McIntosh MX124 Review: Is It Worth Upgrading from the MX123?

We've worked extensively with the McIntosh MX123, and we're not going to tell MX123 owners that their processor suddenly became obsolete. It didn't. The MX123 remains an outstanding A/V processor and has been at the center of some exceptional home theater systems.

But the new McIntosh MX124 A/V Processor moves the platform forward in several areas that actually matter in a modern reference theater.

Priced at $15,000, the MX124 brings expanded processing, four independent subwoofer outputs, Dirac Live room correction and bass management, updated 8K HDMI capabilities, high-resolution streaming, and significantly more flexibility for designing sophisticated home theaters.

So the real question isn't whether the MX124 is better than the MX123.

It is.

The better question is: Do the improvements matter enough for your theater to make the move?

Let's get into it.

We Know the MX123. Here's What Actually Changed.

One reason we're excited about the MX124 is that McIntosh didn't throw away what worked.

The MX123 delivered excellent sound quality, extensive connectivity, reliable video switching, and the build quality we expect from McIntosh. The MX124 builds on that foundation rather than trying to reinvent it.

The new processor supports sophisticated configurations including 7.4.6 and 9.4.4, with 13 audio channels and four independent subwoofer outputs.

It also adds Dirac Live Room Correction and Dirac Live Bass Control, while retaining Audyssey MultEQ XT32.

For us, those are much more important changes than simply adding another format to a specification sheet.

The Biggest Upgrade May Be Four Subwoofers

Yes, four subs sounds like a lot.

But this isn't about making your theater four times louder.

Bass is one of the most difficult things to get right in any room. The dimensions of the space, seating locations, speaker placement, construction, and acoustics can create dramatic differences in low-frequency response from one seat to another.

Adding properly positioned and independently controlled subwoofers gives us considerably more ability to manage those problems.

The MX124 doubles the independent subwoofer capability of the MX123, allowing up to four individually managed subs.

The goal isn't necessarily more bass.

It's better bass—smoother, tighter, more controlled, and more consistent throughout the seating area.

In a properly designed theater, you shouldn't be thinking about where the subwoofer is.

You should simply feel what is happening on screen.

Why We're Excited About Dirac Live

The other major change is Dirac Live.

You can spend a fortune on speakers, amplification, and source components, but ultimately you're listening to all of it inside a room.

And the room always has an opinion.

Walls, ceilings, seating, openings, furniture, and room dimensions all affect what reaches your ears.

The MX124 includes Dirac Live Room Correction and Dirac Live Bass Control, giving us powerful tools to optimize how the speakers, subwoofers, and room work together.

It also retains Audyssey MultEQ XT32, so there is flexibility in how the system is calibrated.

For a serious installation—especially one using multiple subwoofers—we consider this one of the most meaningful improvements in the MX124.

The Video Side Got a Serious Upgrade Too

A modern A/V processor has to do more than sound good.

It also sits directly in the middle of the video chain.

The MX124 provides seven HDMI inputs and three HDMI outputs, with support for:

• 8K/60Hz
• 4K/120Hz
• Dolby Vision
• HDR10+
• HLG
• IMAX Enhanced
• HDCP 2.3
• Variable Refresh Rate (VRR)
• Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
• Quick Frame Transport (QFT)
• eARC

That makes the MX124 equally comfortable at the center of a dedicated private cinema, a high-performance gaming system, or a multipurpose media room.

And with three HDMI outputs, there's considerably more flexibility when designing systems involving multiple displays or video zones.

It's Not Just a Movie Machine

This is an area where McIntosh gets it right.

A great home theater should also be able to play music.

The MX124 includes integrated streaming with Qobuz Connect, TIDAL Connect, Spotify Connect, Apple AirPlay, Bluetooth, and Roon Ready support, with high-resolution streaming up to 32-bit/192kHz.

And McIntosh hasn't forgotten analog.

There's extensive analog connectivity along with a Moving Magnet phono input, so a turntable can be part of the same system.

That means the room you use Friday night for a movie can become a serious two-channel listening space Saturday morning.

