McIntosh C15 User Manual

C15 Preamplifier

OWNERS

MANUAL

C15

McIntosh Laboratory, Inc. 2 Chambers Street Binghamton, New York 13903-2699 Phone: [phone] FAX: [phone]

Thank You, Please Take A Moment,

Customer Service and Table of Contents

Thank You

For your decision to own this McIntosh C15 Preamplifier
ranks you at the very top among discriminating music lis­teners. You now have The Best. The McIntosh dedication
to Quality, is assurance that you will receive many years
of musical enjoyment from this unit.

Please take a short time to read the information in this
manual. We want you to be as familiar as possible with all
the features and functions of your new McIntosh C15. This
will ensure that you receive all the performance benefits this
equipment can offer you, and that it will become a highly
valued part of your home entertainment system.

Please Take A Moment

The serial number, purchase date and McIntosh dealer
name are important to you for possible insurance claim or
future service. The serial number is located on the rear
panel of the equipment. The spaces below have been pro­vided for you to record that information:

Serial Number:

Purchase Date:

Dealer Name:

Customer Service

If at any time you have questions about your McIntosh C15
Preamplifier, contact your McIntosh dealer. Your dealer is
familiar with your McIntosh equipment as well as other
brands that may be included in your system and is best
qualified to help you.

Table of Contents

Thank You .......................................................................... 2

Please Take a Moment ....................................................... 2

Customer Service ............................................................... 2

Table of Contents ............................................................... 2

Safety Instructions ............................................................. 3

Introduction ........................................................................ 4

Performance Features ........................................................ 4

Installation ......................................................................... 5

Rear Panel Connections ..................................................... 6

How to Connect ................................................................. 7

How to Connect for Video Switching ................................ 8

Front Panel Controls, Push-Button and Switches.............. 9

How to Operate................................................................ 10

HR033 Push-Buttons ....................................................... 12

How to Operate by Remote Control ................................ 13

Specifications .................................................................. 14

Packing Instruction .......................................................... 15

NOTES:

1. Connecting Cables are available from the McIntosh Parts
Department:

Data and Power Control Cable Part No. 170-202

Six foot, shielded 2 conductor, with 1/8 inch stereo mini
phone plugs on each end.

2. For additional connection information, refer to the owners
manual(s) for any component(s) connected to the C15
Preamplifier.

3. There is a built-in turn on delay which will mute the speaker
outputs for approximately two seconds when the preamplifier
is turned on.

If it is determined that your C15 is in need of repair, you
can return it to your dealer or you can return it to McIntosh
Laboratory. Contact the McIntosh Repair Department for
assistance at,

McIntosh Laboratory, Inc.
2 Chambers Street
Binghamton, New York 13903
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]

Copyright 1998  by McIntosh Laboratory, Inc.

2

IMPORTANT SAFETY

INSTRUCTIONS!

PLEASE READ THEM BEFORE

OPERATING THIS EQUIPMENT.

WARNING SHOCK HAZARD ­DO NOT OPEN.

The lightning flash with arrowhead, within an equilateral
triangle, is intended to alert the user to the presence of
uninsulated dangerous voltage within the products
enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to consti-

tute a risk of electric shock to persons

.

Safety Instructions

Attention: pour pevenir les chocs elecriques pas
utiliser cette fiche polarisee avec un prolongateur,
une prise de courant ou un autre sortie de courant,
sauf si les lames peuvent etre inserees afond ans en
laisser aucune partie a decouvert.

7. For added protection for this product during a lightning
storm, or when it is left unattended and unused for long
periods of time, unplug it from the wall outlet and dis­connect the antenna or cable system. This will prevent
damage to the product due to lightning or power line
surges.

8. Do not use attachments not recommended in this
owners manual as they may cause hazards.

AVIS RISQUE DE CHOC ­NE PAS OUVRIR.

The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is
intended to alert the user to the presence of important
operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in
the literature accompanying the appliance.

NO USER-SERVICEABLE

PARTS INSIDE. REFER

SERVICING TO

QUALIFIED PERSONNEL

To prevent the risk of electric shock, do not remove
cover (or back). No user serviceable parts inside. Refer
servicing to qualified personnel.

General:

1. Read all the safety and operating instructions, con­tained in this owners manual, before operating this
equipment.

2. Retain this owners manual for future reference about
safety and operating instructions.

3. Adhere to all warnings and operating instructions.

4. Follow all operating and use instructions.

5. Warning: To reduce risk of fire or electrical shock,
do not expose this equipment to rain or moisture.
This unit is capable of producing high sound pres­sure levels. Continued exposure to high sound pres­sure levels can cause permanent hearing impair­ment or loss. User caution is advised and ear protec­tion is recommended when playing at high volumes.

6. Caution: to prevent electrical shock do not use this
(polarized) plug with an extension cord, receptacle
or other outlet unless the blades can be fully in­serted to prevent blade exposure.

Installation:

9. Locate the equipment for proper ventilation. For ex­ample, the equipment should not be placed on a bed,
sofa, rug, or similar surface that may block ventilation
openings; or, placed in a built-in installation, such as a
bookcase or cabinet, that may impede the flow of air
through the ventilation openings.

10. Locate the equipment away from heat sources such as
radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other appliance (in­cluding amplifiers) that produce heat.

11. Mount the equipment in a wall or cabinet only as de­scribed in this owners manual

12. Do not use this equipment near water; for example,
near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, laundry tub, in
a wet basement or near a swimming pool, etc.

13. Do not place this product on an unstable cart, stand,
tripod, bracket, or table. The equipment may fall, caus­ing serious injury to a person, and serious damage to
the product.

