Mcintosh MCT500 User Manual

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

MCT500

SACD/CD Transport

Owner’s Manual

The lightning ash with arrowhead, within an equilateral

ATTENTION:

RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE - NE PAS OUVRIR

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

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.

MOISTURE.

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

CAUTION: Invisible Laser Radiation when

open. DO NOT stare into the
beam or view directly with opti­cal instruments. Use of controls
or adjustments or performance
of procedures other than those
specified in the Owners Manual
may result in Hazardous Radiation
Exposure.

ATTENTI O N: Rayonnnement Laser Invisible en

cas d’ouverture. Ne pas regarder
dans le faisceau ni observer di­rectement à l’aide d’instruments
d’optiques. L’utilisation de
commandes, de réglages ou
d’instructions autres que ceux
spécifiés dans le manuel du
propriétaire peut entraîner une
exposition x à des rayonnements
dangereux

VAROITUS!

VARNING! Om apparaten anvands pa annat satt an i

LUOKAN 1 LASERLAITE

KLASS 1 LASER APPARAT

Laitteen kayttaminen muulla kuin tassa
kayttoohjeessa mainitulla tavalla saat­taa altistaa kayttajan turvallisuusluokan
1 ylittavalle nakymattomalle lasersate­iiylle.

denna bruksanvisning specificerats, kan
anvandaren utsattas for osynbg laser­straining, som overskrider gransen for
laserklass 1.

This product incorporates an embedded

CLASS 3R Laser (IEC60825-1).

2

Thank You

Your decision to own this McIntosh MCT500 SACD/
CD Transport 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 visual and
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 ...................... 3

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

Table of Contents ....................................................... 3

General Information .................................................. 4

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

Disc Information ..................................................... 4-5

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

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

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

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

Connections:

Rear Panel Connections ............................................. 8

Connections using to Analog Preamplifier

and Integrated Amplifier ........................................10

Connection Diagrams (Separate Sheet) ............. Mc1A

Connections using to Digital Preamplifier ...............11

Connection Diagram (Separate Sheet) ............... Mc1B

Front Panel Features:

Front Panel Display, USB Connector

and Push-buttons .....................................................12

Front Panel Information Display ...............................13

Remote Control:

Remote Control Push-buttons for CD Disc

and SACD Disc Playback .......................................14

How to Use the Remote Control for CD Disc

and SACD Disc Playback .......................................15

Remote Control Push-buttons for Playback
of Data CD, Data DVD Disc and USB

Flash Memory Data Drive ......................................16

How to Use the Remote Control for for Playback
of Data CD, Data DVD Disc and USB Flash

Memory Data Drive ................................................ 17

Operation:

How to Operate the MCT500 ..............................18-24

Additional Information:

Photos ....................................................................... 25

Specifications ........................................................... 26

Packing Instruction ...................................................27

Copyright 2018 © by McIntosh Laboratory, Inc.

3

General Information

Ground

1. For additional connection information, refer to the
owner’s manual(s) for any component(s) connected
to the MCT500 SACD/CD Transport.

2. The Super Audio Compact Discs Audio Signals are
available at the MCT Digital Audio Output Con­nector. Compact Discs Audio Signals are available
at the Digital Audio Output XRL, Optical, Coaxial
and MCT Connectors.

3. The IR Input, with a 3.5mm mini phone jack, is
configured for non-McIntosh IR sensors such as
a Xantech Model HL85BK Kit. Use a Connection
Block such as a Xantech Model ZC21 when two
or more IR sensors need to be connected to the
MCT500.

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. For additional information on the MCT500 and
other McIntosh Products please visit the McIntosh
Web Site at www.mcintoshlabs.com.

Connector and Cable Information

XLR Connectors (Digital Audio)

Below is the Pin configuration for the XLR Balanced
Digital Audio Connectors on the MCT500. Refer to
the diagram for connection:
PIN 1: Shield/Ground
PIN 2: + Signal
PIN 3: - Signal

Note: When connecting to the MCT500 Digital XLR

Input and Output connectors it is important to use
a twisted pair shielded cable.

PIN 1

PIN 2

Data and IR Input Port Connectors

The MCT500 Data In Port receives
Remote Control Signals. A 3.5mm
stereo mini phone plug is used for
connection. The IR Ports also use a

3.5mm stereo mini phone plug and
allow the connection of other brand
IR Receivers to the MCT500.

