McIntosh MSA5500 vs McIntosh MA5300 Detailed Comparison

McIntosh MSA5500 vs McIntosh MA5300

Amp to replace

Change

McIntosh MSA5500

Integrated Amplifier | 100 watts RMS into 8-ohms

Check price atAmazon›

Change

McIntosh MA5300

Integrated Amplifier | 100 watts RMS into 8-ohms

Check price atAmazon›

McIntosh MSA5500

Check price atAmazon›

McIntosh MA5300

Check price atAmazon›

McIntosh MSA5500

See at AMAZON

McIntosh MA5300

See at AMAZON

McIntosh MSA5500 vs McIntosh MA5300 Integrated Amplifier Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different types of amplifiers by McIntosh. McIntosh MSA5500 is a Streaming Integrated Amplifier speaker whereas the MA5300 is a Integrated Amplifier with built-in DAC speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of McIntosh MSA5500 and McIntosh MA5300 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	McIntosh MSA5500	McIntosh MA5300
Brand	McIntosh United States · founded 1949	McIntosh United States · founded 1949
Power	100 watts x 2 channels into 8 ohms and 160 watts x 2 channels into 4 ohms	100 watts x 2 channels into 8 ohms and 160 watts x 2 channels into 4 ohms
Amplifier class	Class A/B	Class A/B
Built-in DAC	Yes	Yes
Phono input	Yes	Yes
Headphone output	1/4	1/4
Bluetooth	Yes	No
Weight	17.24kg / 37.9lbs	17.27kg / 38lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	6" x 17-1/2" x 22-1/4" 152.4 x 444.5 x 565.2 mm	6" x 17-1/2" x 22" 153.0mm x 445.0mm x 559.0mm

The rest of this page covers where each one wins, how they compare in size, their inputs and outputs, the full specifications and a verdict.

Reasons to choose McIntosh MSA5500 over McIntosh MA5300

Bluetooth	Yes vs No	Stream music via Bluetooth devices
Apple AirPlay	Yes vs No	Compatible with Apple Devices with AirPlay
Apple AirPlay 2	Yes vs No	Compatible with Apple Devices with AirPlay 2
Built-in Chromecast	Yes vs No	Compatible with Chromecast Streaming
Roon	Ready vs No	Roon Compatibility
Built-in Chromecast	Yes vs No	Compatible with Chromecast Streaming
Height	152mm vs 153mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces

Reasons to choose McIntosh MA5300 over McIntosh MSA5500

MSRP Price(*)	6,000USD vs 8,000USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)
Handheld Remote	Yes vs No	Control the amplifier by the included RC
Base Surface Area	2487.6cm²/ 385.6inch² vs 2512.3cm²/ 389.4inch²	takes less space in your room

Size, drawn to scale

Both amplifiers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.

One scale for both, aligned at the back panels the way they would sit against a wall, so the deeper one visibly stands further out.

Near-identical footprints.

Inputs and Outputs

The input and output selections that are offered is an important factor when comparing two amplifiers. Here you can find how the I/O selections of the McIntosh MSA5500 and McIntosh MA5300 differs from each other.

McIntosh MSA5500 Inputs

Phono Input
2 Optical Digital Input
2 Coaxial Digital Input
USB Input:

McIntosh MA5300 Inputs

Total Number of Analog Inputs: 5
Phono Input
2 Optical Digital Input
2 Coaxial Digital Input
USB Input:
- USB-B(connect to your computer to playback files)
XLR Input Port

Outputs

Preamp Outputs
Pre-out/Main-in Loop
1/4 Headphone Output

Outputs

Stereo RCA Preamp Outputs
Pre-out/Main-in Loop
1/4 Headphone Output

Balanced connections

Both have balanced XLR connections. A balanced cable carries the signal twice, on two conductors of opposite polarity. Interference picked up along the way lands on both equally and cancels when the two are recombined at the far end, so the longer the cable run and the noisier the surroundings, the more it is worth. Whether it also yields more power depends on how the amplifier is built inside - some are balanced end to end, others convert to single-ended internally and deliver the same either way.

McIntosh MA5300 Back View (Click the image for the larger version)

What's in the Box of McIntosh MA5300?

