McIntosh C2300 User Manual 2

Tube Preamplifier

C2300

Owner’s Manual

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

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 constitute a risk of
electric shock to persons.

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.

WARNING - TO REDUCE RISK OF

FIRE OR ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO

NOT EXPOSE THIS EQUIPMENT TO

RAIN OR MOISTURE.

IMPORTANT SAFETY

INSTRUCTIONS!

PLEASE READ THEM BEFORE
OPERATING THIS EQUIPMENT.

1. Read these instructions.

2. Keep these instructions.

3. Heed all warnings.

4. Follow all instructions.

5. Do not use this apparatus near water.

6. Clean only with a dry cloth.

7. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in
accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

8. Do not install near any heat sources such as radia­tors, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus
(including amplifiers) that produce heat.

9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized
or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two
blades with one wider than the other. A ground­ing type plug has two blades and a third ground­ing prong. The wide blade or the third prong are
provided for your safety. If the provided plug does
not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for
replacement of the obsolete outlet.

10. Protect the power cord from being walked on or
pinched particularly at plugs, convenience re­ceptacles, and the point where they exit from the
apparatus.

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.

11. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the
manufacturer.

12. Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or
table specified by the manufacturer,
or sold with the apparatus. When a
cart is used, use caution when mov­ing the cart/apparatus combination
to avoid injury from tip-over.

13. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or
when unused for long periods of time.

14. Refer all servicing to qualified service person­nel. Servicing is required when the apparatus has
been damaged in any way, such as power-supply
cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or
objects have fallen into the apparatus, the appara­tus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not
operate normally, or has been dropped.

15. Do not expose this equipment to dripping or
splashing and ensure that no objects filled with liq­uids, such as vases, are placed on the equipment.

16. To completely disconnect this equipment from the
a.c. mains, disconnect the power supply cord plug
from the a.c. receptacle.

17. The mains plug of the power supply cord shall
remain readily operable.

18. Do not expose batteries to excessive heat such as
sunshine, fire or the like.

2

Thank You

Table of Contents

Your decision to own this McIntosh C2300 Tube 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.

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 spaces below have been provided for
you to record that information:

Serial Number: __________________________________

Purchase Date: __________________________________

Dealer Name: ___________________________________

Technical Assistance

If at any time you have questions about your McIntosh
product, contact your McIntosh Dealer who is familiar
with your McIntosh equipment and any other brands that
may be part of your system. If you or your Dealer wish
additional help concerning a suspected problem, you can
receive technical assistance for all McIntosh products at:

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

Customer Service

If it is determined that your McIntosh product is in need of
repair, you can return it to your Dealer. You can also return
it to the McIntosh Laboratory Service Department. For
assistance on factory repair return procedure, contact the
McIntosh Service Department at:

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

Safety Instructions ............................................................

Thank You and Please Take a Moment .............................

Technical Assistance and Customer Service ....................3

Table of Contents .............................................................. 3

General Information .........................................................4

Connector and Cable Information ....................................4

Introduction .......................................................................

C2300 Features .................................................................5

Dimensions .......................................................................6

Installation ........................................................................ 7

Connections:

Rear Panel Connections (Separate Sheet) .......8 and Mc2A

How to Connect the C2300 ...............................................

Connection Diagrams (Separate Sheets) Mc1A, Mc1B and

Mc2B

Front Panel Features:

Front Panel Displays, Controls, Push-buttons and Jack . 10

Setup:

How to Operate the Setup Mode .....................................11

Default Settings ...............................................................11

Firmware Version .............................................................11

Trim Level Adjustment ....................................................11

Re-Title Inputs ................................................................. 12

Meter Illumination .......................................................... 12

Display Brightness .......................................................... 13

Power Control Triggers ................................................... 13

Accessory Power Control ................................................ 13

Tube LED ........................................................................ 13

Passthru ........................................................................... 13

Remote Control:

Remote Control Push-buttons ......................................... 14

How to Operate by Remote Control ...............................15

Operation:

How to Operate the C2300 ............................................. 16

Additional Information:

Technical Description ..................................................... 20

Specifications ..................................................................22

Packing Instruction .........................................................23

2
3

5

9

Copyright 2007 © by McIntosh Laboratory, Inc.

