McIntosh MA8950 - Black glass

Description

The McIntosh Solid-State Reference Integrated

The MA8950 succeeds the MA8900 (2017 Best Stereo Integrated Amplifier per Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity) — a full-width solid-state integrated that consolidates preamplification, power amplification, digital conversion, and a 5-band McIntosh analog equalizer in a single flexible chassis. Two McIntosh Autoformer™ transformers flanking the power transformer guarantee that the full 200 W per channel are delivered into 2, 4, or 8 ohm speaker loads — the amplifier always sees an ideal load. The MA8950 is built for the listener who wants a single unit for a serious stereo system: digital sources (television, streamer, SACD/CD transport), analog sources (external preamplifier, external DAC, tuner), and phono sources (both MM and MC cartridges) — all with the McIntosh acoustic signature.

200 W Into 2, 4, or 8 Ohms and 3.1 dB of Dynamic Headroom

The MA8950 delivers 200 W per channel into 2, 4, or 8 ohms through the McIntosh Autoformer™ output transformers — full rated power across all common speaker impedances, no compromise. Total harmonic distortion is rated at 0.005%, frequency response is +0/-0.5 dB from 20 Hz to 20 kHz (+0/-3 dB from 10 Hz to 100 kHz), and damping factor is greater than 40. A key upgrade over the MA8900: the power supply filter capacitance has been doubled, taking dynamic headroom from 2.0 dB (MA8900) to 3.1 dB (MA8950). In listening: crisper transients, tighter and more articulate bass, and noticeably lower distortion on the most demanding passages. The output transistors are mounted on McIntosh Monogrammed Heatsinks™.

Full Analog Section: XLR, Six Gold-Plated RCA, MM and MC Phono

The MA8950 carries nine analog inputs: one balanced XLR, six unbalanced RCA with premium gold-plated solid-brass connectors, one Moving Coil (MC) phono input with adjustable loading, and one fixed-loading Moving Magnet (MM) phono input — enough for two turntables at once. Input impedance is 20 kohms on both balanced and unbalanced inputs. Sensitivities: XLR 0.5 V, RCA 0.25 V, MC 0.25 mV, MM 2.5 mV. Signal-to-noise ratios: 95 dB high-level, 82 dB MM phono, 80 dB MC phono, 113 dB Power Amp input. Every input can be renamed (Input Assign), and Input Level Match aligns perceived level across sources. Two unbalanced variable RCA preamplifier outputs and one fixed-output RCA give broad flexibility — send audio to an external power amplifier for bi-amping, feed one or two active subwoofers, or record to an analog device.

DA2 Digital Audio Module With Seven Inputs Including HDMI (ARC)

The MA8950 ships from the factory with the DA2 Digital Audio Module, replacing the MA8900's DA1. The DA2 provides seven digital inputs: two coaxial, two optical, one USB, one proprietary MCT for pairing with a McIntosh SACD/CD transport (like the MCT500), and one audio-only HDMI (ARC) input that connects directly to a compatible TV to route TV, cable, or streaming sound through the hi-fi system. Multichannel Dolby® and DTS® formats received over HDMI ARC are converted to stereo for playback. The MA8950's remote can also control TV power and volume via CEC. The DA2's 8-channel, 32-bit Quad Balanced DAC delivers improved dynamic range and lower total harmonic distortion vs the DA1: coaxial and optical inputs accept up to 24-bit / 192 kHz, USB accepts up to 32-bit / 384 kHz PCM and DSD up to DSD512 (DXD 352.8 and 384 kHz as well), and MCT reads DSD64 from SACD layers. The DA2 module remains replaceable for future digital standards.

