McIntosh MC205 User Manual

Power Amplifier

MC205

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 MC205 Power Ampli­fier 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 .........................................................3

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

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

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

Dimensions .......................................................................5

Installation ........................................................................ 6

Connections:

Rear Panel Connections .................................................... 7

How to Connect for a Five Channel System ..................... 8

How to Connect for a Seven Channel System ................ 10

How to Connect for a Five Channel and

Zone B System ................................................................ 12

Front Panel Features:

Front Panel Displaysand Switches .................................. 14

Operation:

How to Operate the MC205 ............................................ 15

Additional Information:

Specifications .................................................................. 18

Packing Instruction .........................................................19

General Information

1. For additional connection information, refer to the
owner’s manual(s) for any component(s) connected to
the MC205 Power Amplifier.

2. The Main AC Power going to the MC205 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 MC205 and
other McIntosh Components are in their Standby Power
Off Mode, some of the circuitry inside each compo­nent is active and communication is occurring between
them.

3. In the event the MC205 overheats, due to improper
ventilation and/or high ambient temperature, the protec­tion circuits will activate. The Front Panel Power Guard
LEDs will continuously indicate ON and the audio will
be muted. When the MC205 has returned to a safe oper­ating temperature, normal operation will resume.

2
3

4

Copyright 2006 © by McIntosh Laboratory, Inc.

3

Connector Information, Introduction and Performance Features

PIN 1

PIN 2

PIN 3

Power
Control

Meter
Illumination
Control

Ground

Connector and Cable Information

XLR Connectors

Below is the Pin configuration for the XLR Balanced Input
Connectors on the MC205. Refer to the diagram for con­nection:
PIN 1: Shield/Ground
PIN 2: + Output
PIN 3: - Output

Power Control Connector

The MC205’s Power Control Inputs receive On/Off signals
of +5 volts. An additional connection
is for controlling the illumination of
the MC205 Power Output Meters.
The 1/8 inch stereo mini phone plug
connects to a McIntosh A/V Control
Center Power Control Output.

Note: The Power Control Connecting Cable is 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.

speakers, while at the same time delivering identical power
output. A peak output current of 25 amperes per channel
ensures that it will successfully drive high quality Loud­speakers such as McIntosh, for a truly exciting sound
experience.

• Balanced and Unbalanced Inputs

Balanced connections guard against induced noise and al

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low long cable runs without compromising sound quality.

• Sentry Monitor and Thermal Protection

McIntosh Sentry Monitor power output stage protection
circuits ensure the MC205 will have a long and trouble free
operating life. Built-in thermal protection circuits guard
against overheating.

• Illuminated Power Meters

The Illuminated Power Output Watt Meters on the MC205
are peak responding, and indicate the power output of the
amplifier.

Introduction

Now you can take advantage of traditional McIntosh stan
dards of excellence in the MC205 Power Amplifier. The
five channel Power Amplifier produces a power output of
200 watts per channel and will drive quality Loudspeakers
to a high level of performance. The MC205 reproduction is
sonically transparent and absolutely accurate. The McIn­tosh Sound is “The Sound of the Music Itself.”

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Performance Features

• Power Output

The MC205 consists of five Power Amplifier Channels,
each capable of 200 watts into 4 ohm or 8 ohm Loudspeak­ers with less than 0.005% distortion.

• Power Guard

The patented McIntosh Power Guard Circuit prevents
the amplifier from being over driven into clipping, with
its harsh distorted sound that can damage your valuable
Loudspeakers.

• Power Control

The McIntosh Power Control Circuit allows for remote
turn-on of the MC205 Power Amplifier from a McIntosh
A/V Control Center or Preamplifier for a single or dual
Zone System.

• Special Power Supply

A regulated Power Supply and a very large Toroidal
Wound Power Transformer, ensures stable noise free op

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eration even though the power line varies.

• 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 MC205 will be retained for many years.

• Dynamic Power Manager

TM

The MC205’s Dynamic Power Manager (DPM) circuitry
allows for the connection of either 4 ohm or 8 ohm Loud-

4

Dimensions

17-1/2"

44.45cm

8-7/8"

22.54cm

Front View of the MC205

Rear View of the MC205

Side View of the MC205

18-3/4"

47.63cm

3/16"

0.48cm

7/8"

2.22cm

8-1/4"

20.96cm

12"

30.48cm

16-7/16"

41.75cm

2"

5.08cm

9-7/16"

23.97cm

11-3/4"

29.85cm

16-13/16"

42.70cm

The following dimensions can assist in determining the
best location for your MC205. There is additional informa­tion on the next page pertaining to installing the MC205
into cabinets.

Dimensions

5

Installation

8-5/16"

21.11cm

17-1/16"

43.34cm

MC205 Front Panel
Custom Cabinet Cutout

Cutout

Opening

for

Ventilation

Cutout Opening for Ventilation

Support
Shelf

Cabinet
Front
Panel

Chassis
Spacers

MC205 Side View
in Custom Cabinet

MC205 Bottom View
in Custom Cabinet

12-1/4"

31.12cm

12-3/8"

31.43cm

11-1/2"

29.21cm

3-3/4"

8.57cm

Cutout Opening
for
Custom Mounting

6"

15.24cm

Opening
for Ventilation

Center the

opening horizontally

with the

MC205 Chassis

15-3/4"

40.00cm

9-7/8"

25.08cm

11"

27.9cm

The MC205 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 MC205 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 MC205 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 MC205. Cool
operation ensures
the longest pos­sible operating life
for any electronic
instrument. Do not
install the MC205
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 Power Ampli-

6

Installation

fier, so that airflow is not obstructed. Allow 19-1/2 inches
(49.53cm) depth behind the front panel. Allow 7/8 inch
(2.22cm) in front of the mounting panel1 for clearance. Be
sure to cut out a ventilation hole in the mounting shelf ac­cording to the dimensions in the drawing.

1

When the MC205 is installed together with other McIntosh

Components, check clearances on all components before
proceeding.