McIntosh MC275 Mk V (2009–2012)
The McIntosh MC275 Mk V was a reissue of the original 1961 MC275, produced from 2009 to 2012. The record on this version is thinner than on earlier ones. No frequency response, THD, S/N ratio, dimensions or original price figures have turned up in the documentation we've tracked down. What we do know is specific.
The Mk V's big change was RoHS compliance. The original MC275 was built with several boards and point-to-point wiring. The Mk V used a single military-grade board with the components and tube sockets mounted directly to it. McIntosh's own people argued this reduced induced noise and crosstalk. The Mk V also dropped the gain controls found on earlier versions. Early production used small five-way plastic binding posts, later swapped for gold metal ones. The amp is tube rectified, with a choke-input power supply and a regulated screen supply.
Power output is where the record gets murky. Sources conflict: one lists 33W (UL), others rate it at 75Wpc, and one suggests it can actually deliver 90Wpc. The MC275 lineage has always been rated at 75 watts per channel from KT88 output tubes, so that figure is the more credible one, but the documentation isn't clean. The amp weighs 67 lbs. Listings consistently show four McIntosh KT188 tubes, four 12AT7s, and three 12AX7s.
Period reception was respectful but measured. One reviewer noted that, carefully set up and matched with other components, the MC275 is "a very good, very well-balanced amp that goes higher, lower, louder, and softer, with more texture and detail, than you might expect from a 'modified classic'".
Used prices in recent listings have ranged from around €4,500 to £5,660, and both owner's and service manuals are available for this version. The later gold binding posts are easy to spot, and the RoHS-related board change is the biggest difference between this and earlier MC275s.
- Production: 2009–2012
- Type: Stereo tube power amplifier
- Rated output: 75Wpc (one source lists 33W UL; conflict unresolved)
- Weight: 67 lbs
- Key changes from earlier MC275s: RoHS-compliant single-board construction; gain controls eliminated; binding posts changed from plastic to gold metal during production
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