McIntosh McAire Owners Manual

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

McAire

Integrated Audio System

Owner’s Manual

The lightning ash 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 sufcient 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 appa-

ratus (including ampliers) 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

NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS

INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO

QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.

third grounding prong. The wide blade or the

third prong are provided for your safety. If
the provided plug does not t 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.

11. Only use attachments/accessories specied by

the manufacturer.

12. Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket,
or table specied by the manu-

facturer, 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 qualied service person­nel. Servicing is required when the apparatus
has been damaged in any way, such as power-

To prevent the risk of electric

shock, do not remove cover or

back. No user-serviceable parts

inside.

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 lled

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, re or the like.

19. Connect mains power supply cord only to a

mains socket outlet with a protective earthing

connection.

20. Warning: The Ethernet connector of this

equipment must not be directly connected
to a public network. Connection is to be
made only by way of a modem or router ap­proved for this purpose.

2

Trademark and License Information

FCC INFORMATION (For US and Canada Customers)

a) User Information acc. to FCC15.21 as following:

Changes or modications not expressly approved by the party re-

sponsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate
the equipment.

b) Statement for Class B digital device acc. to FCC 15.105 as

following:

NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with

the limits for a Class A/B digital device, pursuant to

part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed
to provide reasonable protection against harmful
interference in a residential installation. This equipment
generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy
and, if not installed and used in accordance with the
instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. However, there is no guarantee that

interference will not occur in a particular installation. If

this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio
or television reception, which can be determined by
turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged
to try to correct the interference by one or more of the

following measures:

—Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

—Increase the separation between the equipment and

receiver.

—Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit

different from that to which the receiver is con­nected.

—Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/ TV

technician for help.

—This device complies with Industry Canada

licence-exempt RSS standard(s). Operation is
subject to the following two conditions: (1) this
device may not cause interference, and (2) this

device must accept any interference, including
interference that may cause undesired operation of
the device.

Le présent appareil est conforme aux CNR
d’Industrie Canada applicables aux appareils radio
exempts de licence. L’exploitation est autorisée
aux deux conditions suivantes : (1) l’appareil ne
doit pas produire de brouillage, et (2) l’utilisateur

de l’appareil doit accepter tout brouillage

radioélectrique subi, même si le brouillage est

susceptible d’en compromettre le fonctionnement.

c) The device must be kept more than 20 cm from all persons.

Trademark and License Information

The McIntosh McAire incorporates copyright pro­tected technology that is protected by U.S. patents and

Trademark Logo License Information

AirPlay®, the AirPlay logo, iPhone®, iPod®, iPod clas­sic®, iPod nano®, iPod shufe®, iPod touch® and iPad

are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S.

and other countries.

“Made for iPod” and “Made for iPhone” mean that
an electronic accessory has been designed to connect

specically to iPod or iPhone, respectively, and
has been certied by the developer to meet Apple

performance standards.
Apple is not responsible for the operation of this
device or its compliance with safety and regulatory
standards. Please note that the use of this accessory
with iPod, or iPhone, may affect wireless performance.
AirPlay, the AirPlay logo, iPad, iPhone, iPod, iPod

classic, iPod nano, iPod shufe and iPod touch are
trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and

other countries.

•Individual users are permitted to use iPhone, iPod,
iPod classic, iPod nano, iPod shufe, and iPod touch
for private copy and playback of non-copyrighted
contents and contents whose copy and playback

is permitted by law. Copyright infringement is
prohibited by law.

The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Logo is a certication
mark of the Wi-Fi Alliance.

other intellectual property rights. The McAire uses the

following Technologies:

®

3

Thank You

Your decision to own this McIntosh McAire Inte­grated Audio 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: [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

Trademarks and License Information ......................... 3

Thank You and Please Take a Moment ....................... 4

Technical Assistance and Customer Service .............. 4

Table of Contents ........................................................ 4

General Information ................................................... 5

Connector and Cable Information .............................. 5

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

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

Dimensions .............................................................. 6 -7

Installation .................................................................. 8

Rear Panel Connections .............................................. 9

Connections

Connecting the McAire ....................................... 10 -11

Remote Control

Remote Control Push-buttons ................................... 12

How to use the Remote Control ................................ 13

Front Panel Functions

Front Panel Displays, Controls, and

Push-button ............................................................... 14

Setup Mode

How to Setup the McAire for AirPlay

and a Network Connection ................................ 15-19

Operation

How to Operate the McAire................................. 20 -21

Additional Information

Specifications ............................................................ 22

Packing Instructions ................................................. 23

Copyright 2012 © by McIntosh Laboratory, Inc.

4

General Information

1. For additional connection information, refer to the

owner’s manual(s) for any component(s) connected
to the McAire Integrated Audio System.

2. The Main AC Power going to the McAire should
not be applied until instructed to do so. Failure
to do so could result in malfunctioning of normal

operations. When the McAire and other McIntosh

Components are in their Standby Power Off Mode,
the Microprocessor’s Circuitry inside each com­ponent is active and communication is occurring
between them.

