McIntosh Audio’s New Hybrid Drive Is the Best of Both Worlds

Mixing Analog and Digital, McIntosh Audio Delivers a New Level of Sound Performance

McIntosh Audio is a brand revered by audio enthusiasts everywhere. The products have a distinct, classic, and iconic look that need not be hidden in a cabinet, along with the aural performance to match. Perhaps no other McIntosh products are as well known as their amplifiers, and vintage ones are still coveted and in use in high-end audio setups.

Known for both vintage vacuum tubes and modern solid-state amplifiers, the company asked a question: how can you get the best of both worlds; the rich sound of vacuum tubes with the prodigious power of solid-state amplification? The answer is Hybrid Drive, which brings an elevated sound quality to your Inlet Beach, FL listening room. Learn more about the new McIntosh Hybrid Drive below!

The Best of Everything

McIntosh’s Hybrid Drive amplifiers work with bi-ampable speakers. Bi-amping means you are using a separate amplifier to power a speaker’s low and high-frequency drivers. In McIntosh’s Hybrid Drive, the amplifier has specific crossover settings, and the low frequencies of the input are sent to the solid state section, while mid and high frequencies are routed to the tube section. Why? As most enthusiasts know, solid-state technology produces the high power needed for strong, punchy bass performance, and tubes can make mids and highs smoother, sweeter, and richer. It’s the ultimate combo for hi-fi sound.

What Products Use Hybrid Drive?

McIntosh has put Hybrid Drive technology in a variety of their products. For the ultimate in amplifiers for the most power-hungry speakers, the MC901 dual mono amp packs a 300-watt vacuum amp with a 600-watt solid-state unit on a single chassis. It’s the pinnacle of bi-amping prowess. Hybrid Drive is also applied to preamplifiers, and the McIntosh C12000 lets you choose between vacuum tubes and solid state, depending on your music. Enjoying a prized vinyl jazz record? Use the tube configuration for its warmth. If you want to listen to high-resolution modern pop, the solid-state setting can deliver all the bass impact of today’s music.

If you want an integrated amplifier, the MA12000, MA352, and MA252 also pack Hybrid Drive performance. They differ in power output and inputs but feature the smoothness of a vacuum tube preamp with the robustness of solid-state amplification. The new MCD12000 is a reference DAC and CD player and also uses Hybrid Drive technology to give the listener the option of using a vacuum tube or solid-state configuration on the units balanced and unbalanced outputs. So depending on your listening preferences, you can use the choice that best fits the music and sound you prefer.

McIntosh Audio and Hybrid Drive let you enjoy every detail and nuance of your favorite recordings. Want to learn how to incorporate McIntosh into your system? Contact us here or stop into our showroom. We look forward to working with you!