McIntosh MC58 User Manual

MC58 Eight Channel Power Amplifier

Owner’s
Manual

MC58

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.

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

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

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.

Installation:

9. The equipment shall be installed near the AC Socket
Outlet and the disconnect device shall be easily acces­sible.

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

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

12. Do not use this equipment near water.

13. 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.

14. 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.

Connection:

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

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

17. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or
grounding-type plug.

2

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.

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

19. To completely disconnect this equipment from the AC
Mains, disconnect the power supply cord plug from the
AC receptacle.

Care of Equipment:

20. Clean only with a dry cloth.

21. Do not permit objects or liquids of any kind to be
pushed, spilled and/or fall into the equipment through
enclosure openings.

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

Thank You

Your decision to own this McIntosh MC58 Eight Channel
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:

Repair of Equipment:

23. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Ser­vicing is required when the equipment 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 equipment, the equipment has been exposed to
rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has
been dropped.

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

25. 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.

26. 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.

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 Repair department.
For assistance on factory repair return procedure, contact
the McIntosh Repair Department at:

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

Copyright 2000  by McIntosh Laboratory, Inc.

3

Table of Contents

Connector Information

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

Safety Instructions ............................................................. 2

Thank You and Please Take a Moment.............................. 3

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

Table of Contents and General Notes ................................ 4

Connector Information ...................................................... 4

Introduction ....................................................................... 5

Performance Features ........................................................ 5

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

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

Rear Panel Controls, Connections and Switch .................. 8

How to Connect with a CR16 ............................................ 9

How to Connect two MC58s in Bridge Mode ................. 10

How to Connect in a Home Theater System ................... 11

Front Panel Displays and Controls .................................. 12

How to Operate................................................................ 13

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

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

General Notes

1. Connecting Cables and Connectors 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.

Control Center to Multichannel Power Amplifier Cable
Part No. 170-631

Six foot, DB25, shielded, straight through, 25 conductor
male-to-female cable.

Multizone Control System to Multichannel Power
Amplifier Cable Part No. 170-147

Six foot, 7Pin DIN, shielded, male-to-male cable.

2. For additional connection information, refer to the owner’s

manual(s) for any component(s) connected to the MC58
Amplifier.

3. There is a built-in turn on delay which will mute the speaker

outputs for approximately two seconds when the amplifier is
turned on.

4. 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.

Multi-Room Din Connector Pin Layout

1. Zone 3-Pwr. Ctrl.

2. Zone 1-Pwr. Ctrl.

3. Pwr. Ctrl. (Main)

4. Zone 2-Pwr. Ctrl.

5. Video Power

6. Zone 4-Pwr. Ctrl.

7. Gnd.

8 Channel In DB25 Connector Pin Layout

1. Zone 2-Left 14. Zone 2-Left Gnd.

2. Zone 1-Left 15. Zone 1-Left Gnd.

3. Zone 2-Right 16. Zone 2-Right Gnd.

4. Zone 3-Left 17. Zone 3-Left Gnd.

5. Zone 1-Right 18. Zone 1-Right Gnd.

6. Zone 3-Right 19.Zone 3-Right Gnd.

7. Zone 4-Left 20. Zone 4-Left Gnd.

8. Zone 4-Right 21. Zone 4-Right Gnd.

9. N/C 22. N/C

10. N/C 23. Zone 3-Pwr. Ctrl.

11. Zone 1-Pwr. Ctrl. 24. Zone 4-Pwr. Ctrl.

12. Zone 2-Pwr. Ctrl. 25. Pwr. Ctrl. Gnd. (Main)

13. Pwr. Ctrl. (Main)

8 CHANNEL IN

4

Introduction

Introduction and Performance Features

Eight 50 watt McIntosh amplifier channels in one conve­nient package make the MC58 an ideal amplifier for a
multizone system. The MC58 can be configured in differ­ent Operating Modes to fit a wide range of uses where a
multichannel amplifier is required. For example, it has the
ability to bridge a pair of channels for 100 watts output.

Performance Features

••

• Power Output

••

The MC58 consists of eight separate power amplifier chan­nels, each capable of 50 watts into 4 ohm speakers with
less than 0.005% distortion. This is 400 watts of McIntosh
power in a single package.

••

• Power Guard

••

All eight channels include the patented McIntosh Power
Guard Circuit, that prevents the amplifier from being
overdriven into clipping with its harsh distorted sound that
can also damage your valuable loudspeakers.

••

• Individual Channel or Bridged Pair Configuration

••

Each pair of MC58 amplifier channels can be operated
separately at 50 watts each, or bridged for 100 watts. The
MC58 is ideal for any application requiring a multichannel
power amplifier, such as a mulitzone system or home the­ater system.

