McIntosh MX123 A/V Processor

The MX123 A/V Processor marries a long tradition of uncompromising McIntosh sound quality with the latest home theater technologies to bring you an unsurpassed luxury home entertainment experience.

As of September 2021, the MX123 supports 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz resolutions and refresh rates. It can also upscale lower resolutions to 8K to produce the best possible picture quality.

OVERVIEW

The MX123 A/V Processor marries a long tradition of uncompromising McIntosh sound quality with the latest home theater technologies to bring you an unsurpassed luxury home entertainment experience.

As of September 2021, the MX123 supports 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz resolutions and refresh rates. It can also upscale lower resolutions to 8K to produce the best possible picture quality.

The MX123 can be paired with a variety of home theater amplifiers such as Mc's MC303, MC255, MC257, MC8207, MI347, MI254, or MI128 amplifiers and any of their floor standing, in-wall or in-ceiling speakers to create an enviable and enjoyable cinema experience in the comfort of your home. Front panel buttons or a comprehensive remote control allow for easy system operation. It’s complete with McIntosh design fundamentals of a backlit black glass front panel with an illuminated logo, control knobs, an easy to read display, and aluminum end caps.

FEATURES

To satisfy the video needs of your home cinema, the MX123 has 7 HDMI inputs and 3 HDMI outputs. All HDMI inputs and outputs support HDCP 2.3; Rec. 2020; 4:4:4 color spacing; Dynamic Lip-sync; and 3D Video pass-through. To create the most life-like and realistic picture possible, all MX123 HDMI ports support a myriad of high dynamic range formats: HDR (static HDR); Dynamic HDR; HDR10+; HLG; and Dolby Vision (including low latency). These technologies will ensure every moment of a video is displayed at its ideal values for depth, detail, brightness, contrast, and color – on a scene-by-scene or even a frame-by-frame basis.

Of the 10 HDMI ports, 1 input and 2 outputs are 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz compatible with the rest supporting 4K/60Hz.

The 3 HDMI ports that are 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz compatible offer many other advanced features:

• Quick Media Switching (QMS) that eliminates the delay that can result in blank screens before content is displayed.
• Enhanced HDMI video features to improve gameplay performance by bringing an added level of smooth and seamless motion and transitions, including:
• Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) that allows the ideal latency setting to automatically be set allowing for smooth, lag free and uninterrupted viewing and interactivity.
• Quick Frame Transport (QFT) that reduces latency for smoother no lag gaming, and real time interactive virtual reality.
• Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) that reduces or eliminates lag, stutter and frame tearing for more fluid and better detailed gameplay.

The MX123 is also fully compatible with all the leading home theater surround sound and object-based 3D audio formats such as Dolby® Atmos (including Dolby Atmos Height Virtualizer); DTS:X® Pro; Auro-3D®; Sony's 360 Reality Audio, an immersive audio experience utilizing Sony’s spatial sound technology; and MPEG-H Audio. MPEG-H Audio, primarily developed by Fraunhofer IIS, is an open ISO standard and the industry’s most advanced audio system for UHD-TV and streaming. It supports both immersive sound and the ability for users to adjust elements in the audio to their preferences. MPEG-H has been on the air since 2017 on all TV networks in South Korea under the ATSC 3.0 standard. It was also selected for new broadcast standards to be launched in Europe, China and Brazil.

Audio Return Channel (ARC) and Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC) functionality is included on 1 of the HDMI outputs. ARC allows a compatible TV to send audio data to the audio video processor over the HDMI cable, eliminating the need for separate audio cables. The more advanced eARC offers greater bandwidth so higher resolution audio formats such as DTS-HD Master Audio™, DTS:X®, Dolby TrueHD, and Dolby Atmos can be sent through the HDMI cable.

The MX123 features upgraded digital audio processing capabilities that results in 2 more discrete audio channels, bringing the MX123 to 13.2 discrete audio channels compared to 11.2 in the previous model. These 13.2 discrete channels are available via both balanced and unbalanced audio outputs that can be used in a variety of home theater speaker configurations; 2 additional unbalanced outputs offer further connection flexibility. DSD and ALAC playback support have been doubled to DSD128 and ALAC 192kHz for better high resolution audio performance.

Additional connections include: 4 digital audio inputs; 1 balanced and 8 unbalanced analog stereo audio inputs (including 1 dedicated as a Moving Magnet phono input to connect a turntable); an unbalanced 7.1 multi-channel audio input; 3 component and 4 composite video inputs; 1 USB Type A input; 2 unbalanced analog stereo outputs; 2 composite video outputs; and 1 component video output.

The MX123 is IMAX® Enhanced compatible. IMAX Enhanced is a set of stringent performance standards established by IMAX and DTS® to create a consistent and higher bar for image and sound performance on premium devices. It utilizes a sophisticated, advanced algorithm designed to produce the highest-quality, sharpest 4K HDR images. IMAX and DTS will also partner with award-winning Hollywood sound mixers to use a special variant of the DTS:X codec technology included in the MX123 to deliver an IMAX signature sound experience in your home theater.

Music streaming options3 on the MX123 includes Apple® AirPlay 2® along with Bluetooth® and Spotify® Connect for easy streaming from your mobile devices. AirPlay 2 is an Apple technology designed to control home audio systems and speakers in any room – with a tap or by just asking Siri – right from an iPhone®, iPad®, HomePod™, or Apple TV®. It offers multiroom audio, Siri voice control, and enhanced playback. TuneIn is also included for further music streaming options – including McIntosh Music. To assist with wireless streaming performance and reliability, it includes 2.4/5GHz dual band support. An ethernet port that lets you make a hardwired connection to your network is also included to aid in producing the best possible music streaming experience.

