Two American icons, McIntosh Labs and the Grateful Dead have come together to launch the McIntosh RS150 and RS250 special edition wireless loudspeakers. These special RS150 and RS250 speakers are a limited-edition launch featuring two of McIntosh’s most popular models, co-branded with the iconic Grateful Dead “dancing bears” motif and the “Stealie – steal your face” logo, alongside McIntosh’s signature blue meters. This collaboration, produced with the support of Rhino Entertainment, follows a decades-long relationship that began when McIntosh powered the Grateful Dead’s famous “Wall of Sound” live audio system.
Rhino is the catalogue development and marketing division of Warner Music Group. Founded in 1978, Rhino is known for setting the standard for excellence in the reissue business both in the physical and digital worlds, with an emphasis on flawless sound quality, bonus tracks, informative liner notes, award-winning creative packaging. Rhino holds a multi-faceted relationship with the Grateful Dead in addition to a catalogue of more than 5,000 releases includes material by; Led Zeppelin, Eagles, David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, Aretha Franklin, The Doors, Ray Charles and John Coltrane among many others.
According to Variety magazine, Dead & Company has grossed over $250 million in touring revenue over the past five years while Grateful Dead Enterprises remain one of the highest grossing licensing bands of all time with partnerships with apparel brands such as James Pearse and Nike, Leatherman Tools and with McIntosh Labs to name just a few.
“It has been an honor to work with the Grateful Dead for almost half a century of friendship – and we’re proud to celebrate our relationship with such a unique and high-quality product collaboration,” said Charlie Randall, President of McIntosh. “We’ve had the privilege to work with the Grateful Dead on numerous occasions over the past fifty years, using the latest in audio technology to amplify their music into a historic experience.”
Unveiled at their concert at San Francisco’s Cow Palace on March 23, 1974, the Wall of Sound consisted of 48 McIntosh MC2300 amplifiers delivering 28,800 Watts of power – a truly ground-breaking sound system that immortalized the Grateful Dead as a live act in the annals of rock history. The McIntosh x The Grateful Dead RS150 and RS250 Wireless Speakers will only be available to U.S. consumers at shop.mcintoshlabs.com.
McIntosh is also marking a new chapter in this storied history with a collaboration with Dead & Company, powering the intermissions of their summer tour with a custom audio system. During the intermissions of each performance on The Final Tour 2023, Dead & Company audiences will enjoy an unmatched high-fidelity sound experience listening to a vinyl collection curated by the members of Dead & Company and played through a custom-designed McIntosh MT10 Precision Turntable and a C12000 Preamplifier. These intermissions will be broadcasted in the stadiums and amphitheaters during each concert, as well as through livestreams via livedead.co. The McIntosh x Dead & Company Final Tour collaboration began with the official launch of The Final Tour, at two sold-out Kia Forum Arena in Los Angeles, California on May 19th and 20th.
“The Grateful Dead’s live performances always had two primary components that helped deliver the magic to Dead Heads: performance quality and sound quality,” said David Lemieux, Archivist and Legacy Manager for the Grateful Dead. “The former was fulfilled through practice, respectful listening, and otherworldly creativity and talent with which the band members were blessed. The latter, the sound quality, was fulfilled through McIntosh. From the band’s earliest days through their 30-year performing career 1965-1995, the Grateful Dead and their crew relied upon the unparalleled power and clarity that only McIntosh could deliver. Perhaps most notably, the Dead’s most famous and awe-inspiring sound system, 1974’s Wall of Sound, was powered almost entirely through McIntosh. We’re thrilled to continue this partnership well into the 21st Century.”
In addition to McIntosh powering the Grateful Dead’s “Wall of Sound”, McIntosh has also powered some of the most iconic moments in music and culture, from President Lyndon Johnson’s inauguration speech, to world-renowned concert systems like Woodstock, and more recently with Despacio, a collaborative music experience fronted by Stephen and David Dewaele, and James Murphy that has appeared at Coachella, the Sonar festival in Barcelona and the Roundhouse in London.
The Grateful Dead was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007. Their final tally of 2,318 total concerts remains a world record. The Grateful Dead recently celebrated their 55th Top 40 album on the Billboard chart, a feat no other group has achieved.