Nine 32-Bit DACs Behind the Scenes

The MX124 uses nine premium 32-bit DACs to handle the enormous amount of audio information involved in modern immersive surround systems.

That's important because processing channels is only part of the job.

The processor also has to preserve the dynamics, detail, imaging, and musicality of the source material.

That's where McIntosh's audio heritage matters.

The MX124 isn't simply designed to decode a Dolby Atmos soundtrack correctly. It's designed to make it sound like it belongs in a reference McIntosh system.

Built for a Complete Home Theater System

This is where looking at the MX124 purely as a piece of electronics misses part of the story.

A processor at this level rarely operates alone.

It's usually connected to multiple power amplifiers, speakers, subwoofers, a projector or large-format display, streaming sources, networking, lighting, automation, and potentially additional audio or video zones.

The MX124 was built with that environment in mind.

It offers RS232 and IP control, web-based configuration, backup and restore capabilities, 12-volt triggers, IR connectivity, Control4 integration, and support for additional audio zones.

For our installation team, those capabilities matter just as much as another logo appearing on the front of the box.

MX123 Owners: Should You Upgrade?

Here's where we'd draw the line.

If you own an MX123 and you're happy with your theater, we're not going to tell you that you need to replace it simply because something newer exists.

But if you're considering expanding the theater, adding additional subwoofers, upgrading your display or projector, improving room correction, moving into a more sophisticated Atmos configuration, or substantially recalibrating the system, the MX124 becomes a very compelling upgrade.

The combination of four independently controlled subs and Dirac Live Bass Control alone creates possibilities that simply weren't available with the MX123.

For the right room, that's significant.

Building a New Theater? That's an Easier Decision.

If we're designing a new reference-level McIntosh theater today, the MX124 is the processor we'd be looking at.

Not because it has the longest list of specifications.

Because it gives us the tools to design the system properly.

We can build around the room rather than forcing the room around the equipment.

We can design multiple-subwoofer layouts.

We can take advantage of advanced room correction.

We can accommodate sophisticated Atmos configurations.

And we have the video bandwidth and integration capabilities expected from a modern reference theater.

That's ultimately what a processor at this level should do.

McIntosh MX124 Highlights

• 13.4-channel A/V processing
• Supports 7.4.6 and 9.4.4 configurations
• Four independent subwoofer outputs
• Dolby Atmos
• DTS Pro
• Sony 360 Reality Audio
• MPEG-H Audio
• Dirac Live Room Correction
• Dirac Live Bass Control
• Audyssey MultEQ XT32
• Nine premium 32-bit DACs
• Seven HDMI inputs
• Three HDMI outputs
• 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz support
• Dolby Vision and HDR10+
• IMAX Enhanced
• Qobuz Connect
• TIDAL Connect
• Spotify Connect
• Apple AirPlay
• Roon Ready
• Bluetooth
• High-resolution streaming up to 32-bit/192kHz
• Moving Magnet phono input
• Multi-zone audio
• Control4 integration
• Retail Price: $15,000

How We Would Build Around the MX124

The processor is the brain of the theater, but what surrounds it determines what you ultimately experience.

Depending on the room, we might pair the MX124 with McIntosh amplification, a carefully designed Dolby Atmos speaker layout, multiple strategically positioned subwoofers, high-performance projection or a large-format display, acoustic treatment, lighting control, and a fully integrated Control4 system.

But we wouldn't start by choosing boxes.

We'd start with the room, seating positions, performance goals, and how you actually want to use the system.

Then we'd design everything around that.

That's how you get the performance you're paying for.

Experience the McIntosh MX124 at The Grid HiFi

The Grid HiFi is the McIntosh Reference Dealer in Houston, specializing in high-performance two-channel audio, private cinema, and complete home technology systems.

Whether you're considering upgrading from an MX123 or starting an entirely new theater, we can help determine whether the MX124 is the right processor and design the rest of the system around it.

Explore the McIntosh MX124 A/V Processor at The Grid HiFi →

Retail Price: $15,000

Contact The Grid HiFi for MX124 availability, demonstrations, system design, or help building your next reference home theater.