McIntosh C-30 Owners manual
PREAMPLIFIER
STEREO
C 30
039493
VARIOUS REGULATORY AGENCIES
REQUIRE THAT WE BRING THE
FOLLOWING INFORMATION TO
YOUR ATTENTION. PLEASE READ IT
CAREFULLY.
WARNING: TO PREVENT FIRE OR SHOCK
HAZARD, DO NOT EXPOSE THIS UNIT TO
RAIN OR MOISTURE.
CAUTION: TO PREVENT ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT USE THE (POLARIZED) PLUG ON
THIS UNIT WITH AN EXTENSION CORD,
RECEPTACLE OR OTHER OUTLET UNLESS
THE BLADES CAN BE FULLY INSERTED
TO PREVENT BLADE EXPOSURE.
PREAMPLIFIER
The serial number, purchase date, and Mclntosh
Laboratory Service Contract number are important
to you for possible insurance claim or future service.
Record this information here.
Serial Number
Purchase date
Service Contract Number
Upon application, Mclntosh Laboratory provides a
Service Contract to the original purchaser. Your
Mclntosh Authorized Service Agency can expedite
repairs when you provide the Service Contract with
the instrument for repair.
STEREO
C 30
039493
1
Your C 30 Stereo Preamplifier will
give you many years of pleasant and
satisfactory performance. If you
have any questions, please contact:
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Mclntosh Laboratory Inc.
2 Chambers Street
Binghamton, New York 13903-9990
Phone: 607-723-3512
Take Advantage of 3 years
of Contract Service...
Fill in the Application NOW.
Contents
INTRODUCTION 3
INSTALLATION 4&5
HOW TO CONNECT 6, 8 & 9
CONNECTING DIAGRAMS ... 7, 10 & 11
THE FRONT PANEL CONTROLS
and HOW TO USE THEM . . 12, 13 & 14
REAR PANEL CONTROLS 15
PERFORMANCE LIMITS
and RATINGS 16
PERFORMANCE CHARTS 17 & 18
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION 19 & 20
BLOCK DIAGRAM 22 & 23
MclNTOSH THREE YEAR SERVICE CONTRACT
An application for A THREE YEAR SERVICE CONTRACT is included with this manual.
The terms of the contract are:
1. Mclntosh will provide all parts, materials
and labor needed to return the measured
performance of the instrument to the
original performance limits. The SERVICE CONTRACT does not cover any
shipping costs to and from the authorized service agency or the factory.
2. Any Mclntosh authorized service agency
will repair Mclntosh instruments at normal service rates. To receive service
under the terms of the SERVICE CON-
TRACT, the SERVICE CONTRACT CERTIFICATE must be presented when the
instrument is taken to the service agency.
3. Always have service done by a
Mclntosh authorized service agency. If
the instrument is modified or damaged
as a result of unauthorized repair, the
SERVICE CONTRACT will be cancelled.
Damage by improper use or mishandling is not covered by the SERVICE
CONTRACT.
4. The SERVICE CONTRACT is issued to
you as the original purchaser. To protect you from misrepresentation, this
contract cannot be transferred to a se-
cond owner.
5. To receive the SERVICE CONTRACT,
your purchase must be made from a
Mclntosh franchised dealer.
6. Your completely filled in application for
the SERVICE CONTRACT must be post-
marked within 30 days of the date of
purchase of the instrument.
7. To receive the SERVICE CONTRACT, all
information on the application must be
filled in. The SERVICE CONTRACT will
be issued when the completely filled in
application is received by Mclntosh
Laboratory Incorporated in Binghamton,
New York.
8. Units in operation outside the United
States and Canada are not covered by
the Mclntosh SERVICE CONTRACT, re-
gardless of the place of purchase. Nor
are units acquired outside the U.S.A.
and Canada, the purchasers of which
should consult with their dealer to
ascertain what, if any, service contract
or warranty may be available locally.
Copyright 1985 © by Mclntosh Laboratory Inc.
2
Introduction
Why the C 30 costs more but its VALUE TRIPLES
other preamplifiers.
The Mclntosh C 30 is a superb quality, high perfor-
mance stereo preamplifier. Its design has been
governed by insistence on great flexibility, versatility and high performance with long life.
This outstanding preamplifier will serve you best
when you understand its functions and what it is
designed to do. Some time invested with this
manual will be valuable in obtaining the most from
your C 30.
The C 30 provides many features for your listening
enjoyment. They include:
1. High level inputs to accommodate the traditional
as well as all the latest audio sources such as compact disc players and the high quality audio from
video recorders and laser video disc players.
2. A specially designed low noise switching
system operates the inputs, the mode circuits and
the tape monitor circuit. This system uses a pair of
cascaded field effect transistors (FET). The input
connecting leads are now very short, one twentieth
(1/20} of their previous length. The advantages of this
arrangement includes, source to source isolation,
lower distortion, and freedom from hum, noise and
high power TV and radar signals.
3. Any one of seven input sources can be selected
using electronic switching. The seven input sources
are turntable, tuner, compact disc player, laser video
disc player, television audio, video tape recorder and
one auxiliary.
