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Potato score: 87.3

87%

McIntosh Labs RS150 Wireless Loudspeaker #1
McIntosh Labs RS150 Wireless Loudspeaker variant 1
McIntosh Labs RS150 Wireless Loudspeaker variant 2
McIntosh Labs RS150 Wireless Loudspeaker variant 3
McIntosh Labs RS150 Wireless Loudspeaker variant 4
McIntosh Labs RS150 Wireless Loudspeaker variant 5
McIntosh Labs RS150 Wireless Loudspeaker variant 6
McIntosh Labs RS150 Wireless Loudspeaker variant 7
McIntosh Labs RS150 Wireless Loudspeaker variant 8
McIntosh Labs RS150 Wireless Loudspeaker variant 9

McIntosh Labs RS150 Wireless Loudspeaker

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View at McIntosh Labs
Built-in DAC
Built-in Power Amplifier
AirPlay 2
Bluetooth
aptX HD
Chromecast Built-in
Roon Ready
Spotify Connect
TIDAL Connect
Wi-Fi
Ethernet
Network Audio
Multi-Room Audio
  • Easily add streaming music to any room
  • Built-in casting: Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Apple AirPlay 2, Bluetooth, Chromecast, Roon Ready
  • Control playback directly from your favorite compatible streaming apps - no dedicated control app needed
  • Power output doubled
  • New, quick responding LED digital meter

The RS150 Wireless Loudspeaker is an easy-to-use wireless speaker, that while relatively compact, still delivers a larger-than-life home audio sound performance that McIntosh is known for. It is a stand-alone, complete wireless speaker solution that does not require any dedicated control app. Instead, it has a variety of built-in casting technologies such as Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Apple AirPlay 2, Bluetooth, Chromecast, and Roon Ready, letting you easily stream to the RS150 from your smart devices.


The RS150 is a great way to introduce yourself or your friends and family to McIntosh’s legendary sound quality and home audio performance standards. Its moderate size allows the RS150 to be placed and easily relocated to just about anywhere in your home.


A replacement for the successful RS100 Wireless Loudspeaker, the RS150 has received a variety of thoughtful updates. Chief among them is the overall improvement in using and controlling the speaker. No longer needing a special control app, the RS150 can conveniently be controlled directly from your favorite streaming apps that use compatible casting technologies.


The power output of the RS150 has been doubled, with the woofer receiving 90 Watts and the tweeter getting 30 Watts. The woofer has also been upgraded from a 4" to a 5-1/4" diameter driver; this along with a larger and reengineered woofer enclosure produces higher output with lower distortion and deeper bass extension. Bass control has also been added; this can be used to help fine tune the low-end performance based on your unique room characteristics and listening preferences. Combined, all these improvements help deliver the legendary McIntosh sound performance.


The RS150 is compatible with TIDAL HiFi Lossless Quality playback (up to 1411 Kbps). It also supports file streaming of up to 24-bit/192kHz high-resolution digital music files. With its built-in high-resolution streaming capabilities, the RS150 is a Roon Ready endpoint device; Roon Ready network devices have Roon’s streaming technology built in, and are certified by Roon Labs to provide the highest level of quality and performance in network streaming. For Bluetooth connections, the RS150 uses Bluetooth 5.0 with support for both the high bitrate Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) standard as well as Qualcomm aptX HD for hi res audio playback. It also includes Qualcomm aptX Low Latency for improved audio transmission speed to deliver sound in sync with applicable visual media. 


The RS150 features a new illuminated digital output meter. Exclusive to the RS150 and RS250 Wireless Loudspeaker System, this meter is more than just a simple LED indicator. The fast-responding meter uses the same trusted circuits found in our analog meters to collect and process the audio signals; it then digitizes the results and outputs them into a pulsating, gradated bar that shares the curved shape of our familiar analog meters. The front of the RS150 more closely resembles the traditional McIntosh design aesthetic with a glass front panel on the lower section of the speaker. Above the glass panel is the speaker grille that is easily removable to expose the woofer and tweeter.


To connect the RS150 to your network, it has a wired ethernet port and supports Wi-Fi protocols a, b, g, n, and ac. It is also Google Assistant compatible for voice control. Simply speak to your Google Assistant control device to operate your RS150. Contact your local dealer to learn more.


