McIntosh MA2375 - Black glass

Description

The Return of the All-Tube McIntosh Integrated After More Than a Decade

The MA2375 is the first all-vacuum-tube integrated amplifier that McIntosh has placed in the catalog in over a decade — a clear strategic choice by the brand to make available in a single enclosure the pure tube topology from the preamplifier stage all the way to the speaker outputs. It is a component built for the listener who values the harmonic breathing and tonal richness typical of tube amplification and prefers an integrated to a stack of separate tube preamplifier and tube power amplifier. The polished mirror stainless steel chassis supports a black glass front panel with fiber-optic illuminated legends, framed by machined aluminum end caps, with the two signature blue Watt meters and the stylish protective cage that lets the glow of the tubes show through during operation. Standby power draw is under 0.25 W.

Twelve Vacuum Tubes: Four KT88 Plus Eight Gain and Driver Tubes

The architecture is built around twelve vacuum tubes in total, split between the preamplifier and power sections. The power section uses four KT88 output tubes and four 12AT7 driver tubes to deliver 75 W per channel with controlled distortion and the character of the KT88 — the reference audiophile output tube since the 1950s. The preamplifier section adds two 12AX7A and two 12AT7 tubes, for four low-noise gain tubes that receive the signal on the way in. The entire tube complement is protected by McIntosh's Power Guard Screen Grid Sensor® technology, specific to the brand's tube amplifiers: it continuously monitors the current flowing through the KT88 tubes and adjusts the input level in real time to keep the tubes within their optimal operating range, extending output tube life without compromising sonic delivery.

Unity Coupled Circuit: 75 W Into 4, 8, or 16 Ohms

The distinguishing feature of the MA2375's output stage is its Unity Coupled Circuit Output Transformers, McIntosh's patented technology for tube amplification. This topology guarantees that the 75 W per channel is delivered with the same linearity and control into a 4 ohm speaker, an 8 ohm speaker, or a 16 ohm speaker. In practice, this leaves the freedom to run modern high-sensitivity speakers (usually 4 or 8 ohms) as well as vintage high-impedance speakers (16 ohms) without reconfiguration or power compromise. Maximum total harmonic distortion 0.5% from 250 mW to rated power over 20 Hz-20 kHz, dynamic headroom 1.2 dB, frequency response +0/-0.5 dB from 20 Hz to 20 kHz (+0/-3 dB from 10 Hz to 50 kHz), high-level signal-to-noise ratio 95 dB, damping factor greater than 22. The gold-plated Solid Cinch™ speaker binding posts accept bare wire, banana plugs, or spade lugs with a secure hand-tightened grip.

Six Analog Inputs Including One Universal MM/MC Adjustable Phono

The MA2375 is deliberately an all-analog integrated — no built-in digital section. Six analog inputs cover the source connectivity: two balanced XLR, three unbalanced RCA, and one universal phono input configurable as moving magnet (MM) or moving coil (MC) with adjustable gain, resistance loading (100 Ω to 47 kΩ), capacitance loading (50 to 400 pF), and RIAA equalization. This range of configuration turns the phono input into a serious dedicated stage, capable of hosting any audiophile cartridge with an exact match to the manufacturer's specification sheet. Phono sensitivity is 3 mV; high-level sensitivity is 600 mV balanced and 300 mV unbalanced. Signal-to-noise ratio is 75 dB MC and MM. Each input can be renamed on screen and benefits from the Input Level Match function to align perceived levels across sources without touching the main volume.

5-Band Analog Equalizer, Home Theater PassThru and Subwoofer Output

On the front panel, the MA2375 carries a 5-band analog equalizer with a full bypass of the tone circuit remembered per input — a hardware analog corrector that lets the sonic profile be adjusted to the room's acoustics or a compromised recording without the phase issues typical of digital filters. The Home Theater PassThru feature lets the front-channel signal from a home theater processor pass through the MA2375 at unity gain so the same speaker pair serves both stereo and cinema. A dedicated subwoofer output makes it easy to add a powered subwoofer to extend low-frequency response without loading the tube power stage. A variable unbalanced RCA preamp output is also available to drive a second power amplifier or a second listening zone.

