McIntosh's £850 Bluetooth device makes your hi-fi wireless – at a premium

McIntosh has launched a Bluetooth hi-fi device positioned as the choice for audiophiles.

The McIntosh MB25 "Bluetooth Transceiver" costs £850 / $600 / AU$TBC, so it certainly has an audiophile-grade price tag. It promises to add Bluetooth to "virtually any high-end audio system from any era", thanks to its versatile range of physical connections. These include balanced and unbalanced stereo inputs and outputs, and digital coaxial and optical inputs and outputs.

That means you can stream your vinyl and CDs to your classic speakers positioned throughout the home, and play music wirelessly from a phone or tablet over Bluetooth.

It follows the MB20 from 2021, and adds an illuminated front glass panel, the ability to select the desired input in transmit mode, and power controls so it can turn on or off with the rest of a McIntosh audio system.

The Bluetooth 5.0 onboard isn't the latest version of the technology, but it does support high-fidelity codecs like AAC and aptX HD. And it's equipped with a high-performance 32-bit DAC for receiver mode and a premium Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) for transmitter mode.

There's no getting around that price. Just last week, FiiO launched a similar device (with added full wireless streaming) for under £100 / $100 . Though if you have a classic system, and McIntosh's sound quality is as good as it promises, you might find the MB25 Bluetooth transmitter/receiver worth the extra outlay.

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