MCINTOSH MA6700 Integrated Amplifier Test

MCINTOSH MA6700 Integrated Amplifier Test

We tested the McIntosh Ma 6700 amplifier in the cinema room of a nicely furnished apartment located in a modern condominium in the 3rd district of Budapest. The room had adequate acoustics, soft, finely woven, grey Silent soundproof carpet on the floor, acoustic curtains in front of the window, and sound-absorbing and diffusor panels mounted on the walls to successfully eliminate reflections and standing waves.

McIntosh MA6700

McIntosh is a recognised manufacturer of audio products in the United States since 1949. The brand, which history goes way back in time, is well known for the reliability, premium quality and clear sound of its products. In terms of design, the MA6700 has undergone some innovation over the previous models. The polished black glass plate has been given 12 coats of varnish, the characteristic green and blue lights of the display make it clear which brand we are dealing with, while the dot-matrix display gives the device a more modern look. This high-performance High-End amplifier combines the performance of a DAC, a preamplifier, a power amplifier system and a phono input. The power of the two-channel device is 200 watts per channel, the frequency range is between 10 Hz and 100 kHz, and it weights 34.1 kg. The speaker impedance is 2, 4 or 8 Ohms. The 11 inputs of the preamplifier and the 3 digital connectors support audio signals up to 32 bits / 192 kHz.

With 2 dedicated phono inputs (MM, MC) it is also possible to listen to vinyl records. McIntosh also has USB, coaxial and optical outputs. Thanks to the Home Theater Pass Through function, it can be seamlessly integrated into any home theatre systems. The Autoformer output transformers ensure that speakers receive 200 watts of power regardless of their impedance and also improve the sound. Power Guard, i.e. the power amplifier stage protection, prevents the device to be in overdrive. The High Drive headphone amplifier optimises the sound for all headphone types. The MA6700 can also be expanded with an AM / FM radio tuner module. It is also possible to control the trebles and basses of course. At first glance, the Japanese-made modern remote control does not fit at all with the classic-looking amplifier, but it is simple and easy to handle.

Listening to the sound

We started our sound tests by means of playing movies. We screened first the American Beauty starring excellent actors Kevin Spacey and Mena Suvariing, a movie that hit theatres worldwide in 1999. The MA 6700 amplifier naturally, cleanly and airily conveyed the dramatic, sometimes comic atmosphere. It produced a real, lifelike effect. The dialogues were clear. For our second screening we opted for a 1999 Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond movie The world is Not Enough,  full of humour and action, and the amp’s performance has left nothing to be desired this time again. We got a very balanced sound, dynamic basses and a spacious stage image. We jumped 20 years ahead in time and put into the DVD player the action movie Rambo 5 – Last Blood, released in 2019. Sylvester Stallone, like the McIntosh brand, is legendary and no longer young, nevertheless, despite his age, he fought bravely against the cruel Mexican criminals of the drug cartel. We couldn’t complain about the amplifier performance either, the intense bass penetrated our body, the excitement  created by the scenes was all the way maintained by the excellent sound quality delivered by the amplifier.

We also tested the amplifier for music only and put on Antonio Vivaldi’s fantastic piece entitled the Storm. Since the amplifier was also equipped with a phono input, we listened to the wonderful work on a vinyl record. We were truly impressed, all instruments sounded clearly, each frequency flawless. Then the Mannheim Philharmonic performed the soundtrack of the classic movie The Godfather. Our assessment was overall positive regarding the MA6700, it reproduced the music with such authenticity clarity and impeccable dynamics that it seemed to me the orchestra was right with us in the room. We also tried the amplifier for another music style and put on the hit Mamacita by Black Eyed Peas. The McIntosh amp has also successfully coped with the contemporary music, showing rich details, a demanding sound and definite deep tones.

Is it worth buying a McIntosh amplifier?

In our opinion, yes ! The American company continues to value good quality and sophisticated sound. This was also made evident with this model. The treble and bass can be fine-tuned and precisely adjusted; and paying attention to the smallest details, the developers have also equipped the amplifier with High Drive to optimise the sound of headphones. As the sole critique we would dare to mention about this awesome device is that it is unfortunately not capable of digital upscaling, which many would miss maybe. Other than that, the MA6700 worth its price. We rate it 4.5 out of 5 points.

G.H.