McIntosh who have been designing and building audio for over 65 years, has announced a new turntable The MT2 Precision.

The new McIntosh ‘entry-level’ MT2 Precision Turntable plays both 33-1/3 and 45 rpm records and is ready to use straight from the box, with all presets taken care of at the New York factory.

The MT2 comes with a pre-installed moving coil- (MC) type cartridge with an output high enough to enable compatibility with moving magnet (MM) inputs on partnering equipment. The MT2’s unique cartridge has a high impedance and high output voltage. This cartridge features an alloy cantilever and an elliptical diamond stylus. Its lightweight yet rigid tonearm is constructed from aluminium with special damping materials. The vertical bearings feature two precision-ceramic surfaces with damping fluid; the horizontal bearing is a gimballed sapphire design.

The belt-driven solid black outer platter is made from a special dynamically balanced polyoxymethylene (POM) and is over 1” (25.4mm) thick. The inner platter is made of CNC-precision milled aluminium. The platters rotate on a polished and tempered steel shaft in a sintered bronze bushing. The DC motor is driven by an external voltage-stabilised power supply and is completely decoupled from the chassis.

The MT2’s plinth has a resonance-optimised and highly compressed wood base with a black lacquer finish, while the top and middle acrylic plates help absorb unwanted vibrations. A subtle green glow emanates from under the platter and the outside edges of the plinth for a touch maintaining the McIntosh design aesthetic. A clear, contoured dust cover is included.

Pricing and availability

Orders can be placed now with authorised McIntosh dealers with shipping expected to begin in May (UK) £4,995. In the USA they will ship in April and cost $4000.