If you like your bass big and your bottom-end taut, then McIntosh's new PS2K powered subwoofer may be right up your alley. Thanks to four 33cm woofers and massive magnets employed in a tower design, McIntosh claims it results in “an unprecedented listening experience”.

The PS2K's woofers are formed of multiple carbon fibre layers, as a single layer would allow the cones to flex too much. These new multi-layered carbon fibre cones are integrated into a joint with a strengthened voice coil to create extreme rigidity that prevents unwanted flexing.

Each driver is powered by a dedicated 500W Class D amp, offering a total power output of 2,000W. We are informed that these amps have been precisely calibrated to reduce distortion and produce clear, tight bass with minimal sound distortion. McIntosh says that this skillset makes the PS2K ideal for music as well as home cinema duties, perhaps paired with the American firm's monstrous centre channel speaker.

The speaker incorporates McIntosh's Low Distortion High Performance (LD/HP) magnetic circuit design that's said to reduce distortion while also increasing power and efficiency.

Furthermore, McIntosh's PS2K features several connectivity options, enabling it to suit a two-channel stereo system or multi-channel home theatre setup. You get balanced and unbalanced stereo inputs and outputs, plus balanced and unbalanced subwoofer inputs and outputs. You can also daisy chain for further connectivity for users who wish to employ more than one PS2K in their system.

Naturally, the new subwoofer tower boasts a selection of McIntosh's protection technologies, such as Power Guard, which monitors the input signal entering the amps to make “near-speed of light adjustments to prevent harsh sounding clipping in real-time”, and Sentry Monitor, which acts as a fuse-less short-circuit protection that clears the amp's output stage before the current exceeds safe operating levels, automatically resetting when safe operating conditions return.

The McIntosh PS2K is finished in black gloss with carbon trim and sports an aluminium base. Available now, it is priced at US$50,000.

Visit McIntosh for more information