You might think McIntosh and the first thing that comes to mind is the distinctive faceplates that adorn all of the Binghamton, N.Y., company’s high-performance electronics.

Yes, having a rack, or wall, full of McIntosh gear definitely looks cool ... but as long as you’re going there, don’t forget about the company’s loudspeakers. What better way to get the most out of the equipment, right?

If you’re one of the company’s loyal audiophiles, you probably won’t be disappointed by McIntosh’s latest speaker release, the XCS200 center channel (MSRP $6,000).

The XCS200 complements the company’s XR200 speakers, but McIntosh says it can work perfectly well in a front left, right or surround configuration.

Whichever place you incorporate it, expect a lot coming out of the high-gloss piano black box—it handles 600 watts of power with a frequency response rated at 80 Hz to 45 kHz.

The XCS200’s three-way design blends a pair of McIntosh 8-inch LD/HP woofers, eight 2-inch titanium midrange drivers and five 3/4-inch titanium dome tweeters, all arranged to deliver exceptional dispersion, midrange clarity and ultra-low distortion, the company says.

And with that high-gloss finish topping off the extruded aluminum enclosure, it’ll be pretty to look at while you’re ears are ringing.

Arlen Schweiger - Editor of Electronic House Magazine

Arlen writes about home technology installations and product news and reviews for electronichouse.com and Electronic House magazine.