No

GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

  • Circuit Configuration
    Push-Pull Complementary
  • Circuit Design
    Solid State
  • Mono Bridge
    No
  • Mono Parallel
    No
  • Output Type
    Direct Coupled with Dynamic Power Manager®
  • Meters
    Yes
  • Meter Light Switch
    Yes
  • Balanced Input
    7
  • Front Panel
    Glass
  • Illumination
    Direct LED
  • Chassis Style
    Polished stainless steel & black painted steel

CONNECTIVITY

  • Speaker Binding Post Type
    Standard

WEIGHTS & DIMENSIONS

  • Unit Dimensions (W x H x D)
    17-1/2″ (44.5cm) x 9-7/16″ (23.9cm) (including feet) x 21″ (53.3cm) (including front panel and cables)
  • Unit Weight
    95 lbs (43 kg)
  • Shipping Weight
    128 lbs (58 kg)

Brand

McIntosh

Viewed as the standard bearer by recording artists and producers, McIntosh has come to represent performance and reliability. All components include that iconic blue Watt output meter synonymous with high-end sound. Ready to unleash the magic behind some of the most iconic moments in music history including Woodstock and The Grateful Dead's Wall of Sound?

Get the best sound performance for 2-channel, theaters or distributed audio with McIntosh. Its handcrafted products include amplifiers, preamplifiers, phono preamplifiers, receivers and home theater processors. The company has offered its revered electronics since 1949 and expanded its range with speakers in the 1970s. And in recent years, it's added an even more intimate approach to high-end audio with its headphone amplifiers featuring built-in DACs.

Their various products make it easy to design systems that best match your listening preferences and budgets. However you like to listen or wherever your music lives, it's possible to listen just as the artist intended with the help of McIntosh components. Enjoy the purest sound reproduction with two-chassis preamplifier designs like the C12000 the perfect pair for your vinyl records. Take control of your digital sound to new heights with their DACs featuring Hybrid Drive solid state and vacuum tube technology.

As a nationally recognized leader in the field of high-end audio and home theater, Overture is a proud dealer of McIntosh audio components, selling customers the best audio components from McIntosh in Sales Tax Free Delaware. Interested in purchasing a new McIntosh product? You can trade-in any component towards a McIntosh component by filling out Overture's Trade-In Form.