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McIntosh PS1K Powered Subwoofer – Sheer power and precise low frequency response

According to McIntosh Laboratory Inc., the new McIntosh PS1K Powered Subwoofer is a subwoofer that has been conceived without compromising on design, redefining precision and performance.

Story Highlights
  • McIntosh Laboratory Inc. describes the new McIntosh PS1K Powered Subwoofer as a masterful blend of precision, power and passion.

According to the US High-end HiFi manufacturer McIntosh Laboratory Inc., all the solutions currently available on the market in the subwoofer sector have not reached the optimum. The company therefore set out to set new standards once again with a new solution in this area, to develop a product that could unleash pure passion for HiFi and home cinema, as it is a subwoofer that completely redefines precision and performance.

McIntosh Laboratory Inc. is now presenting the new McIntosh PS1K Powered Subwoofer, another true giant in the subwoofer sector. This subwoofer is said to be a true masterpiece that guarantees a precise, powerful performance right down to the lowest frequencies.

No compromises – complex driver design

No compromises were accepted in the development of the new subwoofer; everything was designed in such a way that the declared goal of setting new standards could actually be achieved, according to McIntosh Laboratory Inc. who speak of a no-compromise design.

Two 13-inch drivers with multi-layer, carbon fibre diaphragms are used here, which feature McIntosh Laboratory Inc.’s proprietary Low Distortion High Performance Magnetic Circuit design, also known as LD/HP for short. This is intended to significantly reduce distortion while increasing power handling and efficiency, with the drivers optimised using finite element analysis (FEA) to ensure what the manufacturer itself describes as an exceptional sound experience.

The drivers feature powerful magnets and an extra-long voice coil as well as a suspension system designed for an extended linear excursion.

Powerful Class D amplifier modules

Each of the two drivers is driven by a separate amplifier module, relying on energy-efficient Class D amplifier modules capable of delivering 500 watts each.

McIntosh Laboratory Inc. states that these amplifiers are carefully calibrated to ensure optimum drive, free from distortion, and deliver tight, clear bass even in large listening rooms.

It would not be a McIntosh Laboratory Inc. solution if the amplifier modules were not equipped with McIntosh Power Guard and McIntosh Sentry Monitor protection technologies, which the manufacturer claims are particularly important. McIntosh Power Guard monitors the input signal and makes immediate adjustments to prevent hard clipping without compromising sound quality. McIntosh Sentry Monitor provides fuseless protection against possible short circuits, disconnecting the amplifier’s power stage before the current becomes unsafe and resetting automatically when conditions normalise.

Massive construction

The housing of the McIntosh PS1K Powered subwoofer has a particularly solid design to guarantee an optimum performance in view of the generously dimensioned woofers and the available power of the amplifiers.

With dimensions of 48,9 cm in width, 128,7 cm in height and a depth of 57,2 cm, this subwoofer weighs an impressive 167,8 kg.

It is interesting that the McIntosh PS1K Powered subwoofer presents itself as a kind of column, while the electronics are installed at the bottom and a typical blue VU metre can be found at the front, with the woofers enthroned above.

The closed housing is presented in Highly Polished Piano Black as well as a metal finish on the powder-coated aluminium base.

As you like it…

McIntosh Laboratory Inc. states that the McIntosh PS1K Powered Subwoofer was developed to complement the manufacturer’s various speaker systems and can therefore be used in a wide variety of configurations.

It has a well-equipped connection panel for integration into any stereo or home cinema solution, with unbalanced and balanced connections – RCA and XLR – as inputs and outputs, a parametric equaliser, a low-pass filter and a high-pass filter and, of course, phase and level controls.

Prices and availability

The new McIntosh PS1K Powered Subwoofer will be available from specialist retailers in the next few days, as the manufacturer announces. The recommended retail price is listed at € 42.000,-.

Getting to the point

McIntosh Laboratory Inc. was already setting new standards in the subwoofer sector with the McIntosh PS2K Powered Subwoofer, which was indeed a powerful solution that impressed in terms of driver equipment and power amplifier performance. With the new McIntosh PS1K Powered subwoofer, the little brother is now de facto ready, and here too the aim is nothing less than to set new standards in its class. Once again, pure power paired with precision is available here, if you believe the manufacturer’s promises, who recommends the new McIntosh PS1K Powered subwoofer for both stereo and home cinema.

PRODUCTMcIntosh PS1K Powered Subwoofer
Price€ 42.000,-
BrandMcIntosh
ManufacturerMcIntosh Laboratory Inc.
Distribution Audio Components GmbH
More about this manufacturer at HiFi BLOG

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Michael Holzinger

Michael Holzinger, founder and editor-in-chief of HiFi BLOG and sempre-audio.at, has been working for years as a journalist in the fields of IT, photography, telecommunications and consumer electronics.

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