3. Sound Intensity is measured in units called Deci­bels and “dB” is the abbreviation.

4. 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.

5. Periodically, check the McIntosh Web Site at www.

mcintoshlabs.com for the latest information on the

McAire and other McIntosh Products.

6. The Remote Control Supplied with the McAire In-

tegrated Audio System is capable of operating other

McIntosh Components thru the Data Port.

7. The McAire is compatible with the following Apple

Mobile Devices with the latest version of the Apple

OS Software installed:

AirPlay Connection or USB Connection

iPod touch (4th generation)

iPod touch (3rd generation)

iPhone 4S

iPhone 4

iPhone 3GS

General Information, Connector Information, Introduction and Performance Features

AirPlay Connection only USB Connection only

iPad iPod classic

iPad 2 iPod nano (6th generation)

iPad New iPod nano (5th generation)

Connector and Cable Information

Power Control Connector

The McAire Power Control Output Jack sends a Power
On/Off Signal (12V) when connect­ed to other McIntosh Components.

A 1/8 inch stereo mini phone plug
is used for connection to the Power

Power
Control

N/C

Ground

Control Output on the McAire.

Data Output

The McAire Data Out sends Remote

Control Signals to McIntosh Source

Components. A 1/8 inch stereo mini
phone plug is used for connection.

IR Data
Control

N/C

Ground

Introduction

Now you can take advantage of traditional McIntosh
standards of excellence in the McAire Integrated

Audio System.

The McAire provides superior spaciousness sound

reproduction with unusual sound stage depth. The

McIntosh Sound is “The Sound of the Music Itself.”

Performance Features

• Illuminated Output Level Meters

The Illuminated Peak Responding Output Level

Meters on the McAire are calibrated in Decibels and
respond to 95% of a full scale reading to a single cycle
tone burst at 2,000 Hz signal.

• AirPlay

Listen to music from an iPod or iPhone thru wireless
or wired home networks.

• Amplifier with Multiple Inputs

The McAire accommodates Multiple Inputs. This
includes a (Wireless [AirPlay] or Wired) Network De­vice, a mobile device with an USB Cable Connection

or an Analog Source Component. The Amplifier uses

noiseless and reliable Electronic Input Switching and
is designed to drive the built-in McIntosh Loudspeak-

ers to a high level of performance.

• Power Control and Data Port

The Power Control Output connection provides conve-

nient Turn-On/Off of McIntosh Source Components.
The Data Port allows for basic control of McIntosh

Source Components.

• Remote Control

The Custom Designed Remote Control provides con­trol of McAire Functions and basic control of Source
Components connected to the McAire System.

• Integrated Loudspeaker Design

The McAire Integrated Loudspeaker Design incor­porates separate Woofers, Midranges, Tweeters and

Crossover Networks in a custom designed enclosure.
The Loudspeaker Drivers together with built-in pas-

sive and active DSP Equalization achieves a level of
sonic performance usually associated with a much
larger component.

• Fiber Optic Solid State Front Panel Illumination

The even illumination of the glass Front Panel is ac­complished by the combination of custom designed

Fiber Optic Light Diffusers and extra long life Light
Emitting Diodes (LEDs).

®

5

Dimensions

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

Front View of the McAire

19-3/8"

49.2cm

Rear View of the McAire

1/4"

6-

15.9cm

Side View of the McAire

14-7/16"

36.7cm

8"

20.3cm

12-15/16"

32.8cm

Secondary Low Frequency

Acoustic Openings

Note: For proper Low Frequency
Performance do not block
the Acoustic Opening.

6

Front and Inside View of the McAire with the Loudspeaker

Grilles removed and the internal Woofers shown

Dimensions

Bottom View of the McAire

Foot

Primary Low Frequency

Acoustic Opening

Note: For proper Low Frequency
Performance do not block
the Acoustic Opening,
remove or change the four
feet on the bottom of the
McAire.

7

Installation

The McAire is designed to be placed upright on a table

or shelf with a reflective surface. For proper Low Fre­quency performance do not block the Acoustic Open-

ing, remove or change the four feet on the bottom of
the McAire. Refer to the illustration on the previous
page for additional information. The ventilation re­quirements are as illustrated on this page.

Always provide adequate ventilation for your
McAire. Cool operation ensures the longest possible
operating life for any electronic instrument. Do not
install the McAire directly above a heat generating

device. Allow at least 6 inches (15.24cm) above the
top, 7/16 inches (1.11cm) below the bottom, 1 inch
(2.54cm) on each side of the McAire so that airf low is

not obstructed.

Also allow 17 inches (43.18cm) of depth so that
airf low is not obstructed and proper Low Frequency

performance is achieved.

Dimensions and Installation

6"

15.24cm

McAire Front View

17"

43.2cm

McAire Side View

8