McIntosh MT5 Turntable

Words // Robert Baldwin Wired

There are two kinds of people in the world: Those who like music, and those who love music so much, they want to hear every note as if it were being played in front of them by their favorite band. These latter folks are the same ones who irrationally lust over crazy-expensive stereo gear. Especially gear from one of the few premium hi-fi brands of the 20th century still left on the planet: McIntosh.

Back in the day, you had to have a McIntosh rig if you were serious about music (Just ask your dad). Well, the brand with the famous blue and green blinkenlights is still very much alive, and it has birthed a new turntable. The McIntosh MT5 turntable caresses every single groove of your precious vinyl. And for the asking price of $6,500, you should expect your records to receive some extra pampering.

Using some finely tuned noise-suppression technology, the MT-5 will let you hear all the nuances of your favorite records without introducing any extra rumbles or vibrations into the audio signal. The silicon acrylic platter is both massive and stable, weighing five pounds and measuring one and one-half inches thick. It’s suspended magnetically and driven by a high-end Swiss-made motor that uses two opposing neodymium magnets. By floating the platter with magnetic force instead of using ball bearings at the base, low-end rumble is all but eliminated. It’s also one less part to wear down. Even cooler is the detail that everyone can appreciate: The platter glows the same McIntosh-flavored bright blue-green as the front glass panel.

The custom tone arm is also stabilized by magnets. The anti-skating feature (something common to all turntables) applies a counter-force to suppress the arm’s natural desire to swing toward the middle of the album. But since the McIntosh’s tonearm does it by way of magnets, it further reduces any motor noises or additional sounds that could creep into the audio signal and alter the sounds being pulled from the record.

What you end up with is a turntable that spins silently and sounds incredible. But all the craftsmanship required to deliver a pure audio signal will cost you a heap — probably more than you laid out for your first car. At $6,500, the MT5 isn’t the turntable you’d want to hook up to your $250 soundbar. But if you’re really serious about sound, and maybe you’ve recently won the lottery, this is one of the best ways to listen to vinyl.

For a test run, I’d recommend Meddle by Pink Floyd (Dark Side is for squares).

All photos: Josh Valcarcel/WIRED