01 · MSA5500
Streaming is built in
Use AirPlay, Google Cast, Qobuz Connect, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Bluetooth, or Roon without adding a separate network player.
Swipe or use the previous and next buttons to browse. Select an image to open a magnified view.
The MSA5500’s reason for being is beautifully simple: it places a McIntosh music streamer, preamplifier, and power amplifier in one chassis. Its direct-coupled power amplifier delivers 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms or 160 watts per channel into 4 ohms.
Apple AirPlay, Google Cast, Qobuz Connect, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Bluetooth, and Roon place everyday streaming beside seven wired digital inputs. Five line-level analog inputs and one moving-magnet phono input keep traditional sources in the same system.
Talk with Pearl Audio
No appointment or hold begins until Pearl Audio confirms it.
Streaming, source control, and amplification
The MSA5500’s reason for being is beautifully simple: it places a McIntosh music streamer, preamplifier, and power amplifier in one chassis. Its direct-coupled power amplifier delivers 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms or 160 watts per channel into 4 ohms.
Apple AirPlay, Google Cast, Qobuz Connect, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Bluetooth, and Roon place everyday streaming beside seven wired digital inputs. Five line-level analog inputs and one moving-magnet phono input keep traditional sources in the same system.
HDMI ARC brings television audio into the main loudspeakers, MCT accepts CD and SACD audio from a compatible McIntosh transport, and preamplifier and subwoofer outputs provide room for the system to expand.
A perspective from Pearl Audio
The MSA5500 is for the person who wants a real McIntosh system, not a pile of boxes assembled around a streaming app. You can start music from the services you already use, connect a television through HDMI ARC, add a turntable, and still have conventional digital and analog inputs waiting for the next source. That is a lot of system in one component, but it does not feel like a compromise disguised as convenience.
I would look at it first when the room, the furniture, or simply common sense says the system should be simpler. Its direct-coupled amplifier has enough output for many serious loudspeakers, and the preamplifier and subwoofer outputs mean the first system does not have to be the last one.
Three things to know
Use AirPlay, Google Cast, Qobuz Connect, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Bluetooth, or Roon without adding a separate network player.
HDMI ARC, USB, coaxial, optical, and MCT inputs bring television, computer audio, disc playback, and conventional digital sources together.
One balanced input, four unbalanced line inputs, and a moving-magnet phono stage make this more than a streaming appliance.
The McIntosh difference
McIntosh gives its technologies names because each solves a specific problem. Here is what each one does, why it matters in a system, and what you may notice when listening.
On the MSA5500
On the MSA5500
On the MSA5500
On the MSA5500
On the MSA5500
C55 OUT → MC462 IN · Explore the demonstration →
On the MSA5500
Component H × W × D: 6 H × 17 1/2 W × 18 3/4 D inches, with the antennas vertical; allow up to 8 1/8 inches in height or 22 1/4 inches in depth depending on antenna position Packaged H × W × D: 11 3/4 H × 26 1/2 W × 24 1/4 D inches
No. The MSA5500 includes network streaming for AirPlay, Google Cast, Qobuz Connect, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, and Roon, plus Bluetooth. A separate streamer remains an option if you prefer a different platform or control system.
Yes. The built-in phono input is for a moving-magnet cartridge with fixed loading. A low-output moving-coil cartridge requires an appropriate external phono preamplifier or step-up solution.
Yes. Connect a compatible television to HDMI ARC. With compatible HDMI control enabled, the television remote can coordinate everyday power and volume functions.
Yes. The MCT input accepts conventional CD audio and the DSD64 stereo layer from a compatible McIntosh SACD/CD transport.
No. The MSA5500 uses a direct-coupled solid-state output stage rated at 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms and 160 watts per channel into 4 ohms.
Yes. The rear panel includes a subwoofer output and an unbalanced variable preamplifier output.
Connect the MSA5500 to the same network as the phone, tablet, or computer running Spotify, begin playing in Spotify, and choose the MSA5500 from Spotify’s available-device control. The Spotify app remains the controller, while the MSA5500 receives the stream.
Yes. With the MSA5500 and the device running Qobuz on the same network, select the MSA5500 as the playback device in the Qobuz app. A current Qobuz account and service availability are required.
TIDAL Connect. Start playback in the TIDAL app, open its device-selection control, and choose the MSA5500. The TIDAL app then acts as the remote while the MSA5500 receives the stream directly.
No special McIntosh music-selection app is required for Spotify Connect, Qobuz Connect, or TIDAL Connect. You choose the MSA5500 from the service’s own app. The McIntosh Cast Connect app is used for network setup and device management.
Yes. The MSA5500 can join the home network through its Ethernet connection or Wi-Fi. Pearl Audio can help choose the more reliable connection for the room and network layout.
Allow open space around the component, keep ventilation openings clear, and leave additional room behind it for terminated speaker cables, source connections, control cables, and the power cord. Pearl Audio will confirm support and clearance during system planning.
Use the Audition control on this page, call Pearl Audio, or email us. We will confirm a private listening appointment and prepare a system appropriate for the MSA5500.
The MSA5500 weighs 38 lbs. McIntosh purchases begin with a Pearl Audio consultation so we can confirm loudspeaker matching, source connections, placement, ventilation, and system control.
Arrangements may be completed at the store or later by phone or email, with pickup at Pearl Audio or local delivery and installation within the Portland, Oregon service area.
The Pearl Audio Experience
A high-end audio system should be heard, thoughtfully matched, and properly set up. Pearl Audio stays involved from the first audition through installation and long-term ownership.
Hear the MSA5500 by appointment in one of Pearl Audio’s two professionally designed demonstration rooms, with time to compare and ask questions.
Portland-area delivery and installation help ensure that placement, connections, ventilation, and system configuration are handled with care.
Pearl Audio supports everything we sell for as long as you own it—whether the answer comes by phone, in your home, or through factory service.
Trade-in assistance and qualifying 100% Trade-Up options give you flexibility when your listening priorities or system change.
