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LS340 Loudspeaker System
Owners
Manual
McIntosh Laboratory, Inc. 2 Chambers Street Binghamton, New York 13903-2699 Phone: 607-723-3512 FAX: 607-724-0549
LS340
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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.
NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS
INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO
QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
General:
1. Read these instructions.
2. Keep these instructions.
3. Heed all warnings.
4. Follow all 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. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the
manufacturer.
Installation:
7. Install in accordance with the manufacturers instructions.
8. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators,
heat registers, stoves, or other equipment (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
9. Do not use this equipment near water.
10. 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.
11. Use only with the cart, stand, tripod,
bracket, or table specified by the manufacturer, or sold with the equipment. When a
cart is used, use caution when moving the
cart/equipment combination to avoid injury
from tip-over.
Care of Equipment:
12. Clean only with a dry cloth.
13. Do not permit objects or liquids of any kind to be
pushed, spilled and/or fall into the equipment through
enclosure openings.
Repair of Equipment:
14. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the equipment has been damaged in
any way, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen
into the equipment, the equipment has been exposed to
rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been
dropped.
15. Do not attempt to service beyond that described in the
operating instructions. All other service should be referred to qualified service personnel.
16. 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.
17. 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.
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Thank You
Table of Contents
Your decision to own this McIntosh LS340 Loudspeaker
System 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: 607-723-1545
Fax: 607-723-3636
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: 607-723-3515
Fax: 607-723-1917
Safety Instructions .............................................................. 2
Thank You and Please Take a Moment ............................. 3
Technical Assistance and Customer Service ....................... 3
Table of Contents and General Notes................................. 3
Introduction ........................................................................ 4
Performance Features ........................................................ 4
Dimensions ....................................................................5 - 6
Installation .......................................................................... 7
How to Connect ................................................................. 8
Front and Rear Views ......................................................... 9
Specifications .................................................................... 10
Packing Instruction ........................................................... 11
General Notes
1. It is very important that loudspeaker cables of adequate
size be used in your music system, to ensure that there will
be no power loss or heating. Cable size is specified in
Gauge numbers or AWG, (American Wire Gauge). The
smaller the Gauge number, the larger the wire size:
If your loudspeaker cables are 25 feet (7.62m) or less,
use at least 18 Gauge (AWG) wire size or larger.
If your loudspeaker cables are 50 feet (38.1m) or less,
use at least 16 Gauge (AWG) wire size or larger.
If your loudspeaker cables are 100 feet (76.2m) or less,
use at least 14 Gauge (AWG) wire size or larger.
The Loudspeaker Connection Terminals can accept up
to 12 Gauge (AWG) wire.
2. For additional connection information, refer to the
owners manual(s) for any component(s) connected to the
LS340 Loudspeaker.
3. The LS340 has built-in speaker protection in the form of
three automatic resetting solid-state devices as part of the
crossover network. One protects the tweeter, one the
midrange and the other the woofers. The characteristics of
this protection are that a certain amount of overdrive is
allowed but extended periods of overdrive will trigger
protection. If an obvious lack of high or low frequencies is
noticed, the Loudspeaker Protection Device may have
activated. Sound output from the Loudspeaker Element
affected will be reduced when the protection is triggered.
The protection devices will automatically reset when the
volume control is reduced significantly and kept low until
the output of the affected Loudspeaker Element returns to
normal.
Copyright 2000 ã by McIntosh Laboratory, Inc.
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Introduction
The McIntosh LS340 Loudspeaker System is designed for
Home Theater and Music Reproduction. It is a three-way
system with two 8 inch LD/HP
LD/HP midrange and one 1 inch dome tweeter. The LS340
is designed to work as a Left or Right (Main) Loudspeaker
in a Music System, or as a Main or Surround Loudspeaker
in a Home Theater System.
The LS340 Loudspeaker performance is equivalent to
the quality of McIntoshs legendary line of Amplifiers,
Preamplifiers, Signal Processors and Signal Sources, without
imparting distortion or coloration of its own. It also complements the capabilities and the remarkably low distortion of
McIntosh Power Amplifiers.
Many of todays loudspeakers are designed only for
Home Theater applications. Not so with the LS340. It is also
designed for the accurate reproduction of music. Motion picture sound effects, explosions, screams, and vehicle crashes
require a wide dynamic range and high sound levels. These
sounds are such that a speaker system having moderate distortion would reproduce them with little audible difference.