Data
Signal

IR Data
Control

N/C

Data
Ground

N/C

Power Control Connector

The MCT500 Power Control Input receives an On/Off
signal from (+12 volt/0 volt). The Power Control Out­put will then send out a +12 volt
Output Signal with a total cur­rent up to 50mA. An additional
connection is for controlling the
illumination of the Power Out-

Power
Control

Meter
Illumination
Control
Pass Thru

Ground

put Meters. The 3.5mm stereo
mini phone plug connects to a McIntosh Preamplifier
or A/V Control Center Power Control Output.

Digital MCT Cable

The Digital MCT Cable supplied with the MCT500
is a McIntosh Designed Custom Cable. A substitute
cable will not work with the MCT500 and McIntosh
Preamplifiers with a Digital MCT Connector. If it
should become necessary to replace the supplied Digi­tal MCT cable, order part number 171923 from the
McIntosh Parts Department.

Disc Information

1. The MCT500 is designed to play round Compact
Discs; do not try other shapes or possible damage
may occur.

2. The MCT500 SACD/CD Transport is designed to
play all industry standard “Redbook” CD Audio
Discs as indicated by the Symbol. It will also
play most CD-R, CD-RW and Dual Discs, however
some recorded discs may not be able to play due to
the condition of the recording or manufacturing.

3. Disc with tracks recorded with MP3 and WMA
Formats will playback on the MCT500 when the
writing software used to create them conforms to
the ISO9660 Level 1 standard.

4. The PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) Digital Signal,
is the standard for Audio CD Discs and is avail­able at all Digital Audio Output Connectors on the
MCT500. Discs with WAV and MP3 file formats
are converted internally to a PCM Digital Signal.

5. Playing back Audio from a CD Disc and a SACD
Disc (CD Layer) is available at the MCT, XLR, Op­tical and Coaxial Digital Outputs. When a SACD
Disc is playing back a 2 Channel or a Multichan­nel Layer, the Digital Audio is only available at the
MCT Digital Audio Output, with the XLR, Optical
and Coaxial Outputs muted.

6. The MCT500 has the ability to playback a user
created DVD Data Disc. When a disc has Audio
Tracks up to DSD128 and PCM up to 96Khz/24Bit,
the Digital Audio Signal is available at the MCT
Digital Audio Output. PCM Audio Tracks up to
192kHz-24Bit are available at the XLR Optical and
Coaxial Digital Outputs.

4

General Information, Cable Information, Disc Information, Introduction and Performance Features

Media and Format Type of Music Playback

Format Type

Media Type

CD Disc

(R/-RW)

CD Disc

(R/-RW)

CD Disc

(R/-RW)

CD Disc

(R/-RW+R+RW)

CD Disc

(R/-RW+R+RW)

CD Disc

(R/-RW+R+RW)

CD Disc

(R/-RW+R+RW)

DVD Disc

(R/-RW+R+RW)

DVD Disc

(R/-RW+R+RW)

DVD Disc

(R/-RW+R+RW)

DVD Disc

(R/-RW+R+RW)

DSD Disc

(DSD64 to
DSD128)

USB Flash Drive supports all the Disc Media Types,
Format Types and File Extensions. It also has the same
Maximum Sampling Frequencies and Bit Rates.

and

File Extension

MP3 (.mp3) 48KHz

WMA (.wma) 48KHz

ACC (.mp4) 48KHz

WAV (.wma) 48KHz 16Bit

FLAC (.ac) 48KHz 16Bit

ALAC (.m4a) 48KHz 16Bit

AIFF(.aif/aiff) 48KHz 16Bit

WAV (.wma) 192KHz Up to 24Bit

FLAC (.ac) 192KHz Up to 24Bit

ALAC (.m4a) 192KHz Up to 24Bit

AIFF(.aif/aiff) 192KHz Up to 24Bit

DSD(.diff/dsf) 5.6MHz 1Bit

Maximum

Sampling

Frequency

Maximum

Bit Rate

Up to

320kbs

Up to

320kbs

Up to

320kbs

Introduction

The McIntosh MCT500 SACD/CD Transport offers
the latest in audio technology, providing state of the
art reproduction of audio discs. A full complement of
performance features allows for the enjoyment of the
SACD and CD Disc Audio Formats. The advanced
mechanical design of the transport ensures many years
of smooth trouble free operation.

Performance Features

• Twin Laser Pickup

The MCT500 incorporates two laser elements, with
different wavelengths, that are focused through one
lens assembly. This unique design allows reading both
the CD and Super Audio Compact Disc (SACD) Discs
Formats.

• Advanced Transport

The MCT500 has a new transport with a Die Cast
Tray. It has the latest in advanced digital servo for
faster, quieter and accurate operation. The Disc Audio
Data is read at twice the normal rate insuring better
disc tracking and error correction processing.

