MC257 7-Channel Solid State Amplifier
 
250 Watts x 3 Channels; 200 Watts x 7 Channels
TripleView™ Power Output Meter
94% increase in Dynamic Headroom
Dynamic Power Manager®; Power Guard®
Designed for home theaters
 
Bring your home theater dreams to life with the MC257 7-Channel Power Amplifier. Experience the latest blockbusters along with your favorite movies like never before in your home theater with the sound quality and power only McIntosh can deliver.
 
The MC257 is highlighted by our new eye-catching TripleView™ Power Output Meter that independently indicates the real time power reading of the amplifier’s three front channels. The easy-to-read, 15” (38 cm) wide TripleView meter design is a streamlined approach to the three individual meters found on our previous generation 7-channel home theater amplifier. Instead of three separate meter windows each housing a single meter, the TripleView features three of our traditional mechanical meters in a single meter enclosure.
While a totally new design, each of the three pointers in the TripleView meter have the same inviting motion that McIntosh meters are known for and perform at the same high level as any of our meters. The captivating look and glow of the TripleView meter is sure to be a conversation starter, but its trademarked blue lighting can be turned off so as not to compete with your TV or movie screen.
 
The combo of the McIntosh MX170 A/V Processor and MC257 7-Channel Amplifier "checked all the performance-related boxes when it came to signal integrity and immersion. Also, clarity and dynamics were off the charts... It had an amazing surround bubble that put me in the center of the action. This soundscape featured pinpoint imaging of all the discrete effects. The overall clarity, dynamic punch, and low distortion of the sound were above reproach." – SECRETS of Home Theater and High Fidelity
 
In addition to the new TripleView meter, the MC257 features many other upgrades. When using just the front left, center and right channels, power output has been increased by 25% from 200 Watts per channel to 250 Watts per channel. When using all 7 channels, each will receive a healthy 200 Watts per channel. 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. Filter capacity has been increased by 20% which has produced an amazing 94% increase in dynamic headroom from 1.7dB to 3.3dB as well as improving low frequency performance – both key features in a home theater amplifier, especially when listening to an energetic soundtrack.
 
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 7 Channels: 200 W into 4 or 8 ohms
Number of Channels
7
(can also be used as a 2-zone amplifier with 5 channels in zone A and 2 channels in zone B)
Total Harmonic Distortion
0.005%
S/N below rated output
108dB
Dynamic Headroom
3.3dB
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, 7 or 5 + 2 Channel
Multi-Channel DB25 Cable
No
 
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
Yes
Meter Light Switch
Yes
Balanced Input
7
Front Panel
Glass
Illumination
Direct LED
Chassis Style
Polished stainless steel & black painted steel
Connectivity
Speaker Binding Post Type
Standard
 
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
95 lbs (43 kg)
Shipping Weight
128 lbs (58 kg)