If you’ve ever dreamed of playing different music in different rooms—or just keeping your home audio system organized without juggling multiple remotes and apps—McIntosh has something new for you. The CR106 is a 6-zone preamplifier and audio matrix rolled into one, giving you centralized control over audio in up to six rooms. It’s expected to hit shelves in August 2025 at a price of $5,500.

At its core, the CR106 combines two jobs into one device: it’s both a preamp and an audio matrix. That means it can handle audio signals from multiple sources, send them to different rooms, and let you tweak things like volume and subwoofer settings on a zone-by-zone basis. And it does all that in a compact box that slides neatly into an AV rack, taking up just 2U of space.

Each of the six zones gets two sets of stereo outputs, plus a dedicated subwoofer output. This setup gives you a lot of flexibility. You could, for example, fill a single room with four speakers and two subs, or you could route the same audio to two different zones from one source.

You’ve got three options when it comes to managing the CR106: the McIntosh Connect app (available on iOS and Android), a web interface, or the physical buttons on the front of the unit. The app is where most users will spend their time—it lets you name each zone, select audio sources for each area, group zones together, and adjust settings like volume or subwoofer output.

There’s also a handy feature called “Experiences.” These are like presets—you set up your zones the way you want (say, jazz in the kitchen and classical in the study), save that configuration, and recall it with a tap later on.

The CR106 comes with eight inputs—four unbalanced analog and four digital—so you can hook up a mix of gear, whether it’s a turntable, CD player, media streamer, or something else entirely. Bluetooth streaming is built in, too, with support for AAC, aptX HD, and aptX Adaptive. That means you can stream high-quality music straight from your phone or tablet without needing to go through another device.

And if six zones aren’t enough, you can scale things up. The CR106 supports Dante networking, so you can link up to five of them together for a total of 30 zones. That’s overkill for most homes, but it’s a nice option for larger spaces or professional installations.

McIntosh clearly had custom installations in mind when designing the CR106. It’s rack-mountable, comes with brackets, and is ready to work with in-wall or in-ceiling speakers. All outputs are unbalanced, which is typical for setups where the equipment is centralized and cabling distances are short.

There’s also an optional accessory—the MIP200 Power Controller—that you can add to help manage power and protect connected gear from electrical issues. It can sync on/off triggers with other McIntosh components, helping everything work in unison.

The CR106 isn’t meant for casual users looking to plug in a soundbar and call it a day. It’s more for people (or integrators working with those people) who want to build a whole-home audio system that’s powerful, flexible, and relatively easy to manage.

If you’re already planning a renovation or building a home theater—or if you’re trying to replace a patchwork setup of outdated components—the CR106 could be a way to centralize everything and make it easier to control from a single interface.

The McIntosh CR106 will be available starting in August 2025 through authorized dealers. Pricing is set at $5,500 in the U.S., £6,999 in the UK, $8,800 in Canada, and €7,499 in Europe.