McIntosh Laboratory
McIntosh Laboratory is an American manufacturer of handcrafted high-end audio equipment that is headquartered in Binghamton, New York. It is a subsidiary of McIntosh Group, which in November 2024 was acquired by Bose Corporation, an American audio company.
The company was co-founded in 1949 by Frank H. McIntosh and Gordon Gow. McIntosh designs and produces audio amplifiers, stereo tuners, loudspeakers, turntables, music streamers, processors, and various other audio products. Although solid state components are a large segment of the McIntosh line, audio enthusiasts most revere the warm sound of the company's tube amplifiers. Some of their tube amplifiers rank among the finest ever created for home audio and theater use. Their Unity Coupled Circuit, patented at the brand's inception, is still used today in products like their MC275 amplifier, whose vacuum tubes—used in many of the company's products—help to impart a lifelike warmth and soul to the sound. "McIntosh transformers are hand-wound in house as they've always been" according to McIntosh president, Charlie Randall. Many of the employees working at the Binghamton plant have been with the company for decades and number approximately 170+ as of June, 2022.
McIntosh audio products can usually be recognized by their black glass front panels, iconic blue VU meters, and iconic gothic logo. The Mcintosh factory has a black facade with blue tinted windows to align with the company's trademark theme.
Company history and highlights
Frank H. McIntosh and Gordon Gow co-founded McIntosh in 1949. The company was originally located in Silver Spring MD. It moved to Binghamton NY in 1951.Dave O'Brien joined McIntosh in 1962. He led the McIntosh Amplifier Clinics for the next 29 years. Dave retired on June 11, 1999, after 38 years of service with McIntosh.
In 1965, Mcintosh amps were used to power President Lyndon B. Johnson’s inauguration speech.
McIntosh created a Loudspeaker division in 1967.
McIntosh amplifiers were used at the Woodstock Music Festival in 1969. A battery of twenty McIntosh MC3500 tube amplifiers were used to power the JBL speakers at Woodstock for the 400,000+ fans in attendance. Urban legend has it that these amps needed to be cooled by ice on the hot August days so they would not overheat but McIntosh Laboratory Inc President, Charlie Randall, dismissed the tale as folk lore saying "Any ice packed around the amps in the middle of August would have quickly melted and the resulting water would have caused massive issues with the electronics".
On March 23, 1974, the Grateful Dead's "Wall of Sound" debuted at the Cow Palace in Daly City, CA. It reportedly used forty-eight 300-watt per channel McIntosh model MC2300 solid state amplifiers for a total of 28,800 watts of continuous power to power a speaker system over 100 feet wide and three stories tall.
While staying at the Plaza Hotel in 1976, The Beatles George Harrison requested a McIntosh sound system by name. At 2am that night, four JBL S8Rs and a rack mount of McIntosh power amplifiers, preamplifiers, and a turntable were delivered to his room. The music volume was so loud that other guests and employees could hear it throughout the hotel. Others claimed they heard the music from up to five blocks away. This resulted in him being thrown out of the hotel the following day.
In October 1977, Gordon Gow became president and CEO when Mr. McIntosh retired. Mr. McIntosh sold his stock shares to top management and a few dedicated McIntosh investors. He was retained with a salary on a consulting basis. He moved from his home in Endicott, NY to Scottsdale, Arizona
Japanese years
After a long and illustrious history that saw them expand their business around the world, the company began to struggle and was ultimately acquired by Clarion, a large Japanese manufacturer of car stereo gear in 1990 for 28.6 million dollars. McIntosh components, particularly the early tube models, are highly regarded in Japan. In a speech shortly after the purchase, Clarion president Yutaka Oyamada told McIntosh employees that "we like McIntosh as it is, and we have no intention of changing what has made it so successful." After the Clarion purchase, McIntosh expanded into car audio and home theater.In May 2003, Clarion sold McIntosh Laboratory to D&M Holdings also of Japan. The company continued to operate independent engineering, design, and divisions.
Italian years and return to the United States
On October 8, 2012, Fine Sounds SpA of Milan, Italy, announced it had purchased McIntosh. In May 2014, the CEO of Fine Sounds Group, along with the President of McIntosh Labs, led a management buyout of the Fine Sounds Group from its Italian investment firm owner, Quadrivio Investment Group.Since then, Fine Sounds Group has renamed itself McIntosh Group and relocated from Milan to New York. McIntosh Group is a holding company for the brands McIntosh Laboratory, Sonus Faber, Sumiko Phono Cartridges, Fine Sounds Americas, Fine Sounds BeNelux, and Fine Sounds U.K. It has also partnered Sonus Faber with Maserati and partnered McIntosh Audio with Jeep. Jeff Poggi and Charlie Randall were named Co-CEO's in 2017 of McIntosh Group. Daniel Pidgeon is the current CEO of McIntosh Group.
Charlie Randall is the current President of McIntosh Laboratory.
Dallas-based private investment firm Highlander Partners, acquired McIntosh Group as part of their equity portfolio in June 2022. McIntosh Laboratory's revenue was $25 million and $42 million in 2021 and 2022, respectively. On 19 November 2024, Highlander Partners announced the sale of McIntosh Group to Bose Corporation for an undisclosed sum.