Audyssey MultEQ® XT32 is included and will calibrate the MX123 to your home theater’s unique acoustical properties, letting it deliver the clearest and most balanced earth-shattering sound possible. Each discrete audio channel has its own 32-bit premium Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) to produce the best audio quality. Bass and treble tone controls plus a 9-band equalizer offer additional fine-tuning. The MX123 also gives you the flexibility to create 2 additional zones in your house and send select audio and/or video to each zone.

The MX123 has received Connects with Control4 Certification from Control4®, a leading global provider of smart home automation solutions, with the implementation of their Simple Device Discovery Protocol (SDDP), allowing it to be effortlessly integrated into Control4 automation systems to further enhance the user experience. It has also received Works with Crestron Home certification from Crestron, a global leader in advanced smart home technology. Crestron Home unlocks the full potential of a smart home. It’s the complete package for any size project, delivering a simpler, smarter user experience for homeowners, remarkably fast configuration and deployment for integrators, and the confidence that comes with renowned, best-in-class Crestron control hardware.

 

SONY 360 REALITY AUDIO

McIntosh is pleased to announce that our MX123 A/V Processor is now ready for Sony's 360 Reality Audio – a new immersive audio experience utilizing Sony’s spatial sound technology. Individual sounds such as vocals, piano, guitar, bass, and even sounds of the live audience can be placed in a 360 spherical sound field, giving artists and creators a new way to express their creativity. Listeners can be immersed in a field of sound exactly as intended by artists and creators.

The addition of 360 Reality Audio furthers McIntosh's commitment to keep the MX123 current with all the latest immersive home theater audio formats, as well as it being an added value to all MX123 users.

What is 360 Reality Audio?

Immerse yourself in sound all around you. As real as if you are there at a live concert or with the artist recording in a studio. With 360 Reality Audio, music has never been so immersive and so real. 360 Reality Audio is a new music experience that uses Sony's object-based spatial audio technology. Individual sounds such as vocals, chorus, piano, guitar, bass and even sounds of the live audience can be placed in a 360 spherical sound field, giving artists and creators a new way to express their creativity. Listeners can be immersed in a field of sound exactly as intended by artists and creators. Music content created in this new format for 360 Reality Audio can be enjoyed through compatible music streaming service smartphone app.

To add 360 Reality Audio to an MX123, simply update the firmware to the latest version. This can be done by going to Setup Menu ＞ General ＞ Firmware.

SPECIFICATIONS

 

• Multi-Channel Outputs Balanced: 13.2
• Multi-Channel Inputs Unbalanced: 7.1
• Multi-Channel Outputs Unbalanced: 15.2
• Stereo Inputs Balanced: 1
• Stereo Inputs Unbalanced: 8 (including 1 Moving Magnet Phono)
• Stereo Outputs Unbalanced: 2
• Digital Coaxial Input: 2
• Digital Coaxial Output: 0
• Digital Optical Input: 2
• AES/EBU Balanced Input: 0
• HDMI Input: 7
• HDMI Output: 3
• HDBT Output: 0
• USB: 1 Type A
• Component Input: 3
• Component Output: 1
• Composite Input: 4
• Composite Output: 2
• Subwoofer 2 Output: Yes (discrete signal from subwoofer 1)
• Network Connection: 1
• Max # of audio channels in Zone A: 15
• Additional Zone Outputs: Zone 2: HDMI audio/video, component video, composite video, analog stereo audio; Zone 3: Analog stereo audio
• Advanced Connections: Ethernet Web interface and firmware update, IP-based control, Web Data Streaming, Apple AirPlay 2, Bluetooth, Spotify Connect
• Total Harmonic Distortion (DSP Bypass): 0.005%
• Dolby Processing: Dolby Atmos, Dolby Surround Upmixer
• DTS Processing: DTS-X, Neural:X Surround Upmixer, DTS Virtual:X
• Auro Processing: Auro 3D, Auro-Matic, Auro 9.1, 10.1
• Pure Stereo DSP Bypass Mode: Yes
• Video Scaling: 8K Upconversion
• High Dynamic Range (HDR): Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG
• Third Party Control: RS232, Web IP, IR Input
• Tone Controls: 9 Band Equalizer, Bass and Treble
• OSD Overlay on HDMI Output: Yes
• Input-Output Format Indicators: 9 in and 9 out
• Control of McIntosh Sources: Yes, by handheld remote, 1 Data Out, 2 Power Control Trigger jacks
• Channel Formats: 13.2, 7.1, 5.1, Stereo
• DSP Room Correction: Audyssey MultEQ XT32, Dynamic EQ / Dynamic Volume, DSX
• Microphone and stand included: Yes
• Network Features: Wi-Fi dual band 2.4/5GHz, Apple AirPlay 2, Bluetooth, Spotify Connect
• Unique Crossover Frequency, Each Speaker: Yes
• Special Features: IMAX Enhanced, Rear Panel USB-Apple Dock, HDMI in standby, Apple AirPlay 2, Bluetooth, Spotify Connect
• Dimensions (W x H x D): 17-1/2" (44.45cm) x 7-5/8" (19.37cm) (including feet) x 19-1/2" (49.53cm) (including front panel, knobs, rear panel connections and USB drive)
• Weight: 31 lbs (14 kg)