Skip to main content

McIntosh brings huge, 24-channel sound to 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer

McIntosh in-car audio system inside the 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer
Jeep

Despite the fact that the ongoing pandemic means more of us are leaving our cars parked at home, there appears to be a surge in partnerships between audio companies and carmakers. Yesterday brought the unexpected news that Sonos will make its automotive debut in the 2022 Audi Q4 E-Tron, and today, legendary audio brand, McIntosh, has announced its return to the automotive world with new systems that will appear in the 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer.

Recommended Videos

McIntosh has a reputation for building some of the most powerful and precise hi-fi amplifiers and speakers for discerning audiophiles, and its new MX1375 Reference Entertainment System — a Jeep Grand Wagoneer exclusive — sounds like it will do for car audio what McIntosh has done for home audio.

2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer McIntosh Speaker
Jeep

The MX1375 is a 24-channel, 1,375-watt monster that places 23 speakers about the interior of the Grand Wagoneer, along with a dedicated 12-inch subwoofer. It has a unique Adaptive 3D Surround Processing system which McIntosh says will deliver an immersive listening experience.

When drivers fire up the entertainment system and switch to the McIntosh system screen, they will be greeted by the audio company’s instantly-recognizable blue-backlit sound meters. McIntosh claims it spent “countless hours” studying the interior layout of the vehicle in order to fine-tune the sound system.

2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer interior
Jeep

“When we were developing the MX1375 Reference Entertainment System, we set up a McIntosh Reference room next to the Wagoneer team’s facility to ensure the best parts of the home system experience made it into the Grand Wagoneer,” said Charlie Randall, President of McIntosh Laboratory, Inc. in a press release. “It was fascinating to hear the progression as the vehicle started to take on qualities of the Reference Room itself. I can’t wait for customers to hear and feel it for themselves.”

The MX1375 will likely be a pricey option, but it’s not the only way to get McIntosh sound in the Grand Wagoneer. The company has also developed a slightly less powerful alternative, the MX950 Entertainment System. It features 18 speakers, a 10-inch subwoofer, and a 17-channel amplifier producing up to 950 watts of power. The MX950 will be available in Grand Wagoneer Series I and Series II and Wagoneer Series III models.

2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer
Grand Wagoneer Concept Jeep

Jeep is clearly trying to position the 2022 Grand Wagoneer as a technological tour-de-force. It’s festooned with color touchscreen displays and earlier this month it was revealed that it will be the first vehicle equipped with Amazon’s Fire TV streaming media platform. The Grand Wagoneer starts from $88,995 and will be available starting this summer.

Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen is a contributing editor to Digital Trends' Audio/Video section, where he obsesses over the latest wireless…
McIntosh revives the amplifier that powered Woodstock
McIntosh MC3500 MKII monoblock tube amplifier.

This year marks the 54th anniversary of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair -- arguably the most famous (or perhaps, infamous) music festival ever held. With performances by now-legendary acts like Jimmy Hendrix, The Who, Grateful Dead, The Band, and Janis Joplin, its significance as a cultural touchstone is undeniable.

Astonishingly, the four-day event, which ended up attracting more than 400,000 attendees, was powered by just 20 MC3500 amplifiers made by McIntosh. Somehow, the MC3500, which produced 350 watts of single-channel power, became the backbone of this legendary concert.

Read more
McIntosh’s new $6,000 speaker is a vintage blast from the past
McIntosh ML1 MKII speaker on a matching stand, with grille removed.

McIntosh might be best known for its receivers and amplifiers -- the ones with the iconic blue-backlit VU meters -- but the American audio brand has also produced some fine speakers over the years. Today, the company has decided to resurrect its very first model -- the ML1 -- by maintaining the full vintage vibe of the 1970s era with a boxy, wooden enclosure, while bringing the audio components fully up to date. Acquiring the new ML1 MKII won't be cheap; each speaker will sell for $6,000 -- and that doesn't include the cost of the optional (but highly desirable) matching wooden stand, complete with aluminum McIntosh badging.

McIntosh ML1 MKII (left) and original ML1 McIntosh

Read more
McIntosh trots out limited-edition wireless speakers for well-heeled Deadheads
Close-up of the McIntosh RS250GD special edition Grateful Dead wireless speaker.

Fans of The Grateful Dead -- Deadheads, if you please -- are all too aware that this year marks what might just be the last time to see what's left of the band's original members doing what they do best. Dead & Co., as the band is called these days, is embarking on what it calls its Final Tour -- a 29-date U.S.-only tour that runs from May 19 to July 16. To commemorate the event, McIntosh has introduced Grateful Dead-branded limited editions of two of its wireless speakers, the RS150 (now the RS150GD) and the RS250 (RS250GD).

Each speaker is effectively identical to its non-Grateful Dead version, except for the one thing that the company is hoping Deadheads are going to want: the inclusion of the band's two famous icons, "Stealie" (the lightning bolt-adorned skull) and the dancing bears. Those graphic elements are presented immediately below McIntosh's almost equally iconic blue digital output meter(s) on each speaker.

Read more