4. Electronic tape monitor switches for two tape
recorders allow either tape recorder to be heard from
the main output.
5. A five band program equalizer permits the ad-
justment and improvement of the loudness contrast
of the five most important frequency ranges.
Musical balance of source material can be adjusted
to compensate for room recording differences or
listener preferences.
6. A precision main output volume control is electronically trimmed during manufacture to maintain
channel balance accuracy to a fraction of a decibel
(dB). This high order of accuracy assures continuing
program balance as the listening volume is changed.
7. A precision headphone-line output volume control allows headphone-line volume to be adjusted independently of the main volume. The construction
and performance of this control is identical to the
main volume control.
8. An active circuit loudness control is electrically
independent of the volume control. Close conformity to the Fletcher-Munson equal loudness curves
can be attained regardless of the main volume control position.
9. A band pass filter switch reduces high frequency noise and low frequency rumble at a 12dB per octave roll off rate.
10. Front panel tape recorder jacks allow simple
plug-in of an additional tape recorder without
disconnecting your regular system. This makes
playback from or copying to a portable recorder very
convenient.
11. An automatic AC power control circuit can
conveniently turn off the entire stereo system when
the turntable turns off.
12. A built-in headphone amplifier, with two front
panel jacks, powers two pairs of dynamic headphones.
13. Two speaker output pushbuttons control the
operation of two sets of loudspeakers (when used
with the optional SCR-2 speaker control relay) or two
sets of power amplifiers connected to the rear panel
1 or 2 output jacks.
14. Electronically regulated power supplies main-
tain stable operation even during periods of low or
changing line voltage.
15. Rear panel switching signal processing jacks
for both tape out and main out. A noise reduction
unit or other signal processing device can be connected to each section.
3
Installation
A study in convenience, simplicity and security.
The PANLOC system of installing equipment conveniently and securely, is a product of Mclntosh
research. By depressing the two PANLOC buttons
on the front panel, the instrument can be locked
firmly in place or it can be unlocked so that the
chassis can slide forward, giving you easy access to
the top and rear panels.
The trouble-free life of an electronic instrument is
greatly extended by providing sufficient ventilation
to prevent the build-up of high internal temperatures
that cause deterioration of component parts. You
should allow enough clearance so that cool air can
enter at the bottom of the cabinet and be vented
from the top. With adequate ventilation the instru-
ment can be mounted in any position. The recom-
mended minimum space for installation is 15 inches
(38.1 cm) deep, 17 inches (43.2 cm) wide, and 6 in-
ches (15.2 cm) high.
To install the instrument in a Mclntosh cabinet,
follow the instructions that are enclosed with the
cabinet. For any other type of installation follow
these instructions:
1. Unpack from Carton
Open the carton and remove the PANLOC brackets,
hardware package, and mounting template. Remove
the unit from its plastic bag and place it upside
down on the shipping pallet, then unscrew the four
plastic feet from the bottom of the chassis.
2. Mark the Cabinet Panel.
Place the mounting template in the position on the
cabinet panel where the instrument is to be install-
ed, and tape it in place. The broken lines that repre-
sent the outline of the rectangular cutout also represent the outside dimensions of the chassis. Make
sure these lines clear shelves, partitions, or any
equipment. With the template in place, first mark the
six A and B holes and the four small holes that
locate the corners of the cutout. Then, join the four
corner markings with pencil lines, using the edge of
the template as a straightedge.
3. Drill Holes
Use a drill with a 3/16 inch (5 mm) bit held perpen-
dicular to the panel and drill the six A and B holes.
4
Then, using a drill bit slightly larger than the tip of
your saw blade, drill one hole at each of two
diagonally opposite corners. The holes should bare-
ly touch the inside edge of the penciled outline.
Before taking the next step, make sure that the six A
and B holes have been drilled.
4. Saw the Panel Cutout
Saw carefully on the inside of the penciled lines.
First make the two long cuts and then the two short
cuts. After the rectangular opening has been cut out,
use a file to square the corners and smooth any irregularities in the cut edges.
5. Install the Mounting Strips
In the hardware package you will find two mounting
strips, and two sets of machine screws. For panels
that are less than 1/2 inch (12.7 mrn) thick, use the
3/4 inch (19.1 mm) screws; for panels that are more
than 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) thick, use the 1-1/4 inch (31.8
mm) screws.
Starting at the right-hand side of the panel, insert
a screw of the proper length into the center hole in
the panel, marked B on the template. On the back of
the panel, align a mounting strip with the holes in
the panel and tighten the screw until the screwhead
is pulled into the wood.
Repeat this procedure to attach the mounting
strip to the left side of the panel.
6. Attach the PANLOC Brackets
Using two screws of the proper length in the A holes
on each side, attach the PANLOC brackets to the
cabinet panel; the short flange is mounted against
the front (face) of the cabinet panel. The screws
pass through the PANLOC bracket flange, the
cabinet panel, and then through the mounting strips
previously mounted.