Connection:

14. Connect this equipment only to the type of AC power
source as marked on the unit.

15. Route AC power cords so that they are not likely to be
walked on or pinched by items placed upon or against
them, paying particular attention to cords at plugs, con­venience receptacles, and the point where they exit from
the instrument.

16. Do not defeat the inherent design features of the polar­ized plug. Non-polarized line cord adapters will defeat
the safety provided by the polarized AC plug. If the
plug should fail to fit, contact your electrician to re­place your obsolete outlet. Do not defeat the safety pur­pose of the grounding-type plug.

3

Safety Instructions cont,

Introduction and Performance Features

17. Do not overload wall outlets, extension cords or inte­gral convenience receptacles as this can result in a risk
of fire or electric shock.

Care of Equipment:

18. Clean the instrument by dusting with a dry cloth. Un­plug this equipment from the wall outlet and clean the
panel with a cloth moistened with a window cleaner. Do
not use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners.

19. Do not permit objects of any kind to be pushed and/or
fall into the equipment through enclosure openings.
Never spill liquids into the equipment through enclo­sure openings.

20. Unplug the power cord from the AC power outlet
when left unused for a long period of time.

Repair of Equipment:

21. Unplug this equipment from the wall outlet and refer
servicing to a qualified service personnel under the fol­lowing conditions:

A. The AC power cord or the plug has been damaged,
B. Objects have fallen, or liquid has been spilled into

the equipment,
C. The equipment has been exposed to rain or water,
D. The equipment does not operate normally by follow-

ing the operating instructions contained within this

owners manual. Adjust only those controls that are

covered by the operating instructions, as an im-

proper adjustment of other controls may result in

damage and will often require extensive work by a

qualified technician to restore the product to its nor-

mal operation,
E. The equipment has been dropped or damaged in any

way,
F. The equipment exhibits a distinct change in perfor-

mance - this indicates a need for service.

22. Do not attempt to service beyond that described in the
operating instructions. All other service should be re­ferred to qualified service personnel.

23. When replacement parts are required, be sure the ser­vice technician has used replacement parts specified by
McIntosh or have the same characteristics as the origi­nal part. Unauthorized substitutions may result in fire,
electric shock, or other hazards.

24. Upon completion of any service or repairs to this prod­uct, ask the service technician to perform safety checks
to determine that the product is in proper operating con­dition.

Introduction

The C15 Remote Controlled Preamplifier is a simple but
elegant instrument that allows you to enjoy outstanding
music reproduction. It includes a wide range of convenient
operating functions to enhance your listening experience.
The classic McIntosh C15 will perfectly complement a
McIntosh stereo power amplifier for a stereo system of in­comparable performance and style.

Performance Features

· Multiple Inputs

Six high level inputs and one Moving Magnet phono input
provide for all popular program sources.

· Tone Control Bypass

At the flat settings the Bass and Treble control circuit ele­ments are removed from the signal path.

· Loudness Circuity

A push-button Loud switch adds loudness compensation to
the volume control for improved bass response at low level
listening.

· Electronic Input Switching

Digital Logic integrated circuits drive Electromagnetic
switches on all inputs and operating functions for reliable,
noiseless, distortion free switching

· Output and Speaker Switching

Front panel Output push-buttons control two switched out­puts that allow you to send signals to two separate power
amplifiers.

· Front Panel Headphone Jack

A convenient headphone jack allows the convenience of
private listening when the main outputs to the power am­plifier are muted.

· Special Power Supply

Fully regulated power supply with double shielded power
transformer ensures stable noise free operation even though
the power line should vary.

4

Installation

The C15 can be placed upright on a table or shelf, standing
on its four feet. It also can be custom installed in a piece of
furniture or cabinet of your choice. The required panel cut­out, ventilation cutout and unit dimensions are shown.

Always provide adequate ventilation for your C15. Cool
operation ensures the longest possible operating life for
any electronic instrument. Do not install the C15 directly
above a heat generating component such as a high powered
amplifier. If all the components are installed in a single
cabinet, a quiet running ventilation fan can be a definite
asset in maintaining all the system components at the

Installation

coolest possible operating temperature.

A custom cabinet installation should provide the follow­ing minimum spacing dimensions for cool operation. Allow
at least 1-1/2 inches (3.8cm) above the unit so airflow is
not obstructed. Allow 17-1/2 inches (44.5cm) depth behind
the mounting panel, which includes clearance for connec­tors. Allow 1-1/8 inches (2.9cm) in front of the mounting
panel for knob clearance. Be sure to cut out a ventilation
hole in the mounting shelf according to the dimensions in
the drawing.

17-1/2"
444mm

Front View of the C15

custom installed

Side View of the C15

custom installed

End Caps
3-9/16"

90.0mm

Mounting Surface

Mounting Surface

3-1/16"

77.8mm

Bottom of Cutout and Top
of Support Shelf Must
Coincide

(Side View)

Support Shelf

1/4"
6mm

3/16"

5.1mm

Outline of Unit

Panel Height
3 1/2"

88.9mm

17-1/16"

433.4mm

Outline of Front Panel

Edge of Cutout

(Front View)

Support Shelf

Mounting Bracket at Both Sides of the Rear Panel.
Fasten with 6-32 x 3/8 Machine Screw and Washer to Chassis.
Fasten with 6 x 1/2 Wood Screw and Washer to Support Shelf

7/32"

5.3mm

Bottom View of the C15 cus-

tom installed

Cut Out Center
for Ventilation

15"

6"

(Bottom View)

9"

5