3

General, Connector and Cable Information

Data
Signal

N/C

Data
Ground

PIN 2 PIN 1

PIN 3

PIN 1

PIN 2

PIN 3

Trigger
Control

Ground

N/C

Power
Control

Meter
Illumination
Control

Ground

Power
Control

Ground

N/C

General Information

1. The C2300 uses Vacuum Tubes for amplifying the
audio signal. The C2300 is designed to have only quali­fied Service Personnel perform any part(s) replacement
including all the vacuum tubes.

2. For additional connection information, refer to the
owner’s manual(s) for any component(s) connected to
the C2300 Tube Preamplifier.

3. The Main AC Power going to the C2300 and any other
McIntosh Component(s) should not be applied until all
the system components are connected together. Failure
to do so could result in malfunctioning of some or all of
the system’s normal operations. When the C2300 and
other McIntosh Components are in their Standby Power
Off Mode, the Microprocessor’s Circuitry inside each
component is active and communication is occurring
between them.

4. Up to two Sensors can be wired in parallel for Remote
Control of the C2300 from other rooms.

5. Balanced and Unbalanced Inputs and Outputs can be
mixed. For example, you may connect signal sources to
Unbalanced Inputs and send signals from the Balanced
Outputs. You can also use Balanced and Unbalanced
Outputs simultaneously, connected to different Power
Amplifiers.

Connector and Cable Information

XLR Connectors

Below is the Pin configuration for the XLR Balanced Input
and Output Connectors on the C2300. Refer to the dia­grams for connections:
PIN 1: Shield/Ground
PIN 2: + Output
PIN 3: - Output

Power Control and Trigger Connectors

The C2300 Power Control and
Trigger Output Jacks send Power
On/Off Signals when connected to
McIntosh and other Components. An
additional connection on the Main
Power Control Jack is for controlling
the illumination of the Power Output
Meters on McIntosh Power Ampli
fiers. A 1/8 inch stereo mini phone
plug is used for connection to the
Power Control and Trigger Outputs
on the C2300.

Note: The Data, Power Control and

Trigger Connecting Cable is
available from the McIntosh
Parts Department:

Data, Power Control and Trig­ger Cable Part No. 170-202

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

Main Output Jack

Output 1 and 2, ACC

-

Jacks

4

Data Port Connectors

The C2300 Data Out Ports send Remote Control Signals to
McIntosh Source Components. A 1/8
inch stereo mini phone plug is used for
connection.

Introduction

The McIntosh C2300 Tube Preamplifier is one of the finest
Tube Preamplifiers ever created. The versatile Preamplifier
provides connections for various input sources and outputs
to drive multiple Power Amplifiers. The C2300 reproduc
tion is sonically transparent and absolutely accurate. The
McIntosh Sound is “The Sound of the Music Itself.”

-

C2300 Features

• Electromagentic Input Switching with Level Trim
Adjustment

Digital Logic integrated circuits drive Electromagnetic
Switches on all Inputs and operating functions for reliable,
noiseless, distortion free switching. All eight Inputs on
the C2300 can be matched in level, so there are no abrupt
changes in volume levels between the different Inputs.
There is also a Record Monitor function for checking the
progress of a recording.

• Moving Coil and Moving Magnet Phono Inputs

The C2300 contains two different precision Phono Pre
amplifier Circuits. One for low output Moving Coil Phono
Cartridges with selectable resistance loading, the other is
for Moving Magnet Cartridges with selectable capacitive
loading. Both circuits use the latest designs to provide the
lowest possible noise and distortion. The RIAA Correction
Equalization Circuitry utilizies close tolerance resistors
and capacitors for an extremely flat frequency response.

• Balanced Inputs
The Balanced Inputs allow the connection of a source

component using long cable lengths without a loss in sound
quality.

• Precision Tracking Volume Control

Volume levels are controlled by a new Multi-Stage Preci­sion Digitally Controlled Attenuator System with a track­ing accuracy of 0.1dB.

• Variable Rate Volume and Balance Control Selection

The C2300 Tube Preamplifier’s Volume and Balance Con­trol Circuitry provides an ideal rate of change with control
rotation.

• Assignable Tone Controls with Bypass

The C2300 remembers the Bass and Treble Control Set
tings or the Tone Circuitry Bypass Option for each input.

• Alphanumeric Fluorescent Display

The Multifunction Front Panel Display indicates the
Source Selection, Volume and Balance Levels. Setup Mode

-

-

Introduction and C2300 Features

Selections and Adjustments are also displayed. The display
intensity is adjustable.

