Meet the McIntosh MT2 Turntable

After two years of waiting, the MT2 turntable from the legends at McIntosh is finally here at our Montgomeryville showroom. At $4000, the MT2 satisfies a need for a more affordable turntable from McIntosh (alongside the $10.5k belt-drive MT10 released in 2008 and the $6k MT5 released in 2014). As the entry-level turntable in the lineup, the MT2 is also easy to use right out of the box. Almost everything comes pre-set and pre-mounted, bringing McIntosh turntable quality within reach for a wider number of music lovers.

Ready to play.

The McIntosh MT2 turntable comes with a record clamp, dust cover sheet, tonearm, and a very fine high-output moving coil cartridge. One thing to note: the MT2 does not come with an audio cable, so you’ll need to pick one up (like AudioQuest’s 2M Evergreen) if you don’t already have one at home. Once you have your cable, you'll be up and running within 10 minutes of unboxing. The moving coil cartridge is pre-mounted and the arm is pre-balanced, so all you have to do is place the platter on the turntable and it's ready for your favorite vinyl. While some audiophiles love to tinker around with tonearm adjustment to squeeze that last bit of sound out of their system, the MT2 requires very little attention to give years of musical enjoyment.

Best of all, like every other McIntosh component, the MT2 shares the coveted "Mac Sound," which is warm, smooth, and detailed. It’s the kind of sound you turn on first thing in the morning, and can leave on all day. It never sounds so "etched" that your ears get tired of listening. It’s a beautiful experience.

Durable, sturdy design.

McIntosh products have a reputation for lasting a long, long time, which is largely due to the fact that they're extremely well-constructed. (It's been said before: "Once a McIntosh owner, always a McIntosh owner.”) And the MT2 is no exception.

In the photos below, you'll notice the massive thick black platter that your record sits on. This acts as a flywheel and keeps the speed smooth at all times. Along with a very heavy chassis (the entire structure is almost 30 pounds), the MT2 is designed to prevent any vibrations from getting in the way of the music. And with a thick acrylic top plate that’s edge lit in McIntosh Green, the MT2 sure is a delight to look at.

Two speed options and a moving coil cartridge.

The MT2 plays both 33-⅓ and 45 rpm records, but what’s really interesting is the way this turntable selects speed. Unlike most turntables which move a belt from one section of the motor pulley to another, the speeds are controlled by a servo system, which continuously monitors the motor speed to keep it exact. When you want to play an old 45 record, for example, you rotate the switch on the top, and the servo is reprogrammed to the new speed electronically (instead of mechanically) for a longer, trouble-free lifespan.

The new MT2 turntable, along with its bigger brother the MT5, also uses a moving coil cartridge that brings that Mac Sound to all your records. More music, with less noise and distortion. That's always been the McIntosh philosophy.

New to McIntosh? Welcome to the club.

We can’t wait for the MT2 to arrive at our Montgomeryville showroom, and you’ll be the first to know as soon as it’s here. Whether you’ve been a McIntosh fan for decades or want to buy your first component, being a McIntosh owner is like joining a club. You’re not just purchasing a turntable or an amp — you’re joining a USA-based family company that has been developing some of the highest quality A/V gear in the world since 1949.