McIntosh MC312 Power Amplifier

The MC312 has received numerous improvements compared to McIntosh's previous 300 watt stereo amplifier. Most notably is that filter capacity has been doubled, which increases dynamic headroom an impressive 27% from 1.8dB to 2.3dB. This increase means the MC312 will be even better suited to handle wide dynamic swings in your music. Distortion prevention and bass performance also benefit from the increased filter capacity.

While still looking very much like a McIntosh, the MC312 has received some key design updates. Direct LED backlighting now illuminates the front panel for improved color accuracy. The audio output Autoformers still straddle the power transformer, but are now located in new enclosures, which are capped by a single cover containing glass inserts that show the wiring diagram for each transformer.

Other updates include the addition of McIntosh's Monogrammed Heatsinks™ and their eco-friendly power management system. Numerous circuit components and internal wiring have also been upgraded. Balanced and unbalanced outputs have been added to enable bi-amping or tri-amping your speakers; they can also be used to connect to a secondary system if your preamplifier doesn’t have enough connections, or to connect a powered subwoofer.

The MC312 sits on a beautiful polished stainless steel chassis and features the timeless McIntosh black glass front panel, illuminated logo, control knobs, aluminum end caps and a pair of fast responding blue watt meters.

• Power Guard® monitors and adjusts the input signal at the speed of light and makes real time adjustments to prevent harsh sounding and potentially speaker damaging clipping
• Sentry Monitor™ is McIntosh's fuse-less short-circuit protection circuit that disengages the output stage before current exceeds safe operating levels and then resets automatically when operating conditions return to normal
• Power Control sends power on/off signals to other connected McIntosh components (such as CD Players, turntables, tuners and media streamers) for easy system power up and shutdown
• Patented Solid Cinch™ speaker binding posts easily but securely attach the speaker cables to prevent them from coming loose and possibly causing a short; the binding posts are also gold-plated to prevent corrosion and ensure a quality signal is sent over your speaker cables

• Power Output per Channel: 300 Watts @ 2, 4 or 8 Ohms
• Number of Channels: 2
• Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.005%
• S/N below rated output: 120dB
• Dynamic Headroom: 2.3dB
• Damping Factor: >40 Wideband
• Rated Power Band: 20Hz to 20kHz
• Frequency Response: +0, -0.25dB from 20Hz to 20,000Hz; +0, -3.0dB from 10Hz to 100,000Hz
• Remote Power Control: Yes
• Speaker Binding Post Type: Patented Solid Cinch™ Speaker Binding Posts
• Circuit Configuration: Push-Pull Complementary
• Circuit Design: Solid State
• Mono Bridge: No
• Mono Parallel: No
• Autoformer: Yes
• Meters: Yes
• Meter Light Switch: Yes
• Balanced Input: 2
• Front Panel: Glass
• Illumination: Direct LED
• Chassis Style: Polished stainless steel & black painted steel
• Dimensions (W x H x D): 17-1/2" (44.45cm) x 9-7/16" (23.97cm) (including feet) x 22" (55.88cm) (including front panel, handles and cables)
• Weight: 105 lbs net; 138 lbs shipping