Description

A truly beautiful and high-performance multi-player, especially with 2-channel audio. I compared it to recent machines and I have to say that this masterpiece still holds its own, with a soft and velvety sound that is classic for this brand.

Some lines from the site:

http://www.hometheater.com/content/mcintosh-mvp851-dvd-audiovideo-player

The MVP851 can handle DVD-Audio, DVD-Video, DVD-R, Video CD, CD-R/RW, MP3, and standard "Red Book" CDs. Only SACDs won't pass through its circuits. Burr-Brown 24-bit/192kHz D/A converters and built-in Dolby Digital and DTS decoders provide the MVP851 with optimal analog audio.

For CDs, the MVP851 includes a special digital remastering circuit that upsamples 44.1kHz CDs to 88.2kHz. It also redithers them to achieve a longer digital word length to simulate the sound quality of DVD-Audio. With its three different remastering settings, the listener can choose the exact amount of upper-frequency extension preferred.

The MVP851's video circuits include a 12-bit, 54MHz video D/A converter and front-panel-switchable 480i/480p component output. Regardless of what kind of disc you play, the digital servomotor, the fast and quiet platter mechanism, and the dual-focus lens make for quick disc reads. Options for field- or frame-selected still images, five-speed scan, and variable slow-motion speed ensure that freeze-frames and slo-mo pictures will be clear and jitter-free. For playing back less-than-perfect sources, McIntosh includes several noise-reduction circuits. Basic NR can be accessed from the front panel, while the onscreen display menu lets you access more sophisticated filters with different levels of 3D digital noise reduction.

The MVP851's rear panel leaves plenty of room for connecting cables. Unlike many DVD players, the MVP851 has only one set of S-video, composite, and component outputs. If you need to feed multiple systems of the same type from an MVP851, you'll have to do so through an external video distribution amp, an option most professional installers will encourage—such devices can drive long runs of video cable far better than any DVD player .

The remaining output options include one set of 5.1-channel analog audio, one pair of single-ended audio, one pair of XLR balanced audio, optical TosLink digital audio , and coaxial digital audio. Again, some installations may be cramped by so few outputs, but I suspect that reviewers and other devotees of A/B comparisons are the ones who will be most bothered by the lack of redundant outputs. Of course, if the MVP851 is coupled to a McIntosh A/V processor, such as the MX134 pre-pro or MHT200 receiver, its output connections should prove quite sufficient—the MVP851 was designed with just such a mate in mind.

What is it: DVD - CD - Mp3 player and more

Manufacturer: McIntosh USA

Features: Multiplayer

Price new: €6500 year 2004

Specifications

PCM max	24/192
Digital outputs	Optical TosLink, Coaxial
CD mechanics	DVD-Audio, DVD-Video, DVD-R, Video CD, CD-R/RW, MP3, CD
country of origin	USA
Year of production	2004
Diffuser type	passive
DAC chip	Burr-Brown 24-bit/192kHz
Digital inputs	Optical TosLink, Coaxial

About the brand

McIntosh Laboratory was founded in 1949 by Frank H. McIntosh and Gordon Gow in Silver Spring, Maryland, and moved to Binghamton, New York, in 1951, where it remains headquartered today. Since November 2024, the McIntosh Group, which also includes Sonus faber, has been owned by the American company Bose, which has stated its intention to keep the two brands focused on amplifiers, speakers, and turntables.
McIntosh's history begins with the Unity Coupled circuit, patented at the company's inception and the basis of its first amplifier, the 50W-1: a unique output transformer configuration that reduced distortion compared to amplifiers of the time and is still used today in tube power amplifiers like the MC275. The design is unmistakable: black glass fronts, adopted in the 1960s, and the distinctive blue-illuminated VU meters, present since the mid-1970s. The transformers are still hand-wound in-house.
Distinctive technical solutions include Autoformers, the output autotransformers used in many solid-state amplifiers and integrated circuits, which allow full nominal power to be delivered into 2, 4, and 8-ohm loads; Power Guard, a patented circuit that compares the input signal with the output signal and limits clipping; and Sentry Monitor, a fuseless protection that disconnects the power amplifier when the current exceeds safety limits and automatically restores operation.
The range covers the entire chain. Integrated amplifiers include the MA252, the brand's first hybrid integrated amplifier, with a 12AX7 and 12AT7 tube preamplifier, a 100-watt solid-state power amplifier into 8 ohms, and a headphone output, and the MA12000, a 350-watt-per-channel hybrid, as well as the MA5300, MA7200, MA8950, and MA9500 solid-state integrated amplifiers and the MA2375 tube amplifier. The MC275 VI tube power amplifier delivers 75 watts per channel with KT88 tubes, or 150 watts in mono configuration; solid-state power amplifiers range from the MC152 to the 2.000-watt MC2.1KW monoblock. The range is completed by the C22 MKV, C49, C55, C2800 and C12000 preamplifiers, the MCD85, MCD350, MCD600 and MCD12000 players, the DS200 streamer, the MHA200 headphone amplifier, the MT2, MT5 and MT10 turntables and the XR100, XRT1.1K, XRT2.1K and ML1 MK II speakers.
The ML1 MK II is based on the ML1 designed around 1970 by Roger Russell: same closed cabinet and same dimensions, but with five speakers instead of four, including a 12-inch woofer. The MT5 turntable uses a magnetic suspension bearing, with minimal contact between the parts.
Those looking for a single unit with a tube preamp and simple operation will find the MA252 the most natural entry point. With demanding speakers or large rooms, autoformer-equipped integrated amplifiers like the 200-watt MA8950 or 300-watt MA9500 deliver full power into 2, 4, and 8 ohms. Those who prefer separate components can pair a C Series preamplifier with an MC275 VI, ideal for high-sensitivity speakers, or with a solid-state power amplifier when more power is needed.
In our Carpi showroom, you can listen to McIntosh equipment in the listening room, compare it with your speakers, and get advice on matching it. The same models can be ordered online at audiocostruzioni.com with shipping, asking us for advice first by email if necessary.

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