McIntosh Announces Mc451 Dual Mono Power Amplifier Using Hybrid Drive Technology

Following the launch of the stunning MC901 Dual Mono Amplifier in December 2019, and the MC3500 Vacuum Tube Amplifier Mk II in November 2021, the Binghamton, NY-based company is back to tube powerhouses with the MC451 Dual Mono Power Amplifier. The McIntosh MC451 follows the success of the MC901 model, basically being its little brother, and combining a vacuum tube and solid-state amplifier that uses McIntosh's Hybrid Drive technology.

McIntosh updated its premium audio source with the introduction of the MCD12000 SACD/CD Player. While classified as a CD player, the MCD12000 serves as a reference level digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that includes reference level SACD/CD playback capabilities. Music played through MCD12000's digital inputs or compact discs is processed by professional grade 8-channel ESS Sabre Pro DACs, designed for premium performance.

Vincent Audio is a designer and manufacturer of hi-fidelity stereo and multichannel components, headquartered in Germany with manufacturing in Asia, Germany or a combination of the two. This strategy allows the company to offer unique features and designs at affordable prices. Expanding Vincent Audio’s popular PowerLine series, the SV-228 is a new hybrid integrated amplifier that includes VU meters embedded in the front panel, a cool loudness switch, an integrated DAC and Bluetooth 5 input.

David Logvin had the privilege to use, measure, and put to the test the Dayton Audio HTA20BT Hybrid Stereo Tube Amplifier. As he could confirm, there's something special in this amplifier that combines a tube preamp and Class-D power stage, which can also be used as a headphone amplifier, and features a digital media player and Bluetooth streaming capabilities. All at a very affordable price and with the build quality of a Dayton Audio product. This article was originally published in audioXpress, July 2019.

A popular hybrid amp design available for headphone use, this single-ended (SE) pure Class-A amplifier is capable of driving headphones between 32 and 600Ω, and was derived from an original tube/MOSFET line amplifier project, published by Erno Borbely in Glass Audio (1/98). Originally published in audioXpress in April 2005, this project was meanwhile extensively discussed in multiple DIY audio forums all over the world and is probably one of the most tested of Erno Borbely's designs, with multiple iterations frequently published on blogs and other publications.

This project is based on Erno Borbely’s EB-602/210 single-ended pure Class A amplifier and is capable of driving headphones between 32 and 600Ω. It consists of two identical but separate amps laid out on the same PCB. The schematic is the same as Erno’s extremely popular hybrid tube/MOSFET line amp, published in Glass Audio 1/98. However, the dual triode at the input is replaced by a dual JFET (SK389). This article was originally published in audioXpress, July 2004.

ENIGMAcoustics announced the launch of two new products at the CanJam in Costa Mesa, CA. The Dharma D1000 Hybrid Electrostatic Headphone and Athena A1 Single Ended Triode Vacuum Tube Headphone Amplifier are the two most recent additions from the creators of the remarkable Mythology M1 Hybrid Electrostatic Mini-Monitor, sharing key elements of previous research.