McIntosh Amps - The Sound of Excellence

Mcc302 - Mcintosh 2 Ch 600 Watt Power Amplifier

Amazon Price: $1,299.99 (as of 06/02/2012)

Mx406 - Mcintosh Am/fm/cd Player with Aux Input

Amazon Price: $1,299.99 (as of 06/02/2012)

Ten years from now, when the compact disc format finally reaches complete obsolescence, we will be able to look back at the McIntosh MX406 and it's big brother the McIntosh MX4000 as perhaps the high-water mark of car audio excellence. (However, a tip of the hat must be made to the legendary Alpine 7909 (introduced in 1989!) and the follow up 1998 Alpine 7909 Anniversary Edition.) I owned a few other stereos, however the sonic quality of the MX406 was such that audiophiles and non-audiophiles alike were astounded by the loudness and detail of the stereo, (McIntosh amps and ten Oz Audio speakers, when the name "Oz" used to mean something). The MX406 utilizes Dual 20-bit Burr-Brown digital to analog converters and put out a whopping 9 volts on the preamp outs, helping to account for the stupendous clarity and headroom it provides and boasts a signal to noise ratio of an unheard of (in the car audio realm) of 110 db and a dynamic range of 100 db, making playing of transients very lifelike and accurate. Incidently, Clarion, parent company of McIntosh Labs, Inc. made a Clarion-badged version of this deck, the Clarion DRX 9255, also a fine source unit, and benefits from a scan forward and backward function which the MX406 lacks! So if you want to listen to a ten-minute long song and your favorite passage is at 09:00, then you're just going to have to wait, buddy. And pay attention because you can't rewind it either! This is a single-purposed machine indeed.

Cosmetically, it is beautiful with a black, onyx-like glass front panel and a soft, blue electroluminescent display bracketed with extruded and brushed aluminum accents on either end of it--signature McIntosh styling. I matched these with a set of matching dash-mounted analog (needles) stereo power output meters for an over-the-top presentation.

I owned one for six years or so, and had to send it back repeatedly for the laser pick up and various other issues. (In its defense, an idiot car detailer sprayed vinyl cleaner all over it and followed that up with a shot of compressed air!) After the fifth or sixth time back to Binghamton, NY, McIntosh replaced the then-six-year-old stereo with a brand new one in spite of being far out of warranty! I sold it online and got exactly what I paid for the original one, sort of like putting up a refundable 800-dollar deposit for the privilege of enjoying one of these for six years. The upshot of all this is that McIntosh obviously stands behind what they sell.

I'm not in any position to blow $3000 on a big car stereo system anymmore, but I will always remember with fondness my McIntosh MX406.

Mcc204 - Mcintosh 4/3/2 Ch 200 Watt Power Amplifier

Amazon Price: $1,299.99 (as of 06/02/2012)