McIntosh MPC500 Power Controller

Protect your audio and home theater investment with the McIntosh MPC500 Power Controller (Power Conditioner), a comprehensive power protection solution designed for high-performance entertainment systems.

Modern electronics depend on consistent, reliable AC power, yet the electrical system in your home can be affected by voltage fluctuations, electrical noise, surges and spikes. The MPC500 is engineered to help protect connected equipment from these potentially damaging conditions while also filtering electromagnetic interference from the incoming AC line.

With cascaded surge protection, EMI filtering, over/under-voltage protection and protection for connected low-voltage lines, the MPC500 goes far beyond the capabilities of a conventional surge protector.

Multi-Layer Power Protection

The MPC500 Power Conditioner uses several different technologies because not every electrical threat behaves the same way.

Primary AC line surge protection is handled by a thermally protected metal-oxide varistor (TPMOV), providing Line-to-Neutral protection while offering an additional level of safety compared with a traditional MOV-based design.

McIntosh then adds a second layer of protection for secondary surges and spikes using Gas Discharge Tubes (GDT), Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) thermistors and Transient Voltage Suppression (TVS) components.

The result is a cascaded protection system designed to safeguard both your equipment and the connections running into it.

Protect More Than the Power Cord

A damaging electrical surge doesn't necessarily enter your system through an AC outlet.

Ethernet, coaxial and other low-voltage connections can provide another path into sensitive electronics.

That's why the MPC500 also provides surge protection for Ethernet, coaxial and other low-voltage connections, helping protect equipment from secondary surge events that can occur after an initial electrical disturbance.

For modern audio, video and network-connected systems, that's an important distinction.

EMI Filtering for Cleaner AC Power

Protection is only part of the MPC500's job.

The unit also incorporates electromagnetic interference (EMI) filtering to help reduce unwanted electrical noise present on the incoming AC line.

Today's homes are filled with potential sources of electrical interference—from computers and network equipment to LED lighting, appliances, chargers and switching power supplies.

By filtering the AC line before it reaches your components, the MPC500 provides a cleaner electrical environment for your audio and video equipment.

Over and Under-Voltage Protection

A large surge isn't the only power condition capable of damaging electronics.

Operating equipment when incoming voltage is significantly too high or too low can also create problems.

The MPC500 continuously monitors incoming voltage and can switch off its rear-panel receptacles when voltage moves outside acceptable operating limits, helping prevent connected equipment from attempting to operate under potentially unsafe conditions.

Once proper voltage conditions return, the system can safely resume operation.

Eight AC Receptacles

The U.S. version of the MPC500 provides eight NEMA 5-15R AC receptacles, giving you enough connectivity to protect multiple components within a complete audio or home theater system.

Outlet operation can be configured using the rear-panel Power Control connections or through the MPC500's front-panel setup menus.

That makes the MPC500 particularly well suited to larger McIntosh systems where multiple components need to power on and off in a controlled sequence.

Real-Time Power Monitoring

The front-panel display provides useful information about what's actually happening with your system's power.

You can monitor:

Incoming AC voltage
Current being drawn by connected components
Total apparent power

Instead of simply assuming your electrical supply is behaving properly, the MPC500 gives you real-time information about both the incoming power and the demands being placed on it by your system.

Classic McIntosh Design

Power protection doesn't usually become one of the best-looking components in an equipment rack.

McIntosh changes that.

The MPC500 features the company's unmistakable black glass front panel, illuminated McIntosh logo, aluminum end caps and traditional control knobs, allowing it to visually integrate with McIntosh amplifiers, preamplifiers, processors and source components.

It looks like part of the system because it is part of the system.

More Than a Surge Protector

The MPC500 shouldn't be thought of as an expensive power strip.

It combines several important functions into one component:

• AC line surge protection
• Secondary surge and spike protection
• Ethernet and coaxial protection
• EMI filtering
• Over-voltage protection
• Under-voltage protection
• Configurable AC outlets
• McIntosh Power Control integration
• Real-time voltage, current and power monitoring

For a high-value audio or home theater system, those capabilities provide a significantly more comprehensive approach to power protection than a basic surge suppressor.

The Grid's Take on the McIntosh MPC500

The MPC500 makes a lot of sense for customers building a serious audio or home theater system who want comprehensive protection without moving up to the large isolation-transformer architecture of the MPC1500.

That's the important distinction between the two.

The MPC500 focuses on sophisticated power protection, voltage monitoring and EMI filtering.

The MPC1500 adds a massive toroidal isolation transformer designed to provide additional AC line isolation and filtering.

So which one is right depends on the system.

For many systems, the MPC500 provides exactly what we're looking for: multiple layers of protection, eight AC outlets, protection for network and coax connections, voltage monitoring and integration with McIntosh Power Control.

For larger reference systems where AC isolation is a priority, we may recommend stepping up to the MPC1500.

At The Grid HiFi & Home Theater, we can help determine the right power protection solution based on your components, total power requirements and system configuration.