••

• Front Panel

••

The classic McIntosh Illuminated glass front panel includes
eight individual channel power guard indicators, four chan­nel pair status indicators and a Power On/Off switch.

••

• Sentry Monitor

••

McIntosh Sentry Monitor power output stage protection
circuits are present on all eight channels to ensure the
MC58 will have a long and trouble free operating life.

••

• Thermal Protection

••

Built-in thermal protection circuits guard against overheat­ing which could shorten the normal long life expectancy of
your McIntosh power amplifier.

••

• Direct Current Protection

••

Direct Current sensing circuits on each channel provide
extra protection for your valuable loudspeakers.

••

• Convenient Single Cable Hookup

••

A rear panel connector provides for the convenience of us­ing a single cable, (DB25 computer style) to receive all au­dio and power control signals from a McIntosh Multizone
Control System.

5

MC58 Dimensions

The following dimensions can assist in determining the
best location for your MC58. There is additional informa­tion on the next page pertaining to installing the MC58 into
cabinets.

17-

1/2

44.45cm

"

FrontViewoftheMC58

RearViewoftheMC58

17"

43.18cm

13-

1/4

33.66cm

7-

5/8

7-

1/8

18.10cm

6-

5/16

16.03cm

"

19.37cm

"

"

"

SideViewoftheMC58

6

13/16

2.06cm

18-

1/2

"

46.99cm

17"

43.18cm

6-

1/2

3/16

"

0.48cm

"

14-

1/16

35.72cm

"

7/8

2.22cm

"

16.51cm

"

Installation

Dimensions and Installation

The MC58 can be placed upright on a table or shelf, stand­ing on its four 1 inch high feet. The four feet may be re­moved from the bottom of the MC58 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 MC58 is removed from the custom installation and
used free standing. 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

  
  

MC58. Cool opera­tion ensures the
longest possible
operating life for
any electronic in­strument. Do not
install the MC58
directly above a
heat generating
component such as

Cabinet
Front
Panel

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

Support
Shelf

the coolest possible
operating tempera­ture.

A custom cabi­net installation
should provide the
following mini-

  
  

1-

1/4

3.18cm

"

mum spacing di­mensions for cool
operation. Allow at

least 6 inches (15.24 cm) above the top, 2 inches
(3.81cm) below the bottom and 1 inch (2.54 cm) on each
side of the power amplifier, so that airflow is not ob­structed. Allow 20 inches (50.8 cm) depth behind the
front panel. Be sure to cut out a ventilation hole in the
mounting shelf according to the dimensions in the draw­ing.

17-

1/16

"

43.34cm

6-

5/8

16.83cm

Cutout Opening for Custom Mounting

Cutout Opening for Ventilation

7/16

"

1.11cm

12-

1/16

"

30.64cm

Cutout

Opening

for

Ventilation

12-

11/16

32.23cm

"

Chassis
Spacers

13-

3/16

33.50cm

"

"

15"

38.10cm

7

MC58 Rear Panel Controls, Connections and Switch

Selects power
turn-on mode

POWER CONTROL IN receives
turn on/off signals from a McIntosh
component and the POWER CON­TROL OUT sends that turn on/off
signal to the next McIntosh compo­nent

IN for discrete audio cables
from a Multizone Control or
Home Theater System and
OUT sends the input signal to
another component

8 CHANNEL IN accepts a 25 con­ductor DB25 computer type cable
that connects all audio and power
control signals

Individual Input
Level controls

Connect the MC58
power cord to a live
AC outlet. Refer to
information on the
back panel to deter­mine the correct volt­age

8

Main Fuse holder, refer
to information on the
back panel of your
MC58 to determine the
correct fuse size and rat­ing

Receives zone
turn-on control
signals from a
McIntosh
Multizone system

Channel pair
Mode switch

OUPUT Connections for
8 or 4 ohm loudspeakers

How to Connect with a CR16

1. Connect the loudspeaker cables to the appropriate chan­nel output connectors, being careful to observe the cor­rect polarities.

2. Connect a single DB25 computer type cable from the
Multichannel Output of a Mutlizone Control System to
the MC58 8 CHANNEL INput connector for all eight
audio channels and power control.

Note: Both audio and zone power control pass through this

cable. Discrete zone audio cables may also be used,
additionally connect a cable from the CR16 Din
Multichannel Amp connector to the matching
connector on the amplifier to provide Zone Power
Control.

