Until now.

With the introduction of the Outback H6-3.0 VDC models, Subaru is pleased to be the exclusive partner of McIntosh Audio, offering the first original equipment automotive system from McIntosh.

The McIntosh AM/FM/CD/Weatherband cassette system installed in Outback H6-3.0 VDC sedans and wagons features 11 speakers in seven locations. A five-channel McIntosh amplifier drives the system, producing 200 watts of power. A patented McIntosh circuit design eliminates distortion at higher volumes and a superior six-band, four-channel parametric equalizer helps tailor the sound.

Despite the system’s state-of-the-art design, its faceplate and controls remain user-friendly. Oversized buttons and knobs are immediately familiar and easy to adjust.

The McIntosh audio system is far more than a bolt-on accessory. “The system is specifically tuned to the vehicle,” says McIntosh Technical Services Representative Chuck Hinton. In fact, before offering the system, Subaru worked with McIntosh for more than a year to re-engineer components and optimize the audio system’s qualities specifically for the Outback H6-3.0 VDC sedans and wagons.

At the partnership’s inception, Subaru delivered several vehicles to McIntosh’s Binghamton, New York, headquarters. Using sophisticated metering systems, McIntosh engineers evaluated the interior of the Outback to determine the best way to combine the vehicle and audio components.

While McIntosh developed the sound system, Subaru tailored the interior of the Outback, adding insulation in several areas to dampen noise and heighten the speakers’ performance. Even the vehicle’s storage compartment was modified to utilize its interior boundaries for maximum bass production. The resulting combination of sound system and vehicle was well worth the extra effort by both companies.

“Subaru wanted a better sound system,” Hinton says, “and McIntosh helped them provide it.”