McIntosh’s new MP100, the first dedicated phono preamplifier from the legendary US brand and one featuring USB outputs for (24-bit) ‘rips’ from vinyl collections has arrived in the UK .

First unveiled in the summer of 2016, McIntosh’s new MP100 phono preamplifier, its first ever dedicated phono stage, has arrived in the UK in time for the holiday season. The new MP100 has been designed to get the best from vinyl collections new and old, by bringing classic McIntosh design qualities to turntable systems and high-res 24-bit USB recording.

The MP100 is packed with features specifically designed for the vinyl lover. It features both moving coil and moving magnet inputs to cover the full range of turntable cartridges, with both inputs benefitting from adjustable loading (six settings each) to optimise performance. Despite its compact dimensions, the MP100 also features both balanced and unbalanced analogue outputs, plus a ‘mono mode’ switch to decrease noise and correctly process the signal when playing legacy mono recordings.

The MP100 is an excellent way to help introduce turntables into modern audio systems and for existing home theatre systems, the MP100 is an easy and affordable way to add full phono preamp capabilities without deploying a full-sized stereo preamp that duplicates the features of an AVR or home theatre processor.

At just 9.6cm high, the MP100 shares the same 29.2cm narrow chassis design as the MXA70 integrated audio system, MHA100 headphone amp and MB50 streaming audio player, a compact product range that provides the classic McIntosh build and performance hallmarks with a space-saving footprint.

When used with suitable conversion software, the MP100 can ‘rip’ vinyl to computers via USB to produce high-quality digital files. The digital outputs are fixed at 24-bit/96kHz to capture the full dynamic range of vinyl while optimising the digital file size. The MP100 also features digital output clipping protection, to prevent harsh-sounding distortion being recorded to the file during loud sections in the music. A further two digital outputs, optical and coaxial are also included for additional versatility.

The MP100 is available in the UK now priced at £2,750.