McIntosh's TradeUP Program Is Back — and Ends March 31

This is the Perfect Time to Upgrade to a New McIntosh Amplifier

McIntosh doesn't run this program every year. When it does, it's worth paying attention. Through March 31, 2026, Show and Tell is participating in McIntosh's TradeUP program—a limited-time offer where qualifying McIntosh amplifiers, preamplifiers, integrated amps, and receivers can be traded in for up to 75% of their original MSRP toward a new model. Gear from as far back as the 1960s qualifies! If you've been sitting on older McIntosh amplifier equipment in your Bountiful home and eyeing an upgrade, this is the window. Maybe we can give you a few ideas to nudge you along here. After all, there’s not that much time left.

How the TradeUP Program Works

The mechanics are straightforward. Trade in a qualifying McIntosh mono or stereo amplifier, preamplifier, integrated amplifier, or receiver—in working condition, unmodified—and receive up to 75% of its original MSRP as credit toward a new qualifying model. The entire transaction happens through Show and Tell as your participating authorized dealer.

A few details worth knowing: The trade-in must be like-for-like category: amps for amps, preamps for preamps. But there are useful exceptions—an integrated amplifier or receiver can trade up to a separates combination of preamp and power amp, and vice versa. That flexibility matters, as you'll see in a moment.

The program is for two-channel equipment only; source components (like CD players and turntables) and home theater products aren't eligible. And the new purchase must equal or exceed the trade-in's original MSRP plus its trade-in value—so this program rewards meaningful upgrades, not lateral moves.

The program runs from February 2 through March 31, 2026. That's it. McIntosh has offered TradeUP a handful of times since 2018, never as a permanent fixture. When it closes, it really closes.

The Case for Upgrading—The Digital Gap

The truth about McIntosh gear—if you’ve got it, you know—it still sounds extraordinary. A well-maintained MC2105 from 1970 drives speakers beautifully today. McIntosh built these things to last generations, and they do.

But that 1970 amp has never heard of Tidal. It doesn't know Qobuz exists. Roon, AirPlay, Spotify Connect, and anything in the digital world are all foreign concepts to hardware that predates the internet by decades. The gap isn't in the sound quality. It's in how you get music to the amplifier in the first place.

Today's McIntosh components close that gap without compromise. The C2800 tube preamplifier—the current flagship two-channel tube preamp—features 16 inputs, including HDMI ARC, USB, coaxial, and optical, alongside its nine analog connections. The upgradeable DA2 module handles 32-bit/192kHz PCM and DSD512. App control via McIntosh's Connect app lets you switch inputs and adjust volume from your phone. And the processor loop—absent from several previous generations—returns on the C2800, making it easy to integrate room correction into the signal chain cleanly.

Pair it with an MC462 power amplifier—450 watts per channel at any speaker impedance, courtesy of McIntosh's Autoformer technology—and your streaming services plug directly into a system that would embarrass most dedicated listening rooms. No external streamer jury-rigged into a vintage system. No compromises.

For those of you whose music libraries have moved entirely to streaming, this isn't a luxury upgrade. This setup will keep you going for years to come.

Two More Reasons to Upgrade

The digital gap isn't the only story. Two other upgrade paths come up regularly with our McIntosh clients, and both are worth understanding before March 31 arrives.

The first is the downsizing upgrade. Let’s say you move from a large home with a dedicated listening room to a condo or what we shall call a “smaller space.” The full separates stack—preamp, power amp, DAC, streamer of the chunky McIntosh variety—suddenly feels like too much for the room and your newfound Marie Kondo-esque lifestyle. The answer isn't lesser audio. It's the MSA5500.

McIntosh's first streaming integrated amplifier launched in December 2024 and was just named Best High-End All-In-One Hi-Fi System 2025/2026 by AVForums. One chassis handles everything: full streaming platform support, including Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify Connect, AirPlay, Google Cast, and Roon Ready certification. A 32-bit quad-balanced DAC. HDMI ARC for TV audio. A proper phono stage for vinyl. Headphone output with McIntosh's Headphone Crossfeed Director. And 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms—160 into 4—through McIntosh's Class A/B amplification. The iconic blue meters still glow. The trade-in exception that allows integrated-for-separates swaps works in reverse, too—a separates owner can trade into the MSA5500.

The second path is the tube-curious upgrade. Lifelong solid-state listeners who've always wondered about tubes but never wanted to fully commit. The MC901 monoblock is the answer to that hesitation. One chassis, two completely separate amplifier sections: a 300-watt vacuum tube amp handling midrange and highs, a 600-watt solid-state amp driving the bass. You bi-amp a single speaker with one box. The tube warmth on vocals and strings, the solid-state control and slam on the low end—neither technology compromises the other. It's not a gateway drug to tubes. It's the destination.

A Marantz receiver is a great place to start for home theater audio. The AV 30 and AMP 30 are where you end up when good enough stops being enough. Visit our Bountiful showroom or reach out here to hear the difference for yourself! We look forward to showing you, after all, our name is Show and Tell AV.