McIntosh, USA: Company History
McIntosh was originally founded in Silver Springs, Maryland, 1949. The vision of Frank McIntosh to build a better amplifier challenged what was believed possible. Gordon Gow and McIntosh, together designed the famous ‘Unity Coupled Circuit’. In 1950 the company launched the first preamplifier AE1. This was the first of many products beyond power amplifiers. With a polished brass faceplate and lacquered wood cabinet the C8 Preamplifier demonstrated the importance of industrial design. Switches allowed proper playback of LP records. In 1954, MC60 shown and MC30 amplifiers established the chrome chassis as a featured McIntosh design element. Today’s contemporary products use Polished Stainless Steel. In 1969, McIntosh Amplifiers power Woodstock, a pivotal moment in music history. Three days of peace, love and music for the hundreds of thousands who attended.
McIntosh: the short history
Despite its address, which mentions Marantz, this page has always been about McIntosh. Some of its details can be checked against the company's own records. McIntosh Laboratory was founded in 1949 in Silver Spring, Maryland, by Frank H. McIntosh and Gordon Gow, and moved to Binghamton, New York, in 1951. The patented Unity Coupled output circuit dates from the company's beginnings and is still used in the MC275. The original page's mention of the MC60 and MC30 in 1954 fits McIntosh's legacy list, which dates the MC30 to 1954–1963 and the MC60 to 1955–1961.
The company has changed hands many times since Clarion bought it in 1990; in November 2024 its parent group was sold to Bose.
| Founded | 1949, Silver Spring, Maryland |
|---|---|
| Founders | Frank H. McIntosh and Gordon Gow |
| Moved | Binghamton, New York, 1951 |
| Signature circuit | Unity Coupled output (patented) |
| MC30 | 1954–1963, 30 W mono |
| MC275 | 1961–1971, 75 W × 2 |
Questions collectors ask
Why does this McIntosh page have Marantz in its address?
That was the address the original site gave it. We kept the original address so existing links still work.
What is the McIntosh Unity Coupled circuit?
McIntosh's patented output-stage design, dating from the company's founding and still used in the MC275 power amplifier.
Sources: Wikipedia: McIntosh Laboratory; McIntosh legacy amplifiers.
