Skip to main content

Meet McIntosh McAire: the Rolls Royce of Lifestyle Audio Systems

Some people just have to have the best of everything. Whether it’s the car, the racket, or the liquor in their glass, luxurious style and brilliant performance are paramount, above all other consideration – including the price. For this demanding subset of the public, we present the McIntosh McAire wireless speaker system, the premium choice for compact wireless sound.

While the McAire is suitably fitted to speak to all of your Apple paraphernalia, it was crafted by a different McIntosh than those tech gurus down in Silicon Valley (note the missing ‘a’). Instead, it was created on the other coast by McIntosh Laboratory, a trusted name in all things hi-fi since the early ‘50’s. And it’s from that era (or even before it) that the McAire draws inspiration, weaving modern technology, and premium sound into a gorgeous cabinet of retro brilliance.

Recommended Videos

Surrounding the gleaming blue VU meters and sparkling silver dials are an understated collection of high performance drivers, including two four-inch woofers with dual acoustic ports, a pair of two-inch inverted dome midrange drivers, and dual ¾-inch tweeters. While the amplification specs are McIntosh’s little secret, the McAire should have no problem filling the room with fluid lines of first-class sound. The system’s promised frequency response of 60Hz-45kHz assures superior handling of the most delicate details across the spectrum.

Connection options include Wi-Fi with Airplay support for high quality streaming, hardwired USB connection to charge your device while you play, and stereo RCA connection for Auxiliary components. The system also offers the AP1 iOS app, which recreates those gorgeous VU meters on your phone for a symbiotic retro experience.

And now for the tough pill to swallow: the price. At $3,000, the McAire dares you to find a more expensive means of succinct wireless audio playback. Still, if you want the best, you have to pay for it. And with a reputation for knock-out performance in everything it creates, McIntosh products are an investment in sonic supremacy. You can a list of authorized McIntosh dealers which carry the McAire from the company’s website.

Ryan Waniata
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ryan Waniata is an audio engineer, musician, composer, and all-around lover of all things tech, audio, and cinema. Hailing…
Don’t ruin your cigars: here’s how to properly season a new humidor
Seasoning secrets every cigar lover could use
faceless man presenting a cigar humidor with cigars inside with gloved hands

If you're a newcomer to the world of cigars or just bought a brand-new humidor, you'll need to season it. And no, I'm not saying to add salt and pepper to it. If you've never heard of it, you might ask, "What is seasoning for a humidor?"

Don't think you need to flavor the box or anything — seasoning is really about getting the wood inside your humidor so as not to rob your cigars of precious moisture. Easy to understand, and getting it done is relatively straightforward as well. The trick is figuring out the "why," and we'll get into that in a bit. But let's first discuss seasoning a humidor.

Read more
The NBA’s ultimate celebration tool: The victory cigar
A look at the players and coaches who smoke to celebrate
Jordan smoking a cigar image on a bag

Sports are synonymous with celebration. After winning the biggest trophy of their lives, athletes want to indulge in the payoff that comes with seeing their dreams realized. Teams go into the locker room, where a waterfall of champagne hits them in the eyes, and swimming goggles seem to be a requirement, lest you walk around on the best night of your life half blind. While drinking is often the activity of choice after winning a championship, the NBA has an alternative symbol of greatness that other sports don't use nearly enough: the victory cigar.

Basketball is a team game, but it's also an individual canvas for solo superstardom. After winning an NBA championship, the coaches and players who sit atop the throne have long smoked a cigar in the locker room, during the parade, or even on the bench before the clock has hit zero. There's nothing quite like a good stogie to signify the ultimate win over the rest of the league, but how did the victory cigar get so ingrained in NBA championship celebrations? We want to take a walk down memory lane and look at some of the historical moments and people who made the cigar what it is within the NBA today.
Red Auerbach's victory cigar on the bench
Red Auerbach: The Story Behind the Victory Cigar + His Disdain of NBA Officials - Red on Roundball

Read more
The best medical shows of all time to binge now
From ER to The Pitt, these are the best medical shows ever made
Noah Wyle in the Pitt

Throughout TV's long history, the medical drama has occupied a somewhat unique place in the landscape. Medical shows are often some of the most reliable on TV precisely because there's so much drama built in to working in a hospital.

Personally, I've found the medical drama to be deeply comforting for years, even if I have no desire to be a doctor myself. Understanding the stress of people in the healthcare profession is fascinating in and of itself.

Read more