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The brand says it serves as the centerpiece of reference-grade private home theater system.
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McIntosh is synonymous with luxury hi-fi. The brand makes grail-worthy turntables, amplifiers, receivers and speakers, all with the same signature look: jet-black glass, silver accents and a vibrant green illuminated logo.
Now, the New York-based audio maker is introducing a new hi-fi component, the MX124, which is specifically aimed at home theater enthusiasts with seriously deep pockets.
According to the brand, it’s designed to “be the center of a modern luxury cinema system, bringing together performance, flexibility, and longevity in a single reference platform.”
A new flagship AV processor
The McIntosh MX124 is an advanced home theater processor that, for those who don’t know, works like an AV receiver but without a built-in power amplifier. It handles all the digital signal processing for a multi-channel home theater system, while giving you the freedom to choose the amplifier(s) that power your surround sound system.
In a nutshell, it’s a niche component for those with really elaborate private home theaters.
McIntosh makes several different AV processors, but the MX124 sits at the top of its lineup. It’s the biggest, most advanced and, yes, most expensive.
The MX124 is an AV processor designed to handle a 13.4-channel home theater system, which features 13 speakers positioned around the room and up to four subwoofers. For those with ceiling (or height) speakers, it can power a 7.4.6- or 9.4.4-channel system, too.
A private home theater centerpiece
Naturally, such an AV processor supports all the latest surround-sound and spatial-audio formats. It’s compatible with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X Pro, Sony 360 Reality Audio and MPEG-H Audio.
McIntosh claims that the MX124 “utilizes nine premium 32-bit digital-to-analog converters to deliver exceptional detail, dynamic range, and sonic accuracy.” There are separate bass and treble controls so you can fine-tune the system to your personal preferences.
Additionally, the MX124 supports various room calibration technologies, which include licenses for Dirac Live Room Correction, Dirac Live Bass Control, and Audyssey MultEQ XT32. This ensures that the system sounds best for your room.
McIntosh claims that these technologies “help optimize speaker integration, bass performance, imaging, tonal balance, and overall clarity while preserving the natural musicality and signature sound quality that define the McIntosh listening experience.”
As for inputs, the MX124 doesn’t skimp on those either. It features seven HDMI inputs and three HDMI outputs, including one with eARC. All the HDMI inputs and the primary outputs support 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz video and are compatible with Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG and IMAX Enhanced.
The MX124 handles all the music streaming capabilities, too. On the Wi-Fi side, it supports Apple AirPlay, Qobuz Connect, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and is Roon Ready. It can play high-resolution audio up to 32-bit/192kHz. It also has built-in Bluetooth.
Availability and pricing
McIntosh hasn’t officially announced the price of the MX124, but various reputable retailers, including World Wide Stereo, have it listed for $15,000.
It’s available now from authorized McIntosh retailers.
McIntosh MX124
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