• USB Music Playback

The Front Panel USB Connector is for a USB Flash
Memory Drive. This provides the ability to Playback
all of the Disc Media Types at the Maximum Sam­pling Frequencies and the Highest Bit Rates available.

• Advanced Digital MCT Output

A unique Digital MCT Output connects to McIntosh
Preamplifiers with a Digital MCT Connector for the
purest possible sound quality.

• Digital Audio Outputs

The MCT500 Digital Outputs include XRL, Coaxial,
Optical and MCT Connections.

• Power Control and Full Function Remote Control

The Power Control Input Connection switches the
MCT500 On/Off with other McIntosh Components
in a system. The Remote Control provides complete
control of the MCT500 operating functions.

• Multi-Function Front Panel Display

The MCT500 Front Panel display indicates the current
disc playback status.

• Special Power Supply

Switching Power Supply with Multiple Regulators
to ensure stable noise free operation even though the
power line varies.

• Glass Front Panel and Super Mirror Chassis

The MCT500 has the famous McIntosh Illuminated
Glass Front Panel and Stainless Steel Super Mirror
Finish Chassis. These highly durable materials will
ensure the pristine beauty of the MCT500 will be
retained for many years.

• LED Front Panel Illumination

The Illumination of the Front Panel is accomplished
by Light Diffusers and extra long life Light Emitting
Diodes (LEDs). This provides even Front Panel Illumi­nation and is designed to ensure the pristine beauty of
the MCT500 will be retained for many years.

5

Dimensions

The following dimensions can assist in determining
the best location for your MCT500.

Front View of the MCT500

17-1/2"

44.5cm

Dimensions

Rear View of the MCT500

17-1/8"

43.5cm

5-3/8"

13.7cm

4-5/8"

11.8cm

6"

15.2cm

13/16"

2.1cm

1-15/16"

4.9cm

Side View of the MCT500

16-3/8"

41.6cm

14-1/2"

36.8cm

10-9/16"

26.8cm

3/16"

0.5cm

2"

5.1cm

4-7/8"

12.8cm

13 -1/4"

33.7cm

6

Installation

Installation

The MCT500 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 MCT500 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
MCT500 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
MCT500. Cool operation ensures the longest possible
operating life for any electronic instrument. Do not
install the MCT500 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 2 inches (5.1cm) above the top, 2
inches (5.1cm) below the bottom and 1 inch (2.5cm) on
each side of the SACD/CD Transport, so that airflow
is not obstructed. Allow 17 inches (43.2cm) depth be­hind the front panel. Allow 1-1/8 inch (2.9cm) in front
of the mounting panel for knob clearance. Be sure to
cut out a ventilation hole in the mounting shelf accord­ing to the dimensions in the drawing.

MCT500 Front Panel
Custom Cabinet Cutout

MCT500 Side View
in Custom Cabinet

MCT500 Bottom View
in Custom Cabinet

Cabinet
Front
Panel

Support
Shelf

1"

2.54cm

17-3/16"

43.65cm

Cutout Opening for Custom Mounting

Cutout Opening for Ventilation

1-1/16"

2.70cm

8-5/8"

21.91cm

15-1/2"

39.37cm

Cutout Opening
for Ventilation

4-15/16"

12.54cm

Chassis
Spacers

15-1/16"

38.26cm

3"

7.62cm

Note: Center the cutout Horizontally on the unit.
For purposes of clarity, the above
illustration is not drawn to scale.

12-5/16"

31.27cm

7

Rear Panel Connections

XLR DIGITAL AUDIO OUTPUT
sends a PCM Digital Signal to a
Preamplifier with internal D/A
Converter to decode the signal into
analog audio

POWER CONTROL IN receives
turn-on signals from a McIntosh
component and POWER CONTROL
OUT sends turn-on signals on to
another McIntosh Component

DATA IN receives control data
from a McIntosh Control Center

Connect the MCT500 power cord to a live
AC outlet. Refer to information on the
back panel of your MCT500 to determine
the correct voltage for your unit

MCT DIGITAL AUDIO OUT­PUT sends PCM or SACD Digital
Signal to a Preamplifier with
internal D/A Converter to decode
the signal into analog audio

8

OPTICAL and COAXIAL DIGITAL
AUDIO OUTPUTS send a PCM
Digital Audio Signal to a Preampli­fier or an A/V Control Center to
decode the signal into analog audio

IR IN for connecting an
IR Receiver

Notes

9

Connections to Analog Preamplifier and
Integrated Amplifier

Connections to Analog Preamplifier and Integrated Amplifier

The MCT500 Digital Audio MCT Output Connec­tor outputs PCM and SACD Digital Disc Signals when
connected to a compatible McIntosh Preamplifier or
Integrated Amplifier. Power Control provides the abil­ity to be remotely switched On/Off from a Preamplifi­er or Integrated Amplifier via the PWR CTRL (Power
Control) Connection.