This is not true with the reproduction of music. Music is by
nature and definition harmonious. To reproduce it accurately, all forms of distortion, both harmonic and
intermodulation, must be kept to a minimum. This has been
the result of the design of the new McIntosh LS340 Loudspeaker System. Each loudspeaker element and crossover
component has been carefully designed for durability, efficiency, and above all, low distortion. The McIntosh LS340
Loudspeaker System will reproduce music accurately and
function as an excellent Home Theater Loudspeaker.
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woofers, one 6-1/2 inch
Performance Features
Introduction and Performance Features
Patented LD/HP Technology
The McIntosh Low Frequency and Midrange Loudspeaker
Elements feature the patented LD/HP motor structure. This
design, when compared to conventional Loudspeaker
Elements, reduces distortion significantly. It also increases
power handling and efficiency.
Shielded Magnetic Field
The LS340 may be used in Home Theater Installations near
a television receiver or monitor without causing the
television image to degrade. McIntosh has designed special
shielding around the magnetic structure of the LS340
Loudspeaker Elements to prevent interference.
High Power Handling
The Loudspeaker Elements and crossover components of
the LS340 are all chosen for use with powerful amplifiers up
to 350 watts.
High Efficiency
The Loudspeaker Elements used in the LS340 Loudspeaker
System have also been designed for high efficiency. As a
result any McIntosh Power Amplifier, even our smallest, will
provide satisfying room filling sound.
Automatic Overload Protection
The LS340 has built-in Loudspeaker Element Protection in
the form of three automatic resetting solid-state devices as a
part of the crossover network.
Gold Plated Input Connectors
The LS340 input connectors are gold plated for superior
corrosion resistance and high electrical conductivity.
Acoustic Edge-Hole Elimination
An edge-hole is a severe dip in the high frequency
response of a speaker system, caused by the relative
distance of the dome tweeter to the edge of the speaker
cabinet. If the distance to the edge of the cabinet is the same
on both sides of the dome tweeter, cancellation of the sound
occurs at a specific frequency. McIntosh guards against this
phenomenon with a special tweeter mounting that eliminates
the edge-hole effect. A specially designed tweeter bezel
and perforated grille, mask the tweeter mounting to maintain
a symmetrical appearance.
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Flared Acoustic Bass Port
The Acoustic Bass Port in the LS340 has flared front and
rear openings to eliminate air movement noise.
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LD/HP Pat. No. 5,151,943
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LS340 Dimensions
The following dimensions can assist in determining the best
location for your LS340 Loudspeaker System. There is additional information on the next page pertaining to installing
the LS340 into cabinets.
Dimensions
Front View of LS340 with Grille Removed Rear View of LS340
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Dimensions
Side View of LS340 with Grille
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Side View of LS340 with Grille Removed
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Installation
Installation
Optional Feet
Two sets of optional feet (four Tiptoes and
four Glides) are supplied with the LS340
Loudspeaker System. To prevent crushing
carpet use the Tiptoe spikes; to protect
non-carpeted flooring use the chrome
Glides. Both the Glides and Tiptoes have a
threaded shaft and locking nut that screw
Tiptoes
into the tapped holes in the bottom of the
LS340s base rails. The feet can be independently adjusted to compensate for uneven flooring or to aim the loudspeakers
upward or downward.
Glides
Locating your Loudspeakers
Loudspeaker placement in a room can greatly affect
performance. The LS340 is designed to work as a Left or
Right (Main) Loudspeaker in a Music System, or as a Main
or Surround Loudspeaker in a Home Theater System.
The optimal method for selecting speaker locations includes the use of a real time spectrum analyzer operated by
an experienced system installer. An uncompromising installation would take into consideration the floor, wall and ceiling
coverings, the type and placement of furniture and can even
include the architectural design of the room and its construction materials.
Locating Loudspeakers for use in Home Theater
In a Home Theater application, the placement of Left and
Right Front Loudspeakers can be limited by such
considerations as the size and location of the video monitor.
The locating suggestions in the for use in a Music System
section below can still be helpful. Side Surround
Loudspeakers work best located to either side of and above
the listening position, the same distance from the monitor.
Back Surround Loudspeakers work best on the back wall.
Refer to figure 1.
Locating Loudspeakers for use in a Music System
When used as Left and Right Speakers, the distance
between the two loudspeakers should not exceed the
distance between the listener and either loudspeaker. If the
speakers are too far apart relative to the listener, some
imaging can be lost. To assure the sound from the left and
right speakers arrive at the same time, the distance from
each loudspeaker to the listener should be as close to the
same as possible. Refer to figure 2. The LS340 Tweeter
should be level with the listeners ears and adjustment of the
height of the feet to angle the loudspeaker up or down is
often the way to achieve this.
