
MCC302 Power Amplifier
Owners
Manual
MCC302
McIntosh Laboratory, Inc. 2 Chambers Street Binghamton, New York 13903-2699 Phone: 607-723-3512 FAX: 607-724-0549

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.
To prevent the risk of electric shock, do not remove
bottom cover. No user serviceable parts inside.
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. Disconnect this equipment when unused for long periods of time.
7. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the
manufacturer.
Installation:
8. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturers instructions.
9. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators,
heat ducts or other equipment that produce heat.
10. Do not use this equipment near water.
11. Do not expose this equipment to dripping or splashing
and ensure that no objects filled with liquids are
placed on the equipment.
12. Do not mount this product with an unstable bracket as
the equipment may fall, causing serious injury to a
person, and serious damage to the product.
Care of Equipment:
14. Clean only with dry cloth.
15. 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:
16. 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.
17. Do not attempt to service beyond that described in the
operating instructions. All other service should be referred to qualified service personnel.
18. 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.
19. 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.
Connection:
13. Route DC power cords so that they are not likely to be
pinched by items placed upon or against them, paying
particular attention to the point where they enter the
instrument.
2

Thank You
Table of Contents
Your decision to own this McIntosh MCC302 Two 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:
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 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: 607-723-3515
Fax: 607-723-1917
Safety Instructions ............................................................. 2
Thank You.......................................................................... 3
Please Take a Moment ....................................................... 3
Customer Service ............................................................... 3
Table of Contents ............................................................... 3
Introduction ....................................................................... 4
Performance Features ........................................................ 4
Dimensions ....................................................................... 5
Installation ........................................................................ 6
Side Panel Cooling and Connections ................................ 7
How to Connect for Two Channels ................................... 8
How to Connect with Subwoofer Channel ........................ 9
Top Panel Controls, Displays and Switches .................... 10
How to Operate ................................................................ 11
How to Replace the Fuses ............................................... 12
Block Diagram ................................................................. 13
Specifications .................................................................. 14
Packing Instruction .......................................................... 15
General Notes
1. An optional McIntosh External Subwoofer Rotary Control,
Model Number R1163, is available from your McIntosh
Dealer.
2. Do not connect the Amplifiers Speaker Negative Terminal
Connection directly to the Vehicle Chassis. Failure to observe
this could result in damage to your Amplifier.
3. It is advisable to place an inline fuse as close as possible to
the battery.
4. For additional connection information, refer to the owner s
manual(s) for any component(s) connected to the MCC302
Amplifier.
5. There is a built-in turn on delay which will mute the speaker
outputs for approximately two seconds when the amplifier is
turned on.
6. 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. If your loudspeaker cables are 25 feet
(7.62m) or less, use at least 16 Gauge wire size or larger.
7. The MCC302 Line Level OUTPUTs are wired as a Y
connection with the INPUTs to pass the input signals on to
additional amplifiers (keep cable lengths as short as
possible). The McIntosh MX406 Control Center is capable of
driving several additional power amplifiers with no
degradation of the signal.
8. The MCC302 can accept speaker level inputs at its Input
Jacks. Refer to the diagram for
connection.
(-) NEGATIVE SPEAKER OUTPUT
Copyright 2001 ã by McIntosh Laboratory, Inc.
(+) POSITIVE SPEAKER OUTPUT
3

Introduction
Now you can take advantage of traditional McIntosh standards of excellence in the MCC302 Power Amplifier. Two
150 watt high current output channels will drive any high
quality loudspeaker system to its ultimate performance.
The MCC302 reproduction is sonically transparent and absolutely accurate. The McIntosh Sound is The Sound of
the Music Itself.
Performance Features
· Power Output
The MCC302 consists of two separate power amplifier
channels, each capable of 150 watts into 4 ohm speakers
with less than 0.005% distortion.
· Bridgeable Channels
The MCC302 includes two 150 watt amplifier channels.
Both channels can be set in bridged configuration for 600
watts output into a 4 ohm loudspeaker with less than
0.008% distortion.
· High Current Output
A peak output current of 30 amperes ensures that the
MCC302 will successfully drive high quality loudspeakers,
such as McIntosh, for a truly exciting sound experience.
· Equalizer and Variable Crossover Filters
The one band equalizer has a center frequency that is variable from 40 Hz to 2,000 Hz which can be either cut or
boosted ±12db. 12dB per octave high pass filters with variable corner frequencies from 50Hz to 120Hz and 12dB per
octave low pass filters with variable corner frequencies
from 50Hz to 120Hz.
· Power Guard and Sentry Monitor
All 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. McIntosh Sentry
Monitor power output stage protection circuits are present
on all channels to ensure the MCC302 will have a long and
trouble free operating life.
· Thermal Protection with Multi-Speed Cooling Fans
Built-in thermal protection circuits guard against overheating which could shorten the normal long life expectancy of
your McIntosh Power Amplifier. Cooling fan speed is controlled by temperature sensors attached to the interior of
the extruded aluminum cooling tunnel. The fans are normally off. When needed, the fans will automatically switch
on, and speed is increased as needed for additional cooling.
· Fully Discrete Design
The MCC302 has a fully complimentary double balanced
amplifier design and is identical to that found in
McIntoshs leading home amplifiers.
· Balanced Inputs with Pass Through
The Balanced Inputs cancel out interference noise that is
produced by other sources in the vehicle and can be directly connected to the bridged speaker output of any head
unit. The MCC302 provides two line level outputs, for the
convenience of connecting multi-amplifier systems.
· Remote Subwoofer Control and Line Output
The subwoofer level can be controlled via an external rotary control, which can be remotely mounted in the vehicle.
A line level summed output is provided to drive an external
subwoofer power amplifier. The inputs to both channels are
summed for this output.
· Gold Plated Terminals
McIntosh provides gold plated input and output terminals
on the amplifiers for superior corrosion resistance. It is a
very important feature in the automotive environment.
Speaker wires to 10 AWG and DC input wires to 4 AWG
can be accommodated.
· Speaker Protection
If for any reason, a DC (Direct Current) voltage appears at
the speaker output terminals, a built-in circuit turns off the
amplifier power supplies to prevent damage to your valuable loudspeakers.
4

Dimensions
The following dimensions can assist in determining the
best location for your MCC302. There is additional information on the next page pertaining to installing the
MCC302 into your vehicle.
Top View of the MCC302
13-
21/32
34.69cm
11.00"
27.94cm
2-
11/16
"
6.82cm
Dimensions
"
Side View of the MCC302
11"
27.93cm
11-
7/8
30.16cm
"
12-
1/2
31.75cm
"
11/32
"
10.93cm
2-
15/16
7.49cm
"
5