High Drive Headphone Amp With HXD® and System Integration

The 1/4-inch headphone output is handled by a discrete High Drive amplifier with the HXD® (Headphone Crossfeed Director) circuit, which restores spatial imaging on headphones by simulating the inter-ear crosstalk present in loudspeaker listening. A Power Control output lets the MA2375 be synchronized on/off with other McIntosh components, while two rear Data Ports pass IR remote commands to connected source components — handy to drive the whole chain from the supplied remote. An RS-232 control port is available for integration in custom-integrator setups. Sentry Monitor™ complements the Power Guard SGS® protection by disengaging the output stage (fuse-less) on short-circuit conditions and re-engaging automatically once normal operating conditions return.

An Amplifier Hand-Assembled in Binghamton

McIntosh Laboratory shipped its first amplifier in 1949 from Binghamton, New York, and still builds every product by hand at the same site today. The MA2375 carries the visual signatures of the brand: black glass front panel with illuminated McIntosh logo, machined aluminum rotary knobs, the two signature blue Watt meters, and a dual-layer chassis in polished mirror stainless steel. The protective cage above the chassis, which lets the glow of the twelve tubes show through during operation, is a piece of industrial design in its own right. 

Common Questions

Where does the MA2375 sit in the McIntosh integrated amplifier lineup?

The MA2375 is the only all-vacuum-tube integrated amplifier in the current McIntosh catalog — a unique position in the range. The Hybrid Drive models (tube preamp + solid-state power) are the MA252 (100 W), the MA352 (200 W), and the MA12000 (350 W, flagship). The pure solid-state models are the MA5300 (100 W with DA1), the MA8950 (200 W with DA2), and the MA9500 (300 W with DA2, solid-state top). The catalog also includes the MSA5500 (streaming integrated with Roon Ready) and the MAC7200 (integrated with an AM/FM tuner). The MA2375 is the pick for the listener who wants a tube topology from input to output, with an audiophile-tier phono stage.

Does the MA2375 have a built-in DAC or digital inputs?

No — the MA2375 is deliberately an all-analog integrated, with no built-in digital section and no DAC module. It carries five line-level analog inputs (two balanced XLR + three unbalanced RCA) and one universal phono input. To add streaming or TV audio, an external network audio player such as the McIntosh DS200 (Roon Ready with HDMI ARC built in, plus AirPlay/Cast/Qobuz/Spotify/TIDAL) or a CD/SACD player like the MCD600 can be connected to one of the MA2375's analog inputs.

Which speaker binding posts should I connect my speakers to?

Unlike McIntosh solid-state amplifiers that use the Autoformer® with 2, 4, and 8 ohm binding posts, the MA2375 is a tube amplifier with Unity Coupled Circuit Output Transformers and 4, 8, and 16 ohm binding posts. Connect each speaker cable to the binding post that matches the nominal impedance stated by the speaker manufacturer (4, 8, or 16 ohms). This ensures the MA2375 delivers the full 75 W per channel to the speaker with the optimal damping factor. The Solid Cinch™ binding posts accept bare wire, banana plugs, or spade lugs with a secure hand-tightened grip, and are gold-plated for long-term oxidation resistance.

What are the phono input adjustments on the MA2375?

The MA2375 carries one universal phono input configurable as moving magnet (MM) or moving coil (MC), with full adjustment from the menu: gain, resistance loading (from 100 Ω to 47 kΩ), capacitance loading (from 50 to 400 pF), and RIAA equalization are all adjustable to match the cartridge manufacturer's spec sheet precisely. Sensitivity is 3 mV and the signal-to-noise ratio is 75 dB in both MM and MC. This is an audiophile-tier phono stage — comparable to the ones at the top of the McIntosh preamplifier range (C22 Mk V, C55, C2800) — and hosts both a low-output MC and a high-output MM cartridge without an external phono stage.

What's in the Box

McIntosh MA2375 vacuum tube integrated amplifier

Protective tube cage

McIntosh remote control

AC power cord

Documentation and owner's manual