Mcintosh MC611 User Manual

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

MC611

Quad Balanced

Power Amplier

Owner’s Manual

Important Safety Information is supplied in a separate document “Important Additional Operation Information Guide”

Thank You

Your decision to own this McIntosh MC611 Quad
Balanced 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]

Table of Contents

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

(Separate Sheet) ................... Important Additional

Operation Information Guide

Thank You and Please Take a Moment ....................... 2

Technical Assistance and Customer Service .............. 2

Table of Contents ........................................................ 2

General Information ................................................... 2

Connector and Cable Information ..............................3

Introduction .................................................................3

Performance Features ................................................. 3

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

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

Rear Panel Connections and Switch ........................... 7

Output Terminals and How to Connect .................. 8-9

Output Terminals and How to Connect

for Bi-Amp ......................................................... 10 -11

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

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

Technical Description .......................................... 14 -17

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 MC611.

2. The MC611 mutes the speaker output for approxi­mately two seconds when first turned on.

3. For the best performance and safety it is important
to always match the impedance of the Loudspeaker
to the Power Amplifier connections. Refer to “How
to Connect” pages 7 thru 10.

Note: The impedance of a Loudspeaker actually var-

ies as the Loudspeaker reproduces different
frequencies. As a result, the nominal impedance
rating of the Loudspeaker (usually measured at
a midrange frequency) might not always agree
with the impedance of the Loudspeaker at low
frequencies where the greatest amount of power
is required. Contact the Loudspeaker Manufac­turer for additional information about the actual
impedance of the Loudspeaker before connecting

it to the McIntosh MC611.

4. In the event the MC611 over heats, due to improper
ventilation and/or high ambient temperature, the
protection circuits will activate. The Front Panel
Power Guard LED will continuously indicate ON
and the audio will be muted. When the MC611 has
returned to a safe operating temperature, normal
operation will resume.

5. When discarding the unit, comply with local rules
or regulations. Batteries should never be
thrown away or incinerated but disposed
of in accordance with the local regulations
concerning battery disposal.

6. For additional information on the MC611 and
other McIntosh Products please visit the McIntosh
Website at www.mcintoshlabs.com.

Copyright 2017 © by McIntosh Laboratory, Inc.

2

Cable Information, Introduction and Performance Features

Connector and Cable Information

XLR Connectors

Below is the Pin configuration for the XLR Balanced
Input, Input/Output Connectors on the MC611. Refer
to the diagram for connection:

IN

OUT

PIN 1: Shield/Ground
PIN 2: + Input/Output

PIN 1

PIN 3: - Input/Output

PIN 2 PIN 1

PIN 3

PIN 3

PIN 2

Power Control Connector

The MC611 Power Control Input receives an On/Off
signal from +5 to +12 volts. The Power Control Output
will in turn provide a +12 volt
Output Signal with a total cur­rent up to 50mA. An additional
connection is for controlling
the illumination of the MC611

Trigger
Control

Meter
Illumination
Control

Ground

Power Output Meters. The 1/8
inch stereo mini phone plug connects to a McIntosh
Preamplifier or A/V Control Center Power Control
Output.

Output Terminal Connector

When cables with spade lugs are used
for Loudspeaker Connection, the spade
lugs need an opening of at least 3/10 inch
(7. 6 m m).

3/10 of an inch
(7.6millimeters)

Introduction

Now you can take advantage of traditional McIntosh
standards of excellence in the MC611 Quad Balanced
Power Amplifier. The 600 watts high current output
will drive any high quality Loudspeaker. The MC611
reproduction is sonically transparent and absolutely
accurate. The McIntosh Sound is “The Sound of the
Mu sic Itself ”.

Performance Features

• Power Output

The MC611 is a Power Amplifier with a capability of
600 watts into 2, 4 or 8 ohm speakers with less than

0.005% distortion. The Power Amplifier Circuitry
uses Thermal Trak
tortion and cool operation.

• Quad Balanced Circuitry

The MC611 is fully balanced from input to output. It
consists of two matched power amplifiers operating
in push-pull with their outputs combined in a McIn­tosh Autoformer. The Quad Balanced configuration
cancels virtually all distortion.

• Patented Autoformer

McIntosh designed and manufactured Output Auto­formers provide an ideal match between the amplifier
output stages and speaker loads of 2, 4 and 8 ohms.
The Autoformers also provide perfect DC protection
for your valuable loudspeakers.

• Balanced and Unbalanced Inputs

Balanced connections guard against induced noise and
allow long cable runs without compromising sound
quality.