1) Requires use of a third-party Google Assistant device with voice recognition (sold separately). The RS150 and Google Assistant device must be on the same network.


The RS150 is compatible with AirPlay 2. iOS 11.4 or later is required. To wirelessly stream music to the RS150 via Apple AirPlay 2, a wireless router is required. Router not included. Apple, AirPlay, Apple TV, Apple Watch, iPad, iPad Air, iPad Pro, iPhone, and Lightning are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. The trademark “iPhone” is used in Japan with a license from Aiphone K.K. The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by McIntosh Laboratory, Inc. is under license. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners. Google is a trademark of Google LLC. Qualcomm is a trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated, registered in the United States and other countries. aptX is a trademark of Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd., registered in the United States and other countries. Qualcomm aptX is a product of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. Non-McIntosh-Provided Services: Embedded and/or non-embedded services, e.g. those listed above, are necessary for full functionality, are provided by companies unrelated to McIntosh, and are beyond McIntosh’s control. McIntosh cannot and does not warrant against interruption, discontinuance, unsatisfactory performance, reduced Product functionality, or damages of any kind attributable to such services or their providers. All services may not be available in all regions; certain services may not yet be enabled for all apps; subscriptions may be required.


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Overall Score 87/100

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Nicely Roasted

The RS150 condenses McIntosh's signature musicality into a compact package, marrying deep, controlled bass from its 5¼" long-throw woofer with clear, well-bodied mids and refined treble for a balanced, engaging presentation. Built-in streaming (AirPlay 2, aptX HD) and robust 120W amplification give flexible, high-headroom playback — praised by Audiophil-Online and Best of High End.

Pros

  • Notable low-frequency control and extension for a bookshelf mono speaker, thanks to a larger 5¼" long-throw woofer and dedicated woofer amplification.
  • Wide compatibility of streaming protocols (AirPlay 2, Chromecast, aptX HD, Spotify/TIDAL Connect) makes the RS150 a versatile modern streamer.
  • Premium fit-and-finish and solid cabinetry with a removable grille reflect McIntosh build quality in a compact footprint.

&

Cons

  • As a premium branded active speaker at the ~$1,200 MSRP, it sits above many bookshelf rivals on price-to-spec grounds.

Sound Quality

87/100

Bass

86/100

Long-throw 5-1/4" x 6" woofer with 90W dedicated amp and a rated response to 48Hz yields deep, controlled bass for a bookshelf. Specs suggest good extension and authority without needing reinforcement for most music, though enclosure type is unspecified so ultimate low-end slam may depend on placement.

Mid

88/100

Dedicated amplification and McIntosh tuning combined with a fluid-filled titanium dome tweeter imply clear, well-bodied mids and strong vocal presence. Expect a slightly warm, musical midrange consistent with brand voicing and high-quality driver implementation.

Treble

86/100

20mm titanium dome, fluid-filled tweeter and a 2kHz crossover point point to detailed, refined treble with low harshness. Rated to 20kHz; should provide good air and extension without pronounced brightness.

Soundstage Imaging

87/100

Compact footprint with well-specified drivers and McIntosh engineering suggests a wide, stable image and good depth for a bookshelf speaker. Networked features and digital front-end likely support coherent imaging and placement flexibility.

Dynamics

88/100

120W total system power (90W woofer/30W tweeter) gives strong macro and micro dynamic capability and clean headroom at typical listening levels for the form factor. Should handle transient-heavy material with authority.

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Build Quality

92/100

High-gloss finish, mechanical grille attachment, 18.5 lb cabinet and McIntosh branding indicate premium materials and fit-and-finish. Expect solid cabinetry and refined assembly consistent with the marque.

Features Connectivity

92/100

Extensive wireless and network support (AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Bluetooth aptX/aptX HD/LL, Roon Ready, Spotify/TIDAL Connect, Ethernet) plus integrated amplification makes this feature set exceptionally complete for a powered bookshelf product.

Value for Money

78/100

At ~$1,200 the RS150 sits in a premium price band. Strong build, integrated amplification and full network features support the cost, but the McIntosh premium and active-speaker pricing make it less of a bargain versus some rivals.

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