McIntosh PS2K Powered Subwoofer

Over-the-Top Bass Performance

The McIntosh PS2K Powered Subwoofer is built for systems where ordinary subwoofer output simply will not keep up.

With four 13-inch woofers, four dedicated 500-watt Class D amplifiers and up to 2,000 watts of total power, the PS2K is designed to deliver massive low-frequency output while maintaining the control and precision expected in a true reference system.

It is equally at home in an extreme two-channel setup or a large-scale home theater where deep bass needs to be felt as convincingly as it is heard.

This is McIntosh bass without compromise.

Four 13-Inch Woofers

The PS2K uses four purpose-built 13-inch drivers, each engineered for substantial excursion and exceptionally low distortion.

McIntosh's patented Low Distortion High Performance (LD/HP®) Magnetic Circuit Design helps reduce distortion while increasing power handling and efficiency.

Extra-long voice coils and specially engineered suspension systems allow the drivers to travel farther while remaining linear.

That combination is crucial when reproducing very deep frequencies at high output levels.

The goal isn't simply to make the PS2K loud.

It's to keep the bass clean, controlled and articulate even when the system is being pushed hard.

Multi-Layer Carbon Fiber Cones

Each woofer incorporates an advanced multi-layer carbon fiber cone.

Low-frequency drivers experience enormous physical forces during long excursions. If the cone flexes under load, definition can suffer and distortion can increase.

McIntosh's multi-layer construction is designed to provide substantially greater rigidity than conventional single-layer carbon fiber designs.

The cone also incorporates a formed joint with the voice coil, creating a highly rigid driver assembly capable of handling extreme movement without unwanted flex.

That strength helps the PS2K retain precision even when reproducing the most demanding bass passages.

2,000 Watts of Dedicated Amplification

Every one of the PS2K's four woofers gets its own 500-watt Class D amplifier.

Together, they deliver up to 2,000 watts of total output.

Dedicated amplification allows McIntosh to closely control each driver while providing the enormous reserve power necessary for large rooms, high playback levels and demanding soundtracks.

The amplifiers are calibrated to minimize distortion, allowing the PS2K to produce substantial output without sacrificing definition.

A front-mounted McIntosh power meter displays the subwoofer's total output in real time.

Because if you're going to build a 2,000-watt McIntosh subwoofer, you should probably be able to watch it work.

A Sealed Cabinet Built for Massive Output

Four large-excursion woofers can generate tremendous mechanical forces.

The PS2K's enclosure is designed accordingly.

Its front baffle is nearly 1.5 inches thick, creating a rigid structure that helps minimize unwanted vibration.

McIntosh also uses a sealed enclosure design, eliminating potential port noise while supporting the tight, controlled bass character expected from a reference subwoofer.

The cabinet isn't simply housing the drivers.

It's part of the engineering required to keep them under control.

Designed for McIntosh Reference Systems

The PS2K was created to keep pace with McIntosh's most ambitious systems.

It is designed as a sonic and visual match for reference loudspeakers such as the XRT2.1K and XRT1.1K, as well as systems powered by McIntosh's massive MC2.1KW monoblock amplifiers.

That's important because a subwoofer can become the limiting factor in an extreme system.

If the main loudspeakers and amplifiers are capable of tremendous output but the subwoofer runs out of headroom, the entire system loses scale.

The PS2K is engineered so that doesn't happen.

Not Just for McIntosh Speakers

Although designed to complement McIntosh reference loudspeakers, the PS2K isn't limited to an all-McIntosh system.

Its combination of output capability, adjustment and connectivity makes it appropriate for high-output loudspeaker systems from other manufacturers as well.

For large rooms and serious systems, that flexibility matters.

The PS2K is designed to contribute low-frequency extension without becoming the weak link as playback levels rise.

Built-In Crossover and Room Adjustment

Output is only useful when it integrates properly with the rest of the system.

The PS2K provides adjustable Low Pass and High Pass filters, allowing the crossover relationship between the subwoofer and main loudspeakers to be tailored precisely.

Level and phase controls help align the PS2K with the main speakers.

McIntosh also includes two fully adjustable parametric EQ filters, providing additional control over bass response when dealing with room acoustics, furniture and placement.

That gives an installer meaningful tools to make an enormous subwoofer sound integrated rather than overwhelming.

Flexible for Stereo or Home Theater

The PS2K is designed to work in both high-end stereo and multichannel systems.

It includes balanced stereo inputs and outputs, along with balanced and unbalanced subwoofer connections.

Multiple PS2Ks can also be daisy-chained in the same system.

That opens the door to truly extreme installations where multiple subwoofers are used for increased output, improved room coverage or smoother bass response across several listening positions.

Power Guard and Sentry Monitor

A subwoofer capable of delivering 2,000 watts deserves serious protection circuitry.

The PS2K incorporates McIntosh Power Guard®, which monitors the incoming audio signal and makes extremely fast adjustments when necessary to help prevent harsh amplifier clipping.

It also uses Sentry Monitor™, McIntosh's fuse-less short-circuit protection system.

If operating current reaches an unsafe level, Sentry Monitor disengages the amplifier's output stage and automatically resets when normal conditions return.

These technologies allow the PS2K to deliver extreme performance while helping protect the amplifiers and drivers behind it.

Built to Look as Serious as It Sounds

The PS2K has the physical presence to match its performance.

A high-gloss black finish, carbon-fiber trim and aluminum base visually tie it to McIntosh's reference loudspeakers.

The signature power meter immediately identifies it as McIntosh.

Power Control allows the PS2K to turn on and off with compatible McIntosh components, while signal sensing provides another convenient option for automatic operation.

Glide feet for hard surfaces and spikes for carpeting help accommodate different installation environments.

The Grid's Take on the McIntosh PS2K

The PS2K is not a subwoofer you buy because you want "a little more bass."

It's the subwoofer you look at when the rest of the system has reached a level where most conventional subs simply can't keep up.

Four 13-inch drivers give it enormous cone area.

Four dedicated amplifiers give it 2,000 watts of available power.

And McIntosh gives us the crossover, phase and parametric EQ controls needed to actually integrate all of that capability into the room.

That's what matters.

A subwoofer this powerful can be spectacular when properly placed and calibrated, but simply dropping it into the room and turning it up would miss the point.

At The Grid HiFi & Home Theater, we can design and calibrate the PS2K as part of a complete reference two-channel or home theater system, including crossover setup, room optimization, placement and multi-subwoofer integration.

For systems where one PS2K still isn't enough, McIntosh gives us the ability to take things even further.