The MCT500 Data Port Connection allows for the
remote operation of basic functions using the Pream­plifier or Integrated Amplifier Remote Control. With
an external sensor connected to the MCT500, remote
control operation is possible from another room and/
or when the MCT500 is located in a cabinet with the
doors closed.

The connection instructions below, together with
the MCT500 Connection Diagram located on the
separate folded sheet “Mc1 A” is an example of a typi­cal audio system. Your system may vary from this,
however the actual components would be connected in
a similar manner. For additional information refer to
“Connector and Cable Information” on page 4.

Power Control Connections:

1. Connect a Control Cable from the Preamplifier
or Integrated Amplifier Power Control Main Out
Jack to the POWER CONTROL IN Jack on the
McIntosh MCT500 SACD/CD Transport.

2. Optionally, connect a Control Cable from the
MCT500 SACD/CD Transport POWER CON­TROL OUT Jack to additional McIntosh compo­nents with a Power Control In Jack.

Data Control Connections:

3. When a Data Port connection on the Preampli­fier or Integrated Amplifier is available, connect a
Control Cable from the Preamplifier or Integrated
Amplifier (Setup Assigned) Data Port Jack to the

McIntosh MCT500 SACD/CD Transport DATA
IN Jack.

Sensor Connections:

4. Optionally, connect an IR Sensor to the McIntosh
MCT500 SACD/CD Transport IR IN Jack.

Digital Audio Connections:

5. Connect the supplied Digital MCT Cable from
the McIntosh MCT500 SACD/CD Transport
DIGITAL AUDIO OUTPUT MCT connector to
the Digital MCT Audio Input Connector on the
Preamplifier or Integrated Amplifier.

Notes: 1. For playback of SACD Discs, the Digi-

tal MCT Output Connection between the
MCT500 and Digital MCT Audio Input on
a Preamplifier or Integrated Amplifier is
required.

2. When playing back high resolution DVD
Data or CD Data Disc PCM record­ing with a sampling rate higher than
92kHz/24Bit, the Optical or Coaxial con­nection between the MCT500 and Pre­amplifier or Integrated Amplifier will be
required for listening.

6. Connect a fiber Optical Cable from the MCT500
SACD/CD Transport DIGITAL AUDIO OUTPUT
OPTICAL Connector to the Optical Digital Input
1 on the Preamplifier or Integrated Amplifier.

Note: A Coaxial Cable Connection may be used

instead of the Optical Connection.

AC Power Cords Connections:

7. Connect the McIntosh MCT500 SACD/CD Trans­port AC Power Cord to a live AC outlet.

10

Connections to Digital Preamplifier

Connections to Digital Preamplifier

The MCT500 Digital Audio MCT Output Connec­tor outputs PCM and SACD Digital Disc Signals when
connected to a compatible McIntosh Digital Preampli­fier. Power Control provides the ability to be remotely
switched On/Off from the Digital Preamplifier via the
PWR CTRL (Power Control) Connection.

The MCT500 Data Port Connection allows for the
remote operation of basic functions using the Digital
Preamplifier Remote Control. With an external sensor
connected to the MCT500, remote control operation is
possible from another room and/or when the MCT500
is located in a cabinet with the doors closed.

The connection instructions below, together with
the MCT500 Connection Diagram located on the
separate folded sheet “Mc1B” is an example of a typi­cal audio system. Your system may vary from this,
however the actual components would be connected in
a similar manner. For additional information refer to
“Connector and Cable Information” on page 4.

Power Control Connections:

1. Connect a Control Cable from the Digital Pream­plifier Power Control Main Out Jack to the POW­ER CONTROL IN Jack on the McIntosh MCT500
SACD/CD Transport.

2. Optionally, connect a Control Cable from the
MCT500 SACD/CD Transport POWER CON­TROL OUT Jack to additional McIntosh compo­nents with a Power Control In Jack.

Data Control Connections:

3. When a Data Port connection on the Digital
Preamplifier is available, connect a Control Cable
from the Digital Preamplifier (Setup Assigned)
Data Port Jack to the McIntosh MCT500 SACD/
CD Transport DATA IN Jack.

Sensor Connections:

4. Optionally, connect an IR Sensor to the McIntosh
MCT500 SACD/CD Transport IR IN Jack.

Digital Audio Connections:

5. Connect the supplied Digital MCT Cable from
the McIntosh MCT500 SACD/CD Transport
DIGITAL AUDIO OUTPUT MCT connector to
the Digital MCT Audio Input Connector on the
Digital Preamplifier.

