McIntosh MHA50 Portable Decoding Amplifier

The handheld MHA50 Portable Decoding Amplifier can make your music sound its best—and likely better than you’ve ever heard it before—through your headphones.

MHA50 includes wired inputs for Apple® iOS devices, as well as Android devices that are compatible with USB On-The-Go technology—plus Mac® and Windows® computers. It can also wirelessly connect to these devices via Bluetooth® 4.1 with aptX™ technology (Android devices that aren’t compatible with USB On-The-Go can still connect via Bluetooth). It features a high-performance 32-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and supports 32-bit/192kHz hi-res audio, DSD256 and DXD384 files as well as asynchronous USB audio. Its 3,000 mAh rechargeable battery provides up to 6 hours of playback on a single charge when connected via Bluetooth; playback can last even longer when using the wired connections.

Comparably sized to smartphones, MHA50 is compact and lightweight for easy portability with a beveled case that fits comfortably in your hand or pocket. Its sleek design features a glass front panel with a touch sensitive volume control knob inspired by the classic knobs found on countless McIntosh products. It’s built primarily from durable extruded aluminum, which also has some inherent noise-shielding properties to help block external interference. Two gain settings allow MHA50 to work with all types of headphones—from small in-ear models to large over-ear studio type designs like the McIntosh MHP1000 Headphones (sold separately); it can drive headphones with impedances ranging from 8-600 ohms. Headphone Crossfeed Director (HXD®) brings added dimension to your music in a natural sounding way and can be easily turned on and off depending on your preferences. All audio is output via a gold-plated 3.5mm jack. This jack can also connect to a pair of powered desktop speakers, allowing MHA50 to serve as a desktop DAC. MHA50 comes complete with three USB adapter cables to connect various devices, a leather carrying case, and a wall mount charger with USA plug and adapters for Europe and Japan.

FEATURES

• Product Brochure
• All cables are 8″ (200 mm) long
• What’s in the Box:
• MHA50 unit
• Leather carrying case
• Lightning to USB-A cable
• USB micro-B to USB-A cable
• USB micro-B to USB micro-B cable
• Wall mount charger w/ USA plug and adapter for Europe and Japan

TECHNICAL SPECS

• Headphone Power Output: 200mW
• Headphone Output Impedance: 8-600 ohms
• Rated Power Band: 20Hz to 20kHz
• Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.005%
• Frequency Response: +0, -0.5dB from 20Hz to 50kHz
• Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 105dB
• Preamp Output: 1.8V
• Headphone Output: 3.5mm w/ Headphone Crossfeed Director (HXD®)
• Digital USB Input: 2 (1 Type A, 1 micro B)
• Wireless Input: Bluetooth 4.1 A2DP w/ aptX
• Source Support: Apple iOS, Android OTG, MacOS, Windows OS devices
• Digital USB Input Sample Rate: PCM 16-bit, 24-bit, 32-bit to 192kHz, DSD64, DSD128, DSD256, DXD352.8, DXD384
• Output Meters: No
• Vacuum Tube or Solid State: Solid State
• Power Requirement: 5V DC, 0.7A
• Output Autoformer: No
• Battery Playback Life: Up to 6 hours w/ Bluetooth connection; playback can last even longer when using the wired connections
• Dimensions: 2.7″w (7 cm) x 6.1″h (15.5 cm) x 0.6″d (1.4 cm)
• Weight: 0.5 lbs (0.2 kg)