• Power Guard

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

• Sentry Monitor and Thermal Protection

McIntosh Sentry Monitor power output stage protec­tion circuits ensure the MC611 will have a long and

1

ThermalTrak™ and ON Semiconductor are trademarks of Semi-

conductor Components Industries, LLC

1

Output Transistors for lower dis-

trouble free operating life. Built-in Thermal Protection
Circuits guard against overheating.

• Special Power Supply

A very large Power Transformer and Large Capaci­tors ensure stable noise free operation even though the
power line varies.

• Illuminated Power Meter

The Illuminated Power Output Watt Meter on the
MC611 is peak responding, and indicates the true
power output of the amplifier. The Peak Watt Hold
Mode allows the meter to temporarily stay at the high­est power output and then slowly decay. The Front
Panel Meter Illumination may be switched Off at any
time.

• McIntosh Custom Binding Posts

McIntosh patent pending gold plated output terminals
deliver high current output. They accept large diam­eter wire and spade lugs. Banana plugs may also be
used only in the United States and Canada.

• Fiber Optic Solid State Front Panel Illumination

The even Illumination of the Front Panel is accom­plished by extra long life Light Emitting Diodes
(LED s).

• Glass Front Panel and Super Mirror Chassis
Finish

The famous McIntosh Illuminated Glass Front Panel
and the Stainless Steel Chassis with Super Mirror Fin­ish ensures the pristine beauty of the MC611 will be
retained for many years.

3

Dimensions

The following dimensions can assist in determining
the best location for your MC611.

Front View of the MC611

17-1/2"

44.45cm

Dimensions

Rear View of the MC611

16-13/16"

42.70cm

8-7/8"

22.54cm

9-7/16"

23.97cm

2-1/4"

5.71cm

Side View of the MC611

20-3/16"

51.27cm

17-15/16"

45.55cm

13"

33.02cm

3/16"

0.48cm

8-3/8"

21.27cm

2-3/16"

5.55cm

11-3/4"

29.85cm

4

Installation

is not drawn to scale.

Installation

The MC611 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 MC611 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
MC611 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 MC611.
Cool operation ensures the longest possible operating
life for any electronic instrument. Do not install the
MC611 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, 3 inches (7.62cm)
behind the rear panel and 2 inches (5.08cm) on each
side of the Power Amplifier, so that airflow is not
obstructed. Allow 2-1/2 inches (6.35 cm) in front of
the mounting

a ventilation hole in the mounting shelf according
to the dimensions in the drawing.

1

When the MC611 is installed together with other McIn-

tosh Components, check clearances on all components
before proceeding.

1

panel for clearance. Be sure to cut out

MC611 Front Panel
Custom Cabinet Cutout

Cabinet
Front
Panel

Opening
for Ventilation

MC611 Side View
in Custom Cabinet

MC611 Bottom View
in Custom Cabinet

Note: Center the cutout Horizontally
on the unit. For purposes of
clarity, the above illustration

Cabinet Front Panel

Support
Shelf

17"

43.18cm

Opening for Ventilation

Cutout Opening for Custom Mounting

6"

15.24cm

Cutout Opening for Ventilation

2-1/2"

6.35cm

12-3/4"

32.38cm

16"

Cutout Opening
for Ventilation

40.64cm

14-11/16"

37.30cm

Chassis
Spacers

5

Rear Panel Connections and Switch

POWER CONTROL IN
receives turn On/Off
signals from a McIntosh
component

POWER CONTROL OUT
1 and 2 send turn On/Off
signals to the next McIn­tosh Component

Fuse holder, refer to infor­mation on the rear panel of
your MC611 to determine
the correct fuse size and
rating

BALanced OUTput for
an audio cable to the next
Power Amplifier Input

UNBALanced INput for an au­dio cable from a Preamplifier or
A/V Processor audio output

INPUT MODE switch selects between
UNBALanced or BALanced Input

BALanced INput for audio
cables from a Preamplifier or
A/V Processor audio output

AUTO OFF Mode
Switch selects
between ENAbled
or DISabled

UNBALanced OUTput
for an audio cable to the
next Power Amplifier
Input

OUTPUT Connections for
a 2 ohm Loudspeaker

Connect the MC611 power
cord to a live AC outlet. Refer
to the rear panel to determine
the correct voltage

Caution: The Loudspeaker Negative Connections are above chassis ground. Do not combine any connections together, ground them or connect with another MC611.

6

OUTPUT Connections for
a 4 ohm Loudspeaker

OUTPUT Connections for
an 8 ohm Loudspeaker