Notes: 1. For playback of SACD Discs, the Digi-

tal MCT Output Connection between the
MCT500 and Digital MCT Audio Input on
the Digital Preamplifier is required.

2. When playing back high resolution DVD
Data or CD Data Disc PCM record­ing with a sampling rate higher than
92kHz/24Bit, the Digital XLR Connection
between the MCT500 and Digital Pream­plifier will be required for listening.

6. Connect a XLR Cable from the MCT500 SACD/
CD Transport DIGITAL XLR AUDIO OUTPUT
Connector to the Digital XLR Audio Input on the
Digital Preamplifier.

Note: An Optical or Coaxial Cable Connection may

be used instead of the Digital XLR Connec­tion.

AC Power Cords Connections:

7. Connect the McIntosh MCT500 SACD/CD Trans­port AC Power Cord to a live AC outlet.

11

Front Panel Displays, Controls, Push-buttons and Jack

Select between Disc Playback
or USB Playback

USB Drive
Input Connector
for USB Flash
Memory Drives

Disc Tray opens to
load and unload a disc

Standby Power On In­dicator and the color
indicates the status of
the Auto Off Feature

IR Sensor receives
commands from a
Remote Control

12

Selects the SACD
or CD Audio Tracks
from a hybrid disc

Move backward one
track at a time

track at a time

STOPs disc playbackMove forward one

Front Panel Display indicates
various operation functions
and times

OPENs and CLOSEs
the disc tray for load­ing or unloading discs

Starts disc PLAYback and
PAUSEs disc playback

STANDBY/ON Push-button switches
the MCT500 ON or OFF (Standby)

Front Panel Information Display

Indicates when the
TRACK Number is
being displayed

Indicates the type
of disc loaded, CD
or SACD

Indicates the PROGramming or
Program Play Mode is active

Indicates the RANDom
Play Mode is active

Indicates the total disc
remaining playback time or
the current track remaining
playback time

Indicates when the
tracks on the CD disc
are MP3 or WMA
encoded

Indicates the sound channels on a CD Disc,
SACD Disc or USB Drive. Left and Right Chan­nels for a CD Disc, SACD Disc or USB Drive.
Left, Center, Right, LFE (subwoofer), Surround
Left and Surround Right on a Multichannel
SACD Disc

Indicates when
the Play Mode
is active

Indicates when
in the Pause
Mode

Indicates the Repeat
Mode selected; Repeat
All (Tracks) or Repeat
1 (Track)

Indicates the number of tracks on the Disc, Programmed
Tracks, the current Track Time, Remaining Track Time,
Total Disc Playing Time, Text and various other Infor­mation. When a USB Flash Memory Drive is inserted,
it also displays Drive Directories, File Format Type and
Sampling Frequency

13

Remote Control Push-Buttons for CD Disc and SACD Disc Playback

SHIFT push-button with LED Indicators
used to select a push-button function
with white or gold color nomenclature

Use to CLEAR the last programmed track

Access the TEXT Display Mode when play­ing a SACD Disc containing the information

Use to select various disc information, including
TIME, on the Front Panel DISPlay. It is also used
to cancel the text display mode on a SACD Disc

Use to select the SACD or CD Tracks
from a hybrid disc for playback

Press to play the Previous Selection. Also
used to select one of various REPEAT
modes

Momentarily press to Power ON or OFF

Use to select disc tracks or
any numbered operation

Use to direct access tracks 10 and above

Selects the All MODE or the Folder MODE for
navigating and selection of music on a CD-R or
DVD ±R and Flash Drive

LEVEL Control adjusts the volume level for the
Rear Panel Variable Audio Output Connectors and
the Front Panel Headphone Jack

Press to play the next Selection

14

Press once to PLAY, a second time to PAUSE
and a third time to RESUME playback. Also
used to activate RANDOM playback of the
tracks on a SACD or CD disc

Press to FAST-REVERSE thru the current
selection

Note: The Remote Control Push-buttons not identified are for use with other McIntosh Products

Press to FAST-FORWARD thru the current selection

Select Disc, USB Mode or Coax/Optical Digital Inputs

Press to STOP disc playback

How to use the Remote Control for
CD Disc and SACD Disc Playback

How to use the Remote Control for CD Disc and SACD Disc Playback

The Remote Control is capable of performing most
Operating Functions for the MCT500 SACD/CD
Tra nsport.

