MCINTOSH X VIRGIL ABLOH MA8950 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER CONCEPT UNVEILED IN PARIS
Finished in vibrant orange, a colour Virgil used as a signal of energy, visibility, and disruption, this one-of-one McIntosh x Virgil Abloh MA8950 Integrated Amplifier transforms the classic McIntosh black-and-silver aesthetic into a design statement through Virgil’s lens.
It forms part of a new exhibition in Paris.
VIRGIL ABLOH’S CONNECTION TO MUSIC
Virgil Abloh (1980–2021), founder of the fashion label Off-White and Artistic Director of menswear at Louis Vuitton, was known globally for bridging fashion, art, and culture. Alongside his work as a designer, Abloh consistently highlighted music as a central part of his creative life. A DJ since his teenage years, he used sound not only as a personal outlet but also as a cultural language. He frequently incorporated music into his runway shows, design processes, and even into the atmosphere of his studios, where a McIntosh system provided the soundtrack.
MCINTOSH X VIRGIL ABLOH – A CREATIVE COLLABORATION
McIntosh and Virgil Abloh first discussed the idea of a collaborative project in 2020. While the pandemic delayed progress and Abloh sadly passed away in 2021, the concept continued to develop with the support of the Virgil Abloh Archive™. The outcome is the McIntosh x Virgil Abloh – MA8950 Integrated Amplifier Concept, a one-of-one design piece unveiled in Paris on September 30th, which would have been Abloh’s 45th birthday.
MCINTOSH X VIRGIL ABLOH MA8950 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER
The McIntosh x Virgil Abloh MA8950 Integrated Amplifier Concept takes the familiar form of the McIntosh MA8950 and reimagines it through Abloh’s design language. Instead of McIntosh’s classic black and silver aesthetic, the amplifier is finished in vivid orange, a colour Abloh often used to symbolise energy, visibility, and disruption. Blue meters and glowing tubes remain part of the visual character, creating a bridge between McIntosh heritage and Abloh’s contemporary perspective.
VIRGIL ABLOH: THE CODES PRESENTATION IN PARIS
The McIntosh x Virgil Abloh – MA8950 Integrated Amplifier Concept was unveiled on September 30th, on what would have been Abloh’s 45th birthday, at Virgil Abloh: The Codes at the Grand Palais in Paris. The exhibition brings together key elements of his creative legacy, spanning fashion, design, music, and cultural commentary. Within this setting, the amplifier stands as both homage and evolution, bridging McIntosh’s heritage with Abloh’s design philosophy. Created with the Virgil Abloh Archive™, the piece embodies a shared belief that sound and design function as cultural languages, capable of shaping how people connect with ideas, spaces, and one another.
McIntosh describes the MA8950 concept as a tribute to Abloh’s approach, where sound is not background but a driving cultural force. Every element of the one-of-one amplifier was reconsidered through Abloh’s aesthetic, making the project both a design challenge and a collaborative act of respect.
HiFi PiG Says: A stunning collab and a fitting tribute to Virgil Abloh from McIntosh.
