MC255 5-Channel Power Amplifier

Ideal for Home Theater Systems

Type: Solid State
250 Watts x 3-Channels or 200 Watts x 5-Channels
Dynamic Power Manager®; Power Guard®, Sentry Monitor™, Monogrammed Heatsinks™, TripleView™ Power Output Meter

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3 Year Limited Warranty

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MC255 5-Channel Power Amplifier

Ideal for Home Theater Systems

3 Year Limited Warranty

Print this page

COMPARE

Ask an Expert

Add to WishlistRemove From Wishlist

Give your home theater the power it deserves with the MC255 5-Channel Home Theater Power Amplifier. The MC255 features our striking new TripleView^™ Power Output Meter that independently indicates the real time power reading of the amplifier’s three front channels. Instead of three separate meter windows each housing a single meter as found on our previous 5-channel home theater amplifier, the easy-to-read, 15” (38 cm) wide TripleView features three of our traditional mechanical meters in a single meter enclosure.

While a totally new design, each of the three peak responding pointers in the TripleView meter have the same enticing motion that McIntosh meters are known for and function at the same high level as any of our meters. The enchanting look and welcoming glow of the TripleView meter is sure to draw interest from friends and family, but its trademarked blue lighting can be turned off so as not to compete with your TV or movie screen.

Besides the new TripleView meter, the MC255 has received many other performance upgrades to deliver an unforgettable cinema experience in your home theater. Filter capacity has been increased by 50% which has more than doubled dynamic headroom from 1.7dB to 3.6dB – a key feature in a home theater amplifier – as well as improving the performance of low frequencies. When using just the front left, center and right channels, power output has been increased by 25% from 200 Watts per channel (WPC) to 250 WPC. When using all 5 channels, each will receive a healthy 200 WPC. Regardless of how many channels are used, the full 200 or 250 Watts is delivered to either 4 or 8 Ohm speakers via our Dynamic Power Manager^® (DPM) technology.

McIntosh Monogrammed Heatsink.

The MC255 runs cool and quiet thanks to four of our McIntosh Monogrammed Heatsinks^™ which are connected to advanced high current output transistors that efficiently and silently cool the amplifier; as a result, noisy cooling fans that can interfere with the movie soundtrack are not needed. A quiet, specially wound toroidal isolation power transformer also helps keep noise to a minimum. Speaker terminals have been updated to our standard gold-plated binding posts that prevent corrosion and ensure a quality signal is sent to your home theater speakers.

Traditional McIntosh knobs now adorn the front panel to control the meter lights and power function. Direct LED backlighting has been added to the front panel for improved color accuracy and durability. Our eco-friendly power management system that will turn the amplifier off after a set amount of time when no input signal has been detected is also now included.

While the MC255 has received many upgrades, it also comes with hallmark McIntosh technologies such as Power Guard^® that prevents potential speaker damage caused by clipping and over-driving of the amplifier, and Sentry Monitor^™ that protects against short-circuits by disengaging the output stage should the current ever exceed safe operating levels (it then resets automatically when operating conditions return to normal). Both balanced and unbalanced inputs are included to connect your home theater processor to the MC255 home theater amplifier.

The MC255 can be used to power a conventional 5-channel home theater; it can be paired with either our MI128 or MI254 digital amplifiers in home theaters that have additional surround sound speakers for use with object-based 3D audio formats such as Dolby^® Atmos, DTS:X^™ and Auro-3D^®; or it can be used in a two zone configuration with the three front channels used at 250 WPC in one zone and the two surround sound channels used at 200 WPC in a second audio zone in your home.

The MC255 bears the classic McIntosh design of a black glass front panel with the TripleView meter, illuminated logo, control knobs, and aluminum end caps. Contact your local dealer to learn more.

Specifications
Electronic Specifications
- FTC Power Output Rating
  
  250 W
- Power Output per Channel
  
  3 Front Channels only: 250 W into 4 or 8 ohms
  All 5 Channels: 200 W into 4 or 8 ohms
- Number of Channels
  
  5
  (can also be used as a 2-zone amplifier with 3 channels in zone A and 2 channels in zone B)
- Total Harmonic Distortion
  
  0.005%
- S/N below rated output
  
  108dB
- Dynamic Headroom
  
  3.6dB
- Damping Factor
  
  >70 @ 4 ohms
  >140 @ 8 ohms
- Rated Power Band
  
  20Hz to 20kHz
- Frequency Response
  
  +0, -0.25dB from 20Hz to 20kHz
  +0, -3dB from 10Hz to 100kHz
Control
- Remote Power Control
  
  Yes, 5 or 3 + 2 Channel
- Multi-Channel DB25 Cable
  
  No
Connectivity
- Speaker Binding Post Type
  
  Standard
General Specifications
- Circuit Configuration
  
  Push-Pull Complementary
- Circuit Design
  
  Solid State
- Mono Bridge
  
  No
- Mono Parallel
  
  No
- Output Type
  
  Direct Coupled with Dynamic Power Manager^®
- Meters
  
  TripleView™ Power Output Meter
- Meter Light Switch
  
  Yes
- Balanced Input
  
  5
- Front Panel
  
  Glass
- Illumination
  
  Direct LED
- Chassis Style
  
  Inverted
Weights & Dimensions
- Unit Dimensions (W x H x D)
  
  17-1/2" (44.5cm) x 9-7/16" (23.9cm) (including feet) x 21" (53.3cm) (including front panel and cables)
- Unit Weight
  
  89.5 lbs (40.6 kg)
- Shipping Weight
  
  122.5 lbs (55.6 kg)

Downloads

Product Literature	User Documents
MC255 Power Amplifier Brochure (1.34 MB)	MC255 Power Amplifier Owner's Manual (7.98 MB) MC255 Power Amplifier Connection Diagrams (0.94 MB)

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