If at any time the Player seems unresponsive to the
desired Remote Control Command, it may be neces­sary to select the color of the push-button nomencla­ture for the desired command. This is accomplished
by first pressing the SHIFT Push-button to select gold,
as indicated by the LED, and then within 3 seconds
pressing (or in the case of some functions repeatedly
pressing) the desired command push-button.

Note: Refer to the “How to Operate” Section of this

manual for additional information using this
Remote Control.

Play and Pause

With a disc loaded, press the PLAY Push-button to
start the disc playing. Press the PLAY Push-button
a second time to temporarily stop disc playback at any
time (Pause). To resume playback press the PLAY
Push-button again.

Note: The Play and Pause functions have been combined

into the Play Push-button.

Stop

Press the STOP< Push-button to stop disc playback
and return to displaying the table of contents of the
disc.

Numbered Push-buttons

Press 1 through 9 to directly access one of the first
nine Disc Tracks using the Front Panel Information
Display. For track numbers greater than 10, press the
+10 Push-button followed by the 0-9 Push-button. For
example, to access Disc Track 23, press the +10 Push­button twice and then the 3 Push-button.

Reverse and Fast Foward

Press the

7 (Reve r se) or 8 (Fast Forward) Push-button

to start moving rapidly through a track on the disc.
When the desired location is reached release the7
(Reve r se) or 8 (Fast Forward) Push-button to resume
normal playback.

Back and Next

Press the : (Next) Push-button to move forward one
track or the 9 (Back) Push-button to move back to the
beginning of the current track playing. Also used to
review the Programmed Tracks from the disc on the
Front Panel Information Display, while in the Program
Mode.

Note: If the 9 (Back) Push-button is pressed during

playback of the first three seconds of the track, the
SACD/CD will start playing back the previous track
from the beginning. If the Front Panel Information
Display is indicating time, the display will momen­tarily indicate the track number.

SACD or CD Track Selection

Press the DISC LAYER Push-button to select the
SACD or CD Tracks from a hybrid disc for playback.

Display/Time

Press the DISPlay/TIME Push-button to access vari­ous disc times. It is also used to return the Front Panel
Information Display to indicating time instead of text
information on a SACD Disc.

Menu/Text

Press the MENU/TEXT Push-button to select the vari­ous text information on a SACD Disc such as Album,
Artist and Track Titles (disc dependent).

Repeat Modes

Press the REPEAT Push-button to select either One
Track, All Tracks or cancel the Repeat Mode.

Clear

Press the CLEAR Push-button to erase a program
track(s).

15

Remote Control Push-Buttons for Playback of Data CD, Data DVD Disc and USB Flash Memory Data Drive

SHIFT push-button with LED Indicators
used to select a push-button function
with white or gold color nomenclature

Refer to page 22 for information on the
use of Push-buttons 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8 for
playback of Data CD, Data DVD Disc and
USB Flash Memory Data Drive

Access the TEXT Display Mode
when playing back a music track

Refer to page 22 for information on the use
of DISPLAY/TIME Push-button for play­back of Data CD, Data DVD Disc and USB
Flash Memory Data Drive

Press Back to play the Previous Selection.
Also used to select one of various repeat
modes

Momentarily press to Power ON or OFF

Selects the ALL or FOLDER Operational Modes
for playback of Data Disc (CD or DVD) or DATA
USB Flash Drive

LEVEL Control adjusts the volume level for the
Rear Panel Variable Audio Output Connectors and
the Front Panel Headphone Jack

Press to play the NEXT Selection

16

Press once to PLAY, a second time to PAUSE
and a third time to RESUME playback. Also
used to activate random playback of the
tracks

Press to FAST-REVERSE
thru the current selection

Note: The Remote Control Push-buttons not identified are for use when playing back CD/SACD Discs (refer to page 14) or for use with other McIntosh Products

Press to FAST-FORWARD thru the current selection

Select Disc, USB Mode or Coax/Optical Digital Inputs

Press to STOP playback

How to use the Remote Control for Playback of Data CD Disc, Data DVD Disc and USB Flash Memory Data Drive

How to use the Remote Control for
Playback of Data CD Disc, Data DVD Disc
and USB Flash Memory Data Drive

The Remote Control is capable of performing most
Operating Functions for Data Disc and the USB Flash
Memory on the MCT500.

If at any time the Player seems unresponsive to the
desired Remote Control Command, it may be neces­sary to select the color of the push-button nomencla­ture for the desired command. This is accomplished
by first pressing the SHIFT Push-button to select gold,
as indicated by the LED, and then within 3 seconds
pressing (or in the case of some functions repeatedly
pressing) the desired command push-button.