• Precision Parts

Only the finest precision 1% tolerance resistors are used
throughout.

• Low Distortion

Distortion levels of all types are less than 0.08%. Music is
amplified with total transparency and accuracy.

• Passthru Mode

The Automatic Passthru Mode allows the C2300 to be
come part of a Multichannel Sound System for DVD-Au­dio, SACD and Home Theater Movies.

• Output Switching

Front panel Output Push-buttons control two Switched
Outputs that allow sending signals to two separate Power
Amplifiers.

• Remote Control with External Sensor Input

The Remote Control provides control of the C2300 op
erating functions and any McIntosh Source Components
connected to it. Enjoy your McIntosh System from other
rooms in your home by connecting external sensors.

• Power Control Output and Trigger Assignment

A Power Control connection for convenient Turn-On of
McIntosh Power Amplifiers, Source Components and
Accessories is included. Two of the Power Control Ouputs
may be assigned to activate when a given Input is selected.

• Special Power Supply

Fully regulated Power Supplies and a special R-Core Power
Transformer ensure stable noise free operation even though
the power line varies.

• Extruded Side Panels

The sides of the VP1000 are extruded aluminum panels
with a bead blast textured surface and a black anodized
finish.

• Fiber Optic Solid State Front Panel Illumination

The even Illumination of the Front Panel is accomplished
by the combination of custom designed Fiber Optic Light
Diffusers and extra long life Light Emitting Diodes
(LEDs). The glass Front Panel ensures the pristine beauty
of the C2300 will be retained for many years.

-

-

5

Dimensions

17-1/2"

44.45cm

6-3/8"

16.19cm

7 -5/8"

19.37cm

16-1/2"

41.91cm

3/16"

0.48cm

13 -1/4"

33.66cm

17-1/8"

43.50cm

Front View of the C2300

Rear View of the C2300

Side View of the C2300

7 -1/8"

18.10cm

13/16"

2.06cm

6-9/16"

16.67cm

10-9/16"

26.83cm

14-1/2"

36.83cm

2"

5.08cm

The following dimensions can assist in determining the
best location for your C2300. There is additional informa­tion on the next page pertaining to installing the C2300
into cabinets.

Dimensions

6

Installation

6-9/16"

16.67cm

17-3/16"

43.66cm

Cutout Opening for Custom Mounting

C2300 Front Panel
Custom Cabinet Cutout

15"

38.1cm

7-1/2"

19.05cm

15"

38.10cm

Cutout

Opening

for

Ventilation

Cutout Opening for Ventilation

Support
Shelf

Chassis
Spacers

C2300 Side View
in Custom Cabinet

C2300 Bottom View
in Custom Cabinet

4"

10.16cm

12-5/16"

31.27cm

Cabinet
Front
Panel

6"

15.24cm

Opening
for Ventilation

Note: Center the cutout Horizontally
on the unit. For purposes of
clarity, the above illustration
is not drawn to scale.

1-1/16"

2.70cm

The C2300 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 four feet
may be removed from the bottom of the C2300 when it is
custom installed as outlined below. The four feet together
with the mounting screws should be retained for possible
future use if the C2300 is removed from the custom instal­lation and used free standing. The required panel cutout,
ventilation cutout and unit dimensions are shown.
Always provide
adequate ventila­tion for your C2300.
Cool operation
ensures the longest
possible operating
life for any electron­ic instrument. Do
not install the C2300
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 coolest
possible operating
temperature.
A custom cabinet
installation should
provide the follow­ing minimum spac­ing dimensions for
cool operation.
Allow at least 6
inches (15.24cm)
above the top, 2
inches (5.08cm)
below the bottom
and 1 inch (2.54cm)

on each side of the Tube Preamplifier, so that airflow is not
obstructed. Allow 19-1/2 inches (49.53cm) depth behind
the front panel. Allow 1-1/8 inch (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.

Installation

7

Rear Panel Connections

The identification of Rear Panel Connections for the
C2300 Tube Preamplifier is located on a separate folded
sheet contained in the Owner’s Manual Packet.
Refer to separate sheet “Mc2A” for the Rear Panel Connec­tions.

C2300 Tube Preamplifer Rear Panel

Rear Panel Connections

8