Mcintosh MX-120 any opinions or advice?

@oldhvymec Just picked up this thread from March, so my apologies... I recently acquired a very clean MX 120 to simply drive my center and rears in a five channel setup. I intended to use a third party amp(Sunfire five channel ) for this and connect the MX120 to the passthrough on my MA352 for the front L and R...However the MX120 powers up to the "MUTE" display, as it should, but thereafter there is no control from any of the selectors or switches. Reaching out to you as you mentioned you had repaired one of your MX120's. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. Alex at The Analog Store (Mac appointed service here in NC) seems to be stuck on this one. Thanks...

i have a mx132 which is the least expensive of the mx series! where doe's mine stand???

Never saw or heard one, It sure seems to be a great choice.

"For those who want the utility of a home theater but will accept no sacrifice in two-channel performance, McIntosh has released their MX-120 AV preamplifier".

https://hometheaterreview.com/mcintosh-mx-120-av-preamp-reviewed/

but, a careful check of features, lack of features is needed, i.e. only balanced out for front & external decoding might be needed.

" Low Points
• Since the MX-120 doesn't accept digital over HDMI it cannot decode any of the new uncompressed codecs of Blu-ray or SACD or DVD-Audio over HDMI. This necessitates use of the multichannel analog input and will require a higher end source, increasing the cost of the system.
• The MX-120 only offers balanced outputs for the front three channels.
• There is no room correction unlike AV preamps in its class.
• Tone controls are limited to bass, treble, and loudness control."

I own two MX120. One I repaired.. Minor stuff.

They are a true sonic nuget, if your looking for a stereo system OR a three speaker setup. TONE control.. I won't own equipment without it.

I use mine for just that. It is one of Macs first attempts to keep Mac as a Mac but give you a 5.X option. It's as simple as that.
The MX series after this were different..

It will give you that warm Mac undertone, just like what Mac is known for.
WITH a touch of nostalgia if you play with the Cinema options.

1500.00 or less its worth the money.

Regards

I owned the mx-120 for several years when I was transitioning from a 5.1 system, down to 2.2. As a 2 channel preamp, it offers a ton of value for the money since 2 channel purists skip over it for stereo use and it lacks the 12 or 15 channels required for today's home theater enthusiast. 

If you're okay with a 5.1 surround solution, or just want a solid 2 channel pre for a lot less money than a dedicated preamp, then go for it. It offers fantastic sound and a ton of flexibility.

Contrary to what you may read on later Mc processors, the 120 was not a re-skinned Marantz or Denon. However, you will need an s-video cable and input on your television to access the on screen menu, since the hdmi ports are pass through only.