3. Connect the MC58 power cord to a live AC outlet.

How to Connect with a CR16

McIntosh CR16 Multizone Control System

jfbattmr80

To AC Outlet

Zone Four Zone Three Zone Two Zone One

Left
Loudspeaker

Right
Loudspeaker

Left
Loudspeaker

Right
Loudspeaker

Left
Loudspeaker

Right
Loudspeaker

Left
Loudspeaker

Right
Loudspeaker

9

How to Connect two MC58s in Bridge Mode

How to Connect two MC58s in Bridge Mode

The MC58 Eight Channel Power Amplifier has a Bridge
Mode, which doubles the power output for each of the four
Stereo Amplifier Pairs. Two MC58s, together with a CR16
provides higher power out for each of the four Zones.

Note: Only Zone One is illustrated below. Follow a similar

procedure for Zones Two through Four on the MC58.

1. Connect the Loudspeaker Cables to the appropriate
Bridged Channel Output Connections, being careful to
observe the correct polarities.

2. Connect a 7 Pin DIN cable from the Power Control
Output of a Multizone Control System to the MC58
MULTI-ROOM Connector (Left Channel Amplifier).

3. Connect a 7 Pin DIN cable from the Multichannel Out­put of a Multizone Control System to the MC58
MULTI-ROOM Connector (Right Channel Amplifier).

4. Connect an Audio Cable from the Zone 1 Left Channel
Unbalanced Output of a Multizone Control System, to
the MC58 IN 1 Connector (Left Channel Amplifier).

5. Connect an Audio Cable from the Zone 1 Right Chan­nel Unbalanced Output of a Multizone Control System,
to the MC58 IN 1 Connector (Right Channel Ampli­fier).

6. Connect the MC58 power cord to a live AC outlet.

McIntosh CR16 Multizone Control System

Zone One
Left
Loudspeaker

To AC Outlet

10

To AC Outlet

Zone One
Right
Loudspeaker

How to Connect in a Home Theater System

How to Connect in a Home Theater System

The MC58 Eight Channel Power Amplifier can be used in
a Home Theater System with three of the six channels in
Bridge Mode. This doubles the power output for the three
front channels.

1. Connect the Loudspeaker Cables to the appropriate
Bridged and Non-Bridged Channel Output Connec­tions, being careful to observe the correct polarities.

2. Connect a power control cable from the Power Control
Output of a Surround Decoder, to the MC58 POWER
CONTROL IN Connector.

Powered
Subwoofer
Loudspeaker

3. Connect Audio Cables from the Surround Decoder
Outputs to the MC58 Inputs as follows:

a. Front Right Output to IN 1
b. Front Center Output to IN 3
c. Front Left Output to IN 5
d. Right Surround Output to IN 7
e. Left Surround Output to IN 8

4. Connect an Audio Cable from the Surround Decoder
Outputs to the Powered Subwoofer Input.

5. Connect the MC58 power cord to a live AC outlet.

McIntosh Surround Decoder

To AC Outlet

Left Surround
Loudspeaker

Right Surround
Loudspeaker

Left Front
Loudspeaker

Center Channel
Loudspeaker

Right Front
Loudspeaker

11

MC58 Front Panel Displays and Controls

POWER LED lights when
the Amplifier Channels 1
and 2 Circuits activate

POWER LED lights when
the Amplifier Channels 3
and 4 Circuits activate

POWER LED lights when
the Amplifier Channels 7
and 8 Circuits activate

POWER LED lights when
the Amplifier Channels 5
and 6 Circuits activate

Remote On
Indicator

12

POWER GUARD LEDs
light when the amplifier
channels 1 or 2 POWER
GUARD circuits activate

POWER GUARD LEDs
light when the amplifier
channels 3 or 4 POWER
GUARD circuits activate

POWER GUARD LEDs
light when the amplifier
channels 5 or 6 POWER
GUARD circuits activate

POWER Switch
Turns AC power
On/Off

POWER GUARD LEDs
light when the amplifier
channels 7 or 8 POWER
GUARD circuits activate

How to Operate the MC58

How to Operate the MC58

Power On

To have the MC58 turn on or off when a multizone system
turns on or off, the front panel power switch must be left in
the on position and the rear panel
power control switch must be in
the remote position. For non-re­mote operation, set the rear panel
power control switch to local and
use the front panel power switch
to turn the MC58 on or off as de­sired. Refer to figure 1.

Note: There must be a power

control connection between
the MC58 and the McIntosh Multizone Control System
or Control Center in order for the remote power turn on
to function.

Input Level Controls

When using a McIntosh Multizone Control System or Con­trol Center set all five level controls to the 2.5V position. If
a preamplifier or control center has a
1V output rating, set the controls to
the 1V position. If an increase or de­crease in amplifier sensitivity is re­quired for other applications, set the
controls as desired. Refer to figure 2.