Note: Refer to the “How to Operate” Section of this

manual for additional information using this
Remote Control.

Remote Control Button Functions

When playing a Data CD Disc, Data DVD Disc or
USB Flash Memory Drive, some of the Remote Con­trol Push-buttons that are labeled for stand CD and
SACD Operation Functions will also perform different
additional Operation Functions.

Playback Operation Mode

The MCD600 has different Operational Playback
Modes when a Disc or USB Flash Drive contains
DATA MUSIC FILES. The Operational Mode Selec­tion includes the “All Mode” and the “Folder Mode”
which are indicated by the Front Panel Display, refer
to figures A and B.

Folder Mode

Figu re B

To check the current Operation Mode press the
MODE Push-Button on the Remote Control once. To
change the current Operation Mode, press the MODE
Push-Button on the Remote Control twice, followed
by pressing the PLAY Push-button on the Remote
Control to activate the selected Operation Mode.
When convential CD or SACD DISCs are played,
all the sound tracks are sequentially numbered and
are played back in that numeric order. This standard
playback mode is referred to as the “All Mode” of
operation.
CD Data, DVD Data and USB Flash Drive con­taining DATA sound tracks are usually created on a
computer which can create multiple Folders that are
in a sequential order. Each folder can contain mul­tiple sound tracks that are in a sequential order. This
playback mode is referred to as the “Folder Mode” of
operation. Refer to “Front Panel Display” for sample
Front Panel Indications of the Folder Mode content.
For additional information on the playback of CD
Data, DVD Data and USB Flash Drive containing
DATA sound tracks in the Folder Mode of Operation,
refer to pages 21 -22.

Front Panel Display

When playing a Data CD Disc, Data DVD Disc or
USB Flash Memory Drive containing DATA MUSIC
FILES, the MCD600 Front Panel Information Display
will also indicate the following:

Folder or Sub-Folder Name - Music One
Artist Name - Freddie King
Album Name - Getting Ready
Track Name - 09 Tore Down
Audio Format Type and Sampling Frequency - WAV 44.1kHz

Upper and Lower Symbol

Music One

Folder Symbol

Freddie King -

Music Symbol

Getting Ready-

09-Tore Down.

All Mode

Figu re A

WAV 44.1kHz

17

How to Operate the MCT500

OPEN

DISC

NO DISC

READING

CLOSE

Power On and Off

The LED above the STANDBY/ON Push-button lights
to indicate the MCT500 is connected to
AC Power. Refer to figure 1. The LED
also indicates the status of the Auto
Off Feature. When the MCT500 is in
the Standby Mode, green illumination
indicates the Auto Off Feature is enabled

Figu re 1

(default setting) and red illumination in­dicates the Auto Off Feature is disabled. For additional
information refer to “Power Mode” on page 23.

Note: When AC Power is initially applied to the

MCT500, the unit will momentarily switch On
and then go into the Standby Mode.

To Switch ON the MCT500, momentarily press the
STANDBY/ON Push-button on the Front Panel or
the (Power) Push-button on the Remote Con­trol. Refer to figures 2 and 21. The LED above the
STANDBY/ON Push-button illuminates green. The
Front Panel Display will momentarily indicate “DISC”
followed by “READING” and then “NO DISC”.
Refer to figures 2, 3, 4, 5 and 21. To switch OFF the
MCT500, momentarily press the STANDBY/ON
Push-button on the Front Panel or the OFF Push-but­ton on the Remote Control.

Figu re 2

18

Figu re 3

Figu re 4

Figu re 5

How to Load and Unload a Disc

1. Press the OPEN/CLOSE Push-button. The disc
tray will slide out allowing a CD Disc to be loaded.
Refer to figure 6.

2. Press the OPEN/CLOSE Push-button
and the disc tray will close. Refer to fig-

Figu re 6

ure 7. Loading of the CD Disc’s Table
of Contents (number of tracks and
total playing time) will be indicated
on the Front Panel Display. Refer to

Figu re 7

figure 8.

12 58m32s

Notes: 1. The MCT500 will start up selecting the same

source it played last.

2. When a Disc is placed in the tray and the
PLAY/PAUSE Push-button is pressed, the
tray will close and the first track will start
playing.

3. If a USB Flash Memory Data Drive was
inserted into the USB Front Panel Socket,

Figu re 8

the INPUT Push-button needs to select
“DISC” after AC Power is switched ON to
the MCT500.

3. Pressing the OPEN/CLOSE Push-button will stop
playback of the disc and the disc tray will open.

How to Play a SACD Disc

Load a SACD Disc into the MCT500. The Front Panel
Display will first scroll the Album Title of the SACD
Disc (available on most SACD Discs). Refer to figures
9, 10 and 11.