Placement near a wall, corner, floor, ceiling or any intersecting surfaces will reinforce some bass frequencies. Which
bass frequencies are boosted by placement in a particular
location is dependant on the dimensions of the room. Test
the various loudspeaker locations by playing music with continuous bass, setting up the speakers and listening to them
from the main listening spot. Move the loudspeakers to an
alternate location and repeat the listening, paying attention to
how the bass qualities and response levels change. Do not
assume the loudest bass is best; rather listen for booming (a
lack of articulation), as well as a balance over the whole
spectrum, to assure the bass will not drown out the other
parts of the music.
Experiment with various loudspeaker positions until the
locations that sound best are found.
Figure 1
Figure 2
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How to Connect
How to Connect
The McIntosh LS340 Loudspeaker System utilizes binding
posts for speaker wire connections. Refer to figure 3.
1. Connect a loudspeaker cable from the black (negative - )
loudspeaker binding post to the negative or common output terminal of one channel of the amplifier.
2. Connect a loudspeaker cable from the red (positive + )
loudspeaker binding post to the positive or 4 ohm output
terminal of the same channel of the amplifier.
3. Tighten all of the loudspeaker and amplifier binding
posts.
How to Connect to Two Stereo Amplifiers for a BiAmplified Configuration
The McIntosh LS340 Loudspeaker System utilizes two pairs
of binding posts for bi-amplified speaker wire connections.
Refer to figure 3.
Bi-amplification allows the use of multiple smaller amplifiers connected to one loudspeaker, which increases the
acoustical output.
Note: Output levels of the two amplifiers connected to the
HIGH and LOW Loudspeaker Input Terminals must
be adjusted to achieve a proper balance between the
high and low frequencies reproduced. This
adjustment is best achieved through the use of audio
test equipment operated by a qualified installer.
1. Remove the gold interconnecting straps from the two
pairs of binding posts on the speakers.
2. Connect a loudspeaker cable from the upper (HIGH),
black (negative - ) binding post of the right loudspeaker
to the negative or common output terminal of the right
channel on the amplifier to be used for high and midrange frequencies.
3. Connect a loudspeaker cable from the upper (HIGH), red
(positive + ) binding post of the right loudspeaker to the
positive or 4 ohm output terminal of the right channel of
the amplifier to be used for high and mid-range frequencies.
4. Repeat steps 1, 2 and 3 for the left channel speaker and
amplifier to be used for high and mid-range frequencies.
5. Connect a loudspeaker cable from the lower (LOW),
black (negative - ) binding post of the right loudspeaker
to the negative or common output terminal of the right
channel on the amplifier to be used for low frequencies.
6. Connect a loudspeaker cable from the lower (LOW), red
(positive + ) binding post of the right loudspeaker to the
positive or 4 ohm output terminal of the right channel of
the amplifier to be used for low frequencies.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 for the left channel speaker and amplifier to be used for low frequencies.
Right Front Loudspeaker
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Left Front Loudspeaker
Speaker Connections
Figure 3
To Amplifier Terminals
-
+
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1 inch Dome Tweeter
6-1/2 inch LD/HP
Midrange
Front and Rear Views
8 inch LD/HP
Woofers
Port
Connecting Terminals
-
+
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Specifications
Driver Complement
Two 8 inch Woofers
6-1/2 inch Midrange
1 inch Dome Tweeter
Impedance
4 ohms Nominal
Frequency Response
48Hz - 20kHz
Sensitivity
87dB (2.8V/1m)
Crossover Frequencies
1.5kHz
250Hz
+ 2dB (Anechoic Response)
Specifications
Power Handling
350 Watts Maximum
Dimensions
40-1/4 inches (102.23cm) Height, 10-1/4 inches (26.03cm)
Width, 17-3/8 inches (44.13cm) Depth (including Grill)
Standard Finish
Black Ash, Natural Cherry, Red Cherry
Premium Finish
Rosewood Gloss, Piano Black
Weight (each)
89.5 pounds (40.6kg) net, 110 pounds (49.9kg) in shipping
carton
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Packing Instructions
In the event it is necessary to repack the equipment for
shipment, the equipment must be packed exactly as received.
Failure to do this will result in shipping damage.
Use the original shipping carton and interior parts only if
they are all in good serviceable condition. If a shipping carton or any of the interior part(s) are needed, please call or
write Customer Service Department of McIntosh Laboratory.
Packing Instructions
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McIntosh Laboratory, Inc.
2 Chambers Street
Binghamton, NY 13903
McIntosh Part No. 040755
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