McIntosh Labs MP100 2-Channel Solid State Phono Preamplifier
The MP100 brings vinyl alive with inky-quiet backgrounds, lucid detail and smooth, natural transients. Ian White found its clarity, impact and soundstage exceptional, while Gary Lea praised its cartridge-revealing control. Adjustable MM/MC loading, balanced outputs and 24-bit/96kHz digitising make this a remarkably versatile, composed phono stage.
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Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
93/100
Cartridge Compatibility
94/100
Build Quality
91/100
Value for Money
95/100
Pros
Exceptionally low noise floor unlocks dark backgrounds, clarity and fine detail.
Neutral, smooth and controlled presentation delivers convincing dynamics, imaging and musical flow.
Flexible MM/MC support, easy front-panel loading adjustment, balanced outputs and capable 24-bit/96kHz vinyl archiving.
Strong value: reviewers found performance competitive with phono stages costing substantially more.
Cons
Its neutral-to-slightly-cool balance offers less tube-like body and color than warmer valve designs.
Does not match far costlier reference stages for ultimate dynamic slam, bass grip or three-dimensionality.
Digital output is limited to 24-bit/96kHz, with no DSD or MQA support.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 93/100
Reviewers consistently found the MP100 unusually transparent, quiet and controlled, combining smoothness and musical flow with strong detail retrieval. Its presentation is more neutral and slightly cooler than a rich tube design, while ultimate slam and three-dimensionality fall short of substantially costlier reference units.
Transparency Noise Floor
95/100
Ian White called it "dead silent" and possibly the lowest-noise phono preamplifier he had heard, saying the silent backgrounds reveal substantially more from familiar recordings. Gary Lea likewise heard a darker background as cartridge resolution increased, alongside grain-free clarity and resolution.
Tonal Balance Musicality
93/100
Michael Fremer praised smooth, supple transients, harmonic richness and a strong sense of musical flow, while Lea found the MP100 neutral, smooth and free of grain or edge. Lea also noted a slightly cool character compared with valve stages, though he felt it could usefully balance warmer records and systems.
Dynamics
92/100
Lea heard uncluttered swings in volume, scale and rhythmic control without strain, and White praised its speed, force and foot-stomping energy. Fremer found it rhythmically authoritative, but noted that it did not equal a far costlier reference unit's dynamic slam and low-frequency grip.
Soundstage Imaging
91/100
White reported a deeper, naturally expanded soundstage, with voices precisely placed between the loudspeakers rather than enlarged artificially. Lea heard generous space and air around instruments, while Fremer considered the overall front-to-back and side-to-side balance highly enjoyable, albeit less intensely three-dimensional than a more expensive comparator.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Cartridge Compatibility
94/100
The MP100 supports both MM and MC cartridges, with front-panel loading adjustments that reviewers found quick and easy to set for manufacturer recommendations. White found its 60dB MC gain sufficient even for a 0.3mV Denon DL-A110 without a step-up transformer, and reviewers reported strong results from affordable MM through high-end MC cartridges.
Build Quality
91/100
White found the rear panel neatly laid out, and Lea praised the practical front-mounted loading controls. In his longer assessment, White said the ruggedly packaged unit showed no corner-cutting in its casework, connectors or faceplate and described it as built to last; Fremer also praised its design, feel and build.
Value for Money
95/100
At the reviewed $2,000 price, Lea considered the MP100 a modest investment whose performance belied its cost, estimating that three to four times the spend would be needed for an appreciable sonic gain. White acknowledged that it was not inexpensive, but called it a major McIntosh bargain and said it was worth every cent; Fremer also regarded its feature set and execution as strong for the price.