Other McIntosh facts
- Apple co-founder, Steve Jobs, reached a settlement agreement with McIntosh president, Gordon Gow, to use the name Macintosh for Apple's start-up personal computer line. Although the brand names have a different spelling, they sounded enough alike when pronounced that the agreement required a placard to be placed on the back of the Macintosh Plus 1MB computer starting in March 1983. In March 1986, Apple gained exclusive license rights to use the Macintosh name for an undisclosed but substantial sum of money.
- In 2002, McIntosh developed the Harley-Davidson riser mount radio. Sold through Harley dealerships, the radio could be added to many Harley models that lacked mobile audio.
- On November 7, 2017, McIntosh founders Frank McIntosh and Gordon Gow were posthumously inducted into the Consumer Technology Hall of fame in a ceremony held at the Rainbow room in New York City. This honor is bestowed upon those who have made a significant impact in the technology sector with products and technologies that improve lives around the world.
- The World of McIntosh Experience Center was a 12,000 square foot, five story townhouse located in the SoHo district of New York. It was open for tours from 2015 to 2021 and was used as a retail showroom for McIntosh, as well as for private events such as movie screenings, art exhibits, and presentations. On September 21, 2023, an 11,000 square foot townhome labeled The McIntosh House of Sound opened in NYC's Chelsea District. Similar to the World of McIntosh Experience Center, it showcases audio products from McIntosh, Sonus faber, Pro-Ject, Rotel, and Sumiko.
- In addition to past celebrities such as Howard Hughes George Harrison, and Jerry Garcia, some notable artists and audio aficionados who own McIntosh gear for personal use today are John Mayer, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Jimmy Fallon, Tom Cruise and Bob Weir.
Products
| Year | Selected products |
| 1949 | 50W-1 power amplifier |
| 1950 | AE-1 preamplifier |
| 1953 | A116 power amplifier, C108 preamplifier |
| 1954 | MC30 power amplifier, C4 preamplifier |
| 1957 | MR55 AM-FM tuner |
| 1960 | MC240 stereo power amplifier |
| 1961 | MC275 stereo power amplifier |
| 1962 | MX110 Tuner-preamplifier |
| 1963 | MR67 tuner |
| 1963 | MR71 tuner |
| 1964 | C24 preamplifier |
| 1965 | MC250 solid state power amplifier, MAC1500 receiver |
| 1967 | MC2100, MC2105, MC2505 solid state power amplifiers |
| 1968 | MX112 solid-state tuner-preamplifier |
| 1968 | MC3500 tube amplifier |
| 1970 | ML1, ML2, ML4 loudspeaker line |
| 1971 | MC2300 power amplifier |
| 1972 | MR78 tuner |
| 1980 | MC2500 power amplifier, XRT20 loudspeaker system |
| 1985 | MCD7000 CD player |
| 1999-2000 | MC2000 50th Anniversary New Millenium Edition |
| 2003 | MC501 monoblock amplifier |
| 2004 | MC275 Mark V amplifier, XLS loudspeaker |
| 2006 | MC2KW, 2000 WPC 3 Chassis Quad Balanced Amp |
| 2008 | MT10 Precision Turntable |
| 2017 | MC1.25KW, 1200 WPC Single Chassis Quad balanced Amp |
| 2019 | MA352 200 WPC Hybrid Tube/SS Integrated Amp |
| 2019 | MC3500 MkII 50th Anniversary Woodstock 350 WPC Tube Amp |
| 2020 | MX123 A/V Processor |
| 2020 | MA12000, 350 WPC Hybrid Tube/SS Integrated Amp |
| 2023 | MC451, 150/300 WPC Hybrid Tube/SS Integrated Amp |
More notable products
1949: Tubed Unity Coupled 50W1 Power Amplifier.1955: C8 Audio Compensator preamplifier
Late 1960s: MC 2505 First Transistor amp utilizing Autoformer technology.
Late 1960s: MC 3500 Tube Power Amplifier, 350 WPC.
Early 1970s: MC 2300 Power Amplifier, 300 WPC.
Early 1980s: MC 2500 Power Amplifier, 500 WPC Power Guard and similar chassis to MC 2300.
Around 1990: MC 2600 Power Amplifier, 600 WPC Power Guard final version on MC 2300 Chassis.
Around 1990: MC 7300, 300 WPC and much smaller than MC 2300.
Around 2006: MC2KW 2000WPC 3 Chassis Quad Balanced Amplifier.
Around 2008: MT10 Precision Turntable.
Around 2017: MC1.25KW, 1200 WPC Single Chassis Quad balanced Amp.
Around 2019: MA352 Integrated Hybrid Amplifier
Around 2019: MC3500 MkII 350 WPC Mono Vacuum Tube Amp inspired by the 50th Anniversary of the MC3500 that powered Woodstock.
Around 2020: MA12000, 350 WPC Hybrid Tube/SS Integrated Amp
Around 2023: MC451, 150WPC/300 WPC Hybrid Tube/SS Integrated Amp
Around 2023: PS2k Powered Subwoofer