7. install the Instrument
Guide the AC power cord through the panel opening
to the back of the cabinet; then, slide the instrument
into the opening carefully so that the rails on the
bottom of each side of the chassis engage the
tracks on the mounting brackets. Continue to slide
the instrument into the cabinet until it is stopped by
the intermediate position latches. Press the latches
inward, this permits the instrument to slide into the
cabinet until its front panel is flush with the cabinet
panel. Depress the PANLOC buttons at the lower left
and right corners of the instrument panel to lock the
unit firmly in the cabinet. Depressing the PANLOC
buttons again will unlock the instrument so that it
can slide outward to the intermediate position; if
you press inward on the intermediate position latches then you can remove the instrument from the
cabinet.
5
How to Connect
Rear panel input jacks are provided for a stereo
turntable, PH; a stereo tuner, TUNER; a compact
disc player, CD; a laser video disc player, LASER; a
TV receiver, TV; a video cassette recorder, VCR; an
auxiliary high level source, AUX, and two stereo tape
recorders, TAPE 1 and TAPE 2.
Rear panel output jacks are provided to feed two
tape recorders, TAPE 1 and TAPE 2; three 2.5 volt
main outputs, MAIN, OUTPUT 1, OUTPUT 2; and a
line (headphone circuit) output, LINE. Two sets of
jacks, EXTERNAL PROCESSORS: (one set for MAIN
and one set for TAPE,) are provided to connect noise
reduction or other signal processing units to the
main and tape record circuits.
HOW TO CONNECT A TURNTABLE:
Connect the cable from the left channel of the
turntable to the left PH jack.
Connect the cable from the right channel of the
turntable to the right PH jack. The C 30 uses
automatic shorting jacks for the phono inputs. If the
inputs are not connected, shorting plugs are not
needed.
HOW TO CONNECT A STEREO TUNER:
Connect the cable from the tuner left channel output to the left TUNER INPUT jack.
Connect the cable from the tuner right channel
output to the right TUNER INPUT jack.
HOW TO CONNECT A COMPACT DISC PLAYER:
Connect the cable from the CD player left channel
output to the left CD INPUT jack.
Connect the cable from the CD player right channel output to the right CD INPUT jack.
HOW TO CONNECT A LASER VIDEO DISC PLAYER:
Connect the cable from the laser video disc player
left channel audio output to the left LASER INPUT
jack.
Connect the cable from the laser video disc player
right channel audio output to the right LASER INPUT
jack.
HOW TO CONNECT A TV MONITOR:
Connect the cable from the left channel TV audio
output to the left channel TV INPUT jack.
Connect the cable from the right channel TV audio
output to the right channel TV INPUT jack.
HOW TO CONNECT A VCR:
Connect the cable from the left channel video
cassette recorder audio output to the left VCR INPUT jack.
Connect the cable from the right channel video
cassette recorder audio output to the right VCR INPUT jack.
HOW TO CONNECT TAPE RECORDERS
TO RECORD:
Connect a cable from the C 30 left TAPE 1 OUTPUT jack to the left high level input of a tape
recorder. Connect a cable from the C 30 right TAPE 1
OUTPUT jack to the right high level input of a tape
recorder.
Connect a second tape recorder in the same manner to the TAPE 2 OUTPUT jacks.
TO PLAYBACK OR MONITOR TAPE:
Connect a cable from a tape recorder left channel
output to the C 30 left TAPE 1 INPUT jack. Connect a
cable from a tape recorder right channel OUTPUT to
the C 30 right TAPE 1 INPUT jack.
Connect a second tape recorder in the same manner to the C 30 TAPE 2 INPUT jacks.
FRONT PANEL TAPE RECORDER JACKS:
TAPE 2 input and output connections are also
available at the TAPE 2 IN-OUT jacks on the front
panel. When a plug is inserted in the front panel
TAPE IN jack, the circuits to the rear panel TAPE 2
INPUTS will be disconnected. Inserting a plug in the
front panel TAPE OUT jack does not disconnect the
rear panel TAPE 2 OUTPUT. Thus, it is possible to
record from the front panel TAPE OUT jack and the
rear panel TAPE 2 OUTPUT jack at the same time.
However, it is not possible to listen (or monitor) from
both the front and rear TAPE 2 INPUT jacks at the
same time. Metal shielded 1/4" stereo phone plugs
may be used. Connections are tip: left signal, ring;
right signal, and sleeve: common ground.
HOW TO CONNECT AUX:
Connect the left channel cable from any high level
source (tuner, TV set, recorder, etc.) to the left AUX
INPUT jack. Connect the right channel cable to the
right AUX INPUT jack.
6
TAPE
RECORDER 2
TAPE RECORDER 1
VIDEO CASSETTE
RECORDER
TV
FM ANTENNA
TUNER
OTHER AC SWITCHED
OUTLETS FOR TV, TAPE
RECORDERS, VCR, AND
TUNER
CONNECTIONS FOR TURNTABLE AND HIGH LEVEL PROGRAM SOURCES
AC POWER
AC POWER
LASER VIDEO DISC
PLAYER
CD PLAYER
AC POWER TO TURNTABLE
TURNTABLE
7
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