Here are the items that come with the MA5300:

Stereo integrated amplifier
6-feet AC power cord
Remote control
Owners Manual

McIntosh MSA5500 vs McIntosh MA5300 full specifications

Every spec we hold for both, side by side

Specification	McIntosh MSA5500	McIntosh MA5300
Overview
Brand	McIntosh	McIntosh
Type	Streaming Integrated Amplifier	Integrated Amplifier with built-in DAC
Channels	2	2
Amplifier class	Class A/B	Class A/B
Output devices	Solid State	Solid State
Released	2014	October 2017
List price	$8,000	$6,000
Series	–	MA
Power and performance
Power into 8 ohms	100 W RMS	100 W RMS
Power into 4 ohms	160 W RMS	160 W RMS
Power, as rated	100 watts x 2 channels into 8 ohms and 160 watts x 2 channels into 4 ohms	100 watts x 2 channels into 8 ohms and 160 watts x 2 channels into 4 ohms
Minimum impedance	4 ohms	4 ohms
Signal-to-noise ratio	110 dB	110 dB
THD	0.005%	0.005%
Frequency bandwidth	20 Hz-20 kHz	20 Hz-20 kHz
Digital and DAC
Built-in DAC	Yes	Yes
Max bit depth	32-bit	32-bit
Max sample rate	384 kHz	384 kHz
DSD	–	DSD256,DXD 384kHz
Network and streaming
Wi-Fi	802.11ax	–
Bluetooth	Yes	No
Bluetooth version	5.0	–
AirPlay 2	Yes	No
Chromecast	Yes	No
Roon	Ready	No
BluOS	No	No
HEOS	No	No
DTS Play-Fi	No	No
Inputs
Analogue inputs	–	5
RCA inputs	4	–
XLR inputs	1	Yes
Phono input	Yes	Yes
Phono type	–	MM
Optical digital	2	2
Coaxial digital	2	2
USB input	Yes	Yes
USB type	–	USB-B(connect to your computer to playback files)
HDMI input	1	–
Outputs
Preamp outputs	Yes	Stereo RCA
Pre-out / main-in loop	Yes	Yes
Subwoofer output	Single	–
Headphone output	1/4	1/4
Features and control
Room correction	No	–
VU meters	–	Power Meter
CD player	No	No
Handheld remote	–	Yes
RS232 port	–	Yes
Physical
Dimensions (H x W x D)	152.4 x 444.5 x 565.2 mm	153.0mm x 445.0mm x 559.0mm
Dimensions, inches	6 x 17-1/2 x 22-1/4 inch	6inch x 17-1/2inch x 22inch
Weight	17.24 kg (38.00 lbs)	17.27 kg (38.00 lbs)
Removable power cord	IEC 3-prong	IEC 3-prong
Parts warranty	3 Years	3 Years
Labour warranty	3 Years	3 Years

A dash means the manufacturer does not publish that figure, or it does not apply. 53 specifications compared.

Verdict

One is a streaming all-in-one and the other is an amplifier. Judge them on how many boxes you want and what you already own, not on the spec sheet alone.

Area	Better	Why
Power	evenly matched	Effectively the same output - 100W against 100W into 8 ohms is under 1dB, which is not an audible difference in loudness.
Grip on hard loads	evenly matched	Both behave much the same into 4 ohms - output increases strongly (160W and 160W).
Noise floor	evenly matched	Much the same signal-to-noise ratio (110dB vs 110dB).
Built-in DAC	B	Both decode on board, but only McIntosh MA5300 handles DSD.
Streaming	A	Only McIntosh MSA5500 has AirPlay 2, Chromecast and Roon.
Room to grow	evenly matched	The same expansion options on both.
Price	B	McIntosh MA5300 costs less - $6,000 against $8,000 at list.
Watts per dollar	B	McIntosh MA5300 is the cheaper watt - about $60 per watt against $80. A blunt measure, and it says nothing about how either sounds, but it is the honest one for raw output.

A McIntosh MSA5500 B McIntosh MA5300
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both amplifiers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.

Which should you choose?

McIntosh MA5300 has the edge on paper, though not by much. The rows marked "depends" are more likely to decide this than the score is. Think about the whole system: the roughly $2,000 saved by taking the cheaper one would buy better speakers or a subwoofer, which does more for the sound than the difference between two competent amplifiers.

What a spec sheet cannot show: how either sounds with your speakers, how the controls feel day to day, and what the app is like to live with - which is where most all-in-one amplifiers are actually won or lost. Power figures are the manufacturers' own and are not measured to a common standard, so treat small differences as noise. If you can hear both, that will tell you more than any row above.