Musical Fidelity M6x 250.11 Review
In home cinemas, amplifiers mainly make the speakers rumble. This usually comes at the cost of enjoyment when listening to music through a home cinema setup. Musical Fidelity aims to prove that things can be different with its 11-channel amplifier, the M6x 250.11. Tested at 3,990 Euro.
Performance Is Not Always What It Seems
Let’s first decode the cryptic name, M6x 250.11. “M6” refers to Musical Fidelity’s product class, known for excellent sound performance at a reasonable price. The “x” stands for the current product generation, and “250.11” refers to 250 watts over 11 channels. These 250 watts are actually delivered. Why emphasize this? Many receivers list higher power ratings but often cannot deliver that for all channels simultaneously. Markus Brogle from Reichmann Audiosysteme, Musical Fidelity’s German distributor, explains: “Japanese manufacturers agreed to list power ratings based on the output of a single channel. So, if 150 watts are listed on a receiver, each channel can output 150 watts, but not all channels simultaneously. The power supplies are too small for that, and you can hear this when dynamic sound hits—the sound often collapses during intense moments.”
With the Musical Fidelity M6x 250.11, the 250 watts at 4 ohms are available simultaneously for each channel. It’s worth noting that three amplifier sections provide a continuous output of 250 watts at 4 ohms, while the remaining eight provide 250 watts peak power at 4 ohms, with 150 watts continuous. So, if we calculated its power like an AV receiver manufacturer, the total would be 1950 watts.
For those who don’t need 11 channels in their home cinema, Musical Fidelity also offers the M6x 250.4/2 with four channels, perfect for bi-amping enthusiasts, and the M6x 250.7 with seven channels.
Connections
The M6x 250.11 is a power amplifier, meaning it requires an appropriate source. You can use an AV processor or a standard AV receiver, connecting them via RCA (cinch) or balanced XLR. A switch on each channel indicates whether the XLR or RCA input is being used. We tested both in our large home cinema room and found no noticeable difference in sound. However, XLR has the advantage of reducing potential interference, so if your environment has a lot of electronic noise, XLR is preferable.
The speaker connections are of the high-quality type that Musical Fidelity is known for. You can use bare wire, banana plugs, or spade connectors. The three middle channels are the 250-watt units, making them ideal for the left, right, and center speakers. The remaining eight channels handle surround and effect speakers. There is also a trigger input on the back.
Operation
Operating the Musical Fidelity amplifier is straightforward. Using the trigger input, the source device turns the amplifier on or off. Without it, you can press the power button on the front left, and the M6x 250.11 will wake up. The relays click for a moment as the amplifier sections come to life. This wake-up has a magical quality, and soon we’ll see if the sound lives up to it in our sound test.
Sound in Home Cinema
We connected the M6x 250.11 to the Denon AVR-X6200W, a reliable AV receiver we’ve used for years. Now serving as a preamp, we tested the Musical Fidelity 11-channel amplifier’s capabilities. The speakers were Monitor Audio’s Cinergy in a 5.2.4 system, with two passive subwoofers also powered by the M6x 250.11.
We started with Godzilla: King of Monsters (2019) on Blu-ray, ideal for testing explosive sounds and all the loud effects that cinema can offer.
The amplifier needed about 10 minutes to hit its stride, much faster than other amplifiers, which often take over an hour. The sound was bombastic and full of life, even in the loudest moments. We could hear small details like the hum of a scanner or the clicking of switches, even amid powerful explosions. The sound was cohesive and never faltered. The amplifier controlled the speakers perfectly, ensuring they performed exactly as intended.
For comparison, I recall watching Inside Out 2 in a multiplex theater this summer. The sound was loud and clear, but it lacked the finesse we experience at home. With the Musical Fidelity M6x 250.11, the sound quality is on a different level, even when playing music.
Sound in Stereo Setup
This brings us back to the issue mentioned at the beginning: many surround systems fail to deliver high-quality stereo sound. Musical Fidelity’s amplifier solves this problem. With five and a half M6si amplifiers under the hood, it delivers an impressive stereo experience.
Specifications
General Information
- Device Class: Power Amplifier
- Price Category: Upper Class
- Manufacturer: Musical Fidelity
- Model: M6x 250.11
- Price (MSRP): 3,990 Euro
- Dimensions (W/H/D): 43 x 20 x 43 cm
- Weight: 35.5 kg
Technical Data (According to Manufacturer)
- Channels: Multichannel (11)
- Power per Channel: 8x 150 watts at 4 ohms, 3x 250 watts at 4 ohms (Nominal Power)
- Class: A/B
- Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz ± 0.5dB
- Power Supply:
- Standby: <0.5W
- Operation: Max 2000W
- Inputs:
- 11x RCA
- 11x XLR
- 1x Trigger
- Outputs:
- 11x Speaker (Clamp, Banana)
Verdict
The Musical Fidelity M6x 250.11 power amplifier delivers exceptional home cinema sound, even with demanding speakers. It ensures a cohesive soundstage with clarity, depth, and power. Additionally, it handles high-quality music playback through your home cinema system, making you forget you ever needed a stereo amplifier.
RATINGS
- Sound Quality: 59/60
- Features/Build Quality: 19/20
- User-Friendliness: 9/10
- Adjustments: None
- Interim Score: 87 out of 90 points
- Price/Performance: Good (8/10)
- Final Result: Reference Class (95%)
SPECIAL FEATURES
- 11 channels
- 3 x 250 watts nominal power
- 8 x 150 watts nominal power
The amplifier carries the sonic characteristics of Musical Fidelity’s well-known and convincingly excellent integrated amplifier. We immediately noticed this when we listened to our Tidal playlist in neutral stereo mode. Whether it’s classical, jazz, or rock, everything fits, everything has feeling and transparency. You can feel the love for sound, as we’ve come to expect from the British brand. Considering this, the nearly 4000 Euro price tag for this amplifier is a real bargain. For the M6si integrated amplifier, you pay around 2300 Euro, but with the M6x 250.11, you’re essentially getting more than five M6si amplifiers in one device!
Musical Fidelity Multi-Channel Power Amps 2022 | M6x 250.5, M6x 250.7 and M6x 250.11
hxosplus M6x 250.5 is 5x250W M6x 250.7 is 7x250W M6x 250.11 is 11x250W all at 8Ω Class AB.
Founded in July 2014, 7Review is a free audio resource for beginners, and we're dedicated to helping you create the ultimate movie-watching experience right at home. We pull insights from top audio magazines and trusted industry sources to bring you well-researched, reliable reviews and tips. Whether you're a home cinema pro or just starting out, we aim to give you the info you need to make the best choices for your setup.
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