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Specifications
- Total Harmonic Distortion
- 0.005%
- Frequency Response
- ±0.3dB from 20Hz to 20,000Hz
- Maximum Volts Out (Balanced / Unbalanced)
- 16/8 V RMS
- Input Impedance
- Moving Coil: 25, 50, 100, 200, 400 or 1k Ohms; 470pF Moving Magnet: 47k Ohms; 50, 100, 150, 200, 300 or 400pF
- Phono Voltage Gain
- Moving Coil: 60dB Moving Magnet: 40dB
- Signal To Noise Ratio
- Moving Coil: 78dB Moving Magnet: 80dB
- Maximum Input Signal (Moving Coil)
- 8mV
- Maximum Input Signal (Moving Magnet)
- 80mV
- Maximum Input Signal (Balanced)
- N/A
- Maximum Input Signal (Unbalanced)
- N/A
- Sensitivity Phono (Moving Coil)
- 1mV
- Sensitivity Phono (Moving Magnet)
- 10mV
- Sensitivity (Balanced)
- N/A
- Sensitivity (Unbalanced)
- N/A
- Rated Output
- 2V Balanced 1V Unbalanced
- Output Impedance
- 200 Ohms Balanced 100 Ohms Unbalanced
- Phono Equalization Curves
- 1: RIAA
- Noise Filters
- 0
- Phono Profiles
- 0
- Phono Input Moving Coil
- 1 (adjustable)
- Phono Input Moving Magnet
- 1 (adjustable)
- Phono Input Universal
- 0
- Balanced Line Input
- 0
- Unbalanced Line Input
- 0
- Balanced Fixed Output
- 1 Stereo
- Unbalanced Fixed Output
- 1 Stereo
- Digital Coaxial Outputs
- 1
- Digital Optical Outputs
- 1
- Digital USB Audio Output
- 1
- Unbalanced Analog Connector Type
- Standard
- Power Control Inputs
- 1
- Power Control Outputs
- 1
- Digital Output Sample Rate
- Optical: PCM - 24-bit/96kHz Coaxial: PCM - 24-bit/96kHz USB: PCM - 24-bit/96kHz
- Multi-Chassis or Single
- Single
- Output Meters
- No
- Vacuum Tube or Solid State
- Solid State
- Power Consumption (On)
- 8 Watts
- Unit Dimensions (W x H x D)
- 11.5" (29.2cm) x 3.78125" (9.6cm) x 16.75" (42.5cm)
- Unit Weight
- 8.6 lbs (3.9 kg)
- Shipping Weight
- 9.6 lbs (4.4 kg)
Manufacturer's Description — McIntosh Labs
- Moving Coil and Moving Magnet inputs
- Analog outputs + USB for ripping to computer
The MP100 is the first dedicated phono preamplifier from McIntosh and is designed to help both new and experienced vinyl lovers get the most fidelity, performance and – most importantly – enjoyment from their albums.
Like all McIntosh products, the MP100 is packed with features designed specifically for the vinyl lover including: Moving Coil and Moving Magnet inputs; Moving Coil and Moving Magnet adjustable loading (6 settings each); balanced and unbalanced analog outputs; optical, coax and USB digital outputs; and a Mono switch for when playing mono records to decrease noise and play the signal correctly. For pure analog use, the digital outputs can be completely disabled and powered down.
There are many ways to integrate the MP100 into your audio system. If you’re new to vinyl and just building your system, it can become the main part of your setup. Or if you already have a system with an older preamp you don’t want to part with, the MP100 is an excellent way to add modern phono features. If you’ve got a home theater system and would like to add a turntable, the MP100 is an easy way to add full phono preamp capabilities without having to get a full-sized stereo preamp that would undoubtedly duplicate many of your home theater processor’s features.
While spinning vinyl on a turntable is a great and unique way to enjoy music, there’s no denying the convenience of having digital versions of the albums. When used with a properly configured conversion program, the MP100 can “rip” the records to a computer via USB to produce high quality digital files. The digital outputs are fixed at 24-bit/96kHz to capture the full dynamic range of a record while optimizing digital file size. If an album has a very loud section, the clipping indicator will alert you so you can lower the digital output in order to produce a distortion-free recording.
Compact in size at just 3” tall, it has many ageless McIntosh design cues. It shares the same 11.5” narrow chassis design as the MXA80 Integrated Audio System, MHA150 Headphone Amplifier and MB50 Streaming Audio Player to help build a cohesive system. It can also easily be added to a system comprised of standard, wider width chassis. Contact your local dealer to learn more.
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Authorized dealers for McIntosh Labs MP100 2-Channel Solid State Phono Preamplifier
- Absoulute Audio plus Video — in-store — Aiken, South Carolina, United States (website)
- Holt Hill — online and in-store — Andover, Massachusetts, United States (website)
- Resolution A/V — in-store — New York City, New York, United States (website)
- A Tube High Fidelity — online and in-store — Almere, Flevoland, Netherlands (website)
- Abt Electronics — online and in-store — Glenview, Illinois, United States (website)
- Acoustic Designs Inc. — in-store — Scottsdale, Arizona, United States (website)
- Advance Audio — in-store — Wichita, Kansas, United States (website)
- Ahead Stereo — in-store — Los Angeles, California, United States (website)
- Ajasom — online and in-store — Amadora, Lisboa, Portugal (website)
- Alen Audio — in-store — Extramurs, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain (website)
and 225 more verified dealers