5-Band Analog Equalizer, HXD® Headphone Amp and Home Theater PassThru

A front-panel 5-band analog equalizer provides ±12 dB of manual adjustment in 2 dB steps at five fixed frequencies: 30 Hz, 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 2 kHz, and 10 kHz. Useful for correcting a difficult room, compensating for an uneven recording, or dialing in a personal listening curve without resorting to digital correction. Tone Bypass removes the equalizer entirely from the signal path for the purest possible listening. A dedicated High Drive headphone amplifier with McIntosh's patented Headphone Crossfeed Director (HXD®) sits behind the 1/4-inch front-panel jack: HXD® reintroduces cross-channel spatial cues to recreate an image closer to speaker listening. Home Theater PassThru integrates the MA8950 into a multichannel home theater system — the front-channel signals from the AV processor pass through the MA8950 power stage at unity gain, letting you share the main speakers between pure stereo and home theater with no cable repatching.

Power Guard® and Sentry Monitor™ Protection

The MA8950 carries the two proprietary McIntosh protection circuits. Power Guard® monitors both input and output signals continuously and dynamically adjusts input levels within microseconds to prevent hard clipping of the output stage — critical for tweeter protection and for preserving signal quality at high listening levels. Sentry Monitor™ is a fuse-less short-circuit protection circuit that disengages the output stage before current exceeds safe operating levels, then automatically resets once conditions return to normal. The power supply itself has been upgraded vs the MA8900 for lower noise emission and improved reliability under the most demanding operating conditions.

Hand-Assembled in Binghamton and Award-Winning

Every MA8950 is hand-assembled at the McIntosh factory in Binghamton, New York. The dual-layer chassis combines polished mirror-finish stainless steel with black-painted steel, topped with the signature black glass front panel with fiber-optic backlighting and illuminated logo, blue Watt Output meters, rotary control knobs, and aluminum end caps. Gold-plated Standard-type speaker binding posts to prevent corrosion, four rear-panel Data Ports for controlling connected McIntosh sources, an RS-232 port for custom integration, one Main Power Control output and two trigger outputs for a full-rack automation setup. Roon Tested, named Integrated Amplifier of the Year by Stereo+ Magazine, Editor's Choice Best High-End Stereo Amplifier 2022 by AVForums, and awarded 5 stars Highly Recommended by Stereo+. Dimensions 17.5 × 7.625 × 18.75 in. (44.5 × 19.4 × 47.6 cm), net weight 75 lb (34.1 kg), standby power consumption less than 0.25 W. 3-year limited warranty.

Common Questions

What's the difference between the MA8950 and the MA8900 it replaces?

The MA8950 brings two main upgrades vs the MA8900. First, the power supply's filter capacitor capacity has been doubled, taking dynamic headroom from 2.0 dB to 3.1 dB — the amplifier handles musical and cinema transients with more authority, and the bass runs tighter and more articulate. Second, the DA1 Digital Audio Module in the MA8900 is replaced by the DA2, which adds an HDMI (ARC) audio-only input for direct TV connection, improves DAC dynamic range and distortion, and extends USB DSD support from DSD256 to DSD512. The power supply itself has been upgraded as well for lower noise.

Which speaker binding post tap should I use (2 Ω, 4 Ω, or 8 Ω)?

Connect the speakers to the binding post that matches the speaker's nominal impedance as rated by the manufacturer (2, 4, or 8 Ω). Thanks to the McIntosh Autoformer™ output transformers, the MA8950 delivers its full 200 W on any of these three taps without stressing the output stage or degrading signal quality.

Can I use the MA8950 in a home theater setup?

Yes, through the built-in Home Theater PassThru feature. Once assigned to an input, the surround processor's front-left and front-right channel signals pass directly through the MA8950's power stage at unity gain, which lets you share the main speakers between pure stereo listening and multichannel home theater without repatching speaker cables.

Which sources and loudspeakers pair well with the MA8950?

As an integrated amplifier, the MA8950 needs no external preamplifier or power amp. McIntosh's suggested partners include the DS200 streaming DAC, the MCD600 SACD/CD player, the MCT500 SACD/CD transport (via the proprietary MCT input), the MT5 turntable, the MR89 AM/FM tuner, the MEN220 Room Correction System, and on the loudspeaker side the ML1 Mk II bookshelf and the XR100 floor-standing loudspeaker.

What's in the Box

McIntosh MA8950 integrated amplifier

Remote control

AC power cord

Owner's manual