Figure 1

Figure 2

How to Operate with a Bridged Channel

The versatile McIntosh MC58 can be used in three differ­ent Operating Modes. The four channel pairs can be used
in Stereo Mode to supply 50 watts of power to four zones
of a multizone system. Any of the four stereo pairs can be
set to Bridged Mode to supply 100 watts of power when
greater power is desired. The Mono Mode allows two
channels to supply identical mono audio to two separate
loudspeakers. A pair of MC58 channels in Bridged Mode
will produce 100 watts output into
an 8 ohm loudspeaker. Refer to fig­ures 2, 3 and 4.

1. Set the Mode switch to the
Bridged position.

2. Adjust the Bridged Level control to the 2.5V position if
using a McIntosh Multizone System or Control Center.

3. Connect the cable from the signal source component to
the Bridged In jack.

4. Connect loudspeaker cables to the terminals marked (-)
and (+) Bridged.

Figure 4

Mode Switch

The Mode switch allows a pair of
MC58 channels to be used in three
different operating configurations.
Refer to figure 3.

Stereo: Each channel of a ste-

Figure 3

reo pair operates inde­pendently as left and right stereo 50 watt am­plifiers.

Bridged: A channel pair operates in bridged configura-

tion for a single monaural 100 watt amplifier.

Mono: Channel pair inputs are connected in parallel

resulting in identical outputs for each channel.

13

Specifications

Specifications

Power Output Per Channel

50 watts into 4 ohm load and 30 watts into 8 ohm load is
the minimum sine wave continuous average power output
per channel, all channels operating.

Power Output Bridged

100 watts into 8 ohm load is the minimum sine wave con­tinuous average power output per channel, all channels op­erating.

Rated Power Band

20Hz to 20,000Hz

Total Harmonic Distortion

Maximum Total Harmonic Distortion at any power
level from 250 milliwatts to rated power output is:

0.005% for 4 ohm loads

0.005% for 8 ohm loads

0.005% for Bridged Mode with 8 ohm loads

Dynamic Headroom

1.8dB

Power Requirements

100 Volts, 50/60Hz at 5.4 amps
110 Volts, 50/60Hz at 4.9 amps
120 Volts, 50/60Hz at 4.7 amps
220 Volts, 50/60Hz at 3.1 amps
230 Volts, 50/60Hz at 3.1 amps
240 Volts, 50/60Hz at 3.1 amps

Note: Refer to the rear panel of the MC58 for the correct

voltage.

Dimensions

Front Panel: 17-1/2 inches (44.5cm) wide, 7-1/16 inches
(17.9cm) high. Depth behind front mounting panel is 20
inches (50.8cm) including clearance for connectors. Panel
clearance required in front of mounting panel is 3/4 inches
(1.9cm).

Weight

40 pounds (18.1Kg) net, 58 pounds (28.3Kg) in shipping
carton

Frequency Response

+0, -0.25dB from 20Hz to 20,000Hz
+0, -3.0dB from 10Hz to 100,000Hz

Sensitivity

1 volt (2.5V at level control center detent position)

A-Weighted Signal To Noise Ratio

92dB (112dB below rated output)

Wideband Damping Factor

100 @ 4 ohms
200 @ 8 ohms

Intermodulation Distortion

Maximum Intermodulation Distortion if instanta­neous peak output per channel does not exceed
twice the rated output, for any combination of fre­quencies from 20Hz to 20,000Hz, with all channels
operating is:

0.005% for 4 ohm loads

0.005% for 8 ohm loads

0.005% for Bridged Mode with 8 ohm loads

Input Impedance

20,000 ohms

14

Packing Instructions

Packing Instructions

In the event it is necessary to repack the equipment for
shipment, the equipment must be packed exactly as shown
below. It is very important that the four plastic feet are at­tached to the bottom of the equipment. Three #10 x 2-1/4”
screws and washers must be used to fasten the unit securely
to the bottom pad and wood skid. This will ensure the
proper equipment location on the bottom pad. 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. Please see the Part List for the correct part numbers.

Quantity Part Number Description

1 033888 Shipping carton only
4 033887 End cap (Foam pad)

1 033697 Inside carton only
1 033725 Top Pad
1 034008 Bottom pad
2 017218 Plastic foot (spacer)
1 033699 Wood skid
2 101169 #10 x 2-¼” Wood screw
2 104033 #10 x 1-¾” Wood screw

4 017218 Plastic foot
4 100159 #10-32 x ¾” Machine screw
4 104083 #10 x 7/16” Flat washer

1 040572 Shipping carton complete with

all the above parts

15

McIntosh Laboratory, Inc.

2 Chambers Street

Binghamton, NY 13903

McIntosh Part No. 040726