McIntosh MA9500 Audiophile Integrated Amplifier 2x300W with Autoformers, DA2 DAC & MM/MC Phono

The McIntosh MA9500 is a solid-state integrated amplifier delivering 300 watts per channel into 2, 4 or 8 ohms. The constant power across all three impedances comes from McIntosh Autoformer outputs, which match the amplifier to the loudspeaker rather than letting power fall away as the load impedance drops. Replacing the MA9000, the MA9500 doubles filter capacity, lifting dynamic headroom from 1.8 dB to 2.8 dB, with total harmonic distortion held to 0.005%.

Seventeen inputs cover ten analogue and seven digital. Two balanced and six unbalanced analogue inputs sit alongside separate moving coil and moving magnet phono inputs, each with adjustable loading and its own ground terminal. The factory-installed DA2 digital module adds two coaxial, two optical, USB with DSD512 and DXD support, an MCT connection for McIntosh transports, and HDMI ARC for television audio. An 8-band discrete analogue tone control adjusts in 2 dB steps across eight frequencies, and Power Guard, Sentry Monitor and the peak-responding McIntosh Blue watt meters complete the specification.

Key Features

• 300 watts per channel into 2, 4 or 8 ohms
• McIntosh Autoformer outputs for constant power across impedances
• Dynamic headroom of 2.8 dB from doubled filter capacity
• Separate MM and MC phono inputs with adjustable loading
• Upgradeable DA2 digital module with 32-bit/384 kHz DAC
• USB supporting DSD512 and DXD 384 kHz
• HDMI ARC input for television audio
• MCT input for McIntosh SACD and CD transports
• 8-band discrete analogue tone control in 2 dB steps
• Power Guard and Sentry Monitor protection
• Peak-responding McIntosh Blue watt meters
• Patented gold-plated Solid Cinch binding posts

Warranty

This product comes with a 3-year manufacturer warranty.

Why Consider the McIntosh MA9500

The MA9500 is the most powerful solid-state integrated amplifier McIntosh builds, and the Autoformer output is the reason it behaves differently from conventional designs at the same rating. Full 300 watts into 2, 4 and 8 ohms means loudspeaker impedance stops constraining the choice, and the 2.8 dB of dynamic headroom gives real reserves on musical peaks rather than a steady-state number alone. The 8-band tone control is unusual at this level too, offering genuine room correction inside the analogue path rather than a simple bass and treble pair.

Ideal For

• Large rooms with demanding or low-impedance loudspeakers
• Vinyl collections using both moving magnet and moving coil cartridges
• Listeners wanting McIntosh power without vacuum tube maintenance
• Rooms needing tonal correction inside the analogue signal path
• Single-component systems covering streaming, vinyl and television

What's in the Box

• McIntosh MA9500 Integrated Amplifier
• HR085 remote control
• Power cable
• Owner's manual

Downloads

• Owner's Manual (PDF)
• Product Brochure (PDF)

Technical Specifications