ALBUM ARTIST: Jac

Figu re 9

TITLE: Dvorak: Cel

Fig u re 10

ak: Cello Concert

Fi g u r e 11

The Album Title is followed by the Table of Contents.
Refer to figure 12.

8 48m12s

Figu re 12

Press the PLAY/PAUSE/ ; Push-button on the Front
Panel of the MCT500 or on the Remote Control. Refer
to figures 2 and 21. The Disc will start playing the
first track of the SACD Layer.

Note: The default setting for SACD/CD Hybrid Disc

is to play the SACD Stereo Layer. The default
setting may be changed to play the CD Layer
or the SACD Multichannel Layer, when avail­able. With the MCT500 On and no disc loaded,

How to Operate the MCT500

STEREO

CD

MULTI

press the DISC LAYER Push-button until the
Front Panel Display indicates the desired
layer.

Selection of a different Layer (CD, Stereo or
Multichannel) can occur during playback of a disc by
pressing the DISC LAYER Push-button once to see
the current selection and a second or
third time to select the desired Layer.
Refer to figures 13, 14 and 15. The

Figure 13

Player will stop playing the current
Layer and then load the desired Lay-

Figure 14

ers’ Table of Contents (Number of
tracks and Total Playing Time). Once
the information is indicated on the

Fig ure 15

front panel display, press the PLAY/
PAUSE/; Push-button. Refer to figure 16.

1 0m08s

Figure 16

Note: 1. Most SACD Disc(s) have the ability of dis-

playing the Album Title and Artist. With the
disc loaded, SACD Table of Contents read
and the disc stopped, press the MENU/TEXT
Push-button once for scrolling the Title and
twice for scrolling the Artist Name. Display of
the Artist information is not available during
playback of the disc. Refer to figures 17, 18
and 21.

ALBUM ARTIST: Jac

Fig u re 17

ARTIST: Jacintha

Figure 18

2. In a similar manner, some SACD Discs have
the ability of scrolling the Track Number and
Title by pressing the MENU/TEXT Push-but­ton after the Track has started to play. Refer
to figures 19 and 21.

8: Autumn Leaves

Figure 19

3. The Text Display Mode may be canceled by
pressing the DISP/TIME Push-button on the
Remote Control. Refer to figure 21.

4. The various Time Modes may be displayed by
pressing the DISP/TIME Push-button on the
Remote Control. Refer to figure 21. For addi­tional information on the Time Display Modes
refer to “Display Modes” on page 20.

5. SACD Discs containing Multichannel sound
tracks are down mixed into two channels and
available at the Analog Audio Outputs.

How to Play a CD Disc

With a disc already loaded into the MCT500, press the
PLAY/ PAU SE/; Push-button on the Front Panel of
the MCT500 or Remote Control. Refer to figures 2, 20
and 21.

1 0m05s

Figu re 20

How to Pause a Disc

This feature allows for the temporary stopping of disc
playback. Refer to figures 2 and 16.

1. When playing a Disc, press the PLAY/PAUSE/ ;

Push-button to temporarily stop playback.

2. Press the PLAY/PAUSE/ ; Push-button to re-

sume playing the disc.

Track Back

Return to the beginning of the
Track currently playing by momen­tarily pressing the MCT500 Front
Panel BACK 9 Pushbutton or
the 9 Push-button on the Remote
Control. Press and hold the 9
Push-button for for rapid selection
of the desired previous Track. Refer
to figures 2 and 21.

Track Next

Advance to the next Track
by momentarily pressing the
MCT500 Front Panel NEXT
: Push-button or the : Push­button on the Remote Control.
Press and hold the : Push-button
for for rapid selection of the desired
next Track. Refer to figures 2 and

21.

Fast Forward or Reverse

Using the Remote Control, press

8 (Fast Forward) or 7 (Re-

the
verse) Push-button to search back
and forth rapidly through a Track
on a disc. To return to normal
playback, release the same 8 (Fa st
Forward) or 7 (Reverse) Push­button. Refer to figure 21.

Fig u re 21

19

How to Operate the MCT500, con’t

Stop Mode

Press the STOP< Push-button at any time to stop
Playback. To listen to the disc again, press the PLAY/
PAUSE/; Push-button and playback will start from
the beginning of the disc.

Direct Track Selection

The MCT500 Front Panel Display indicates the Disc
Track currently playing. Use the Remote Control
NUMERIC Push-button(s) to enter the desired Track
Number. Refer to pages 14 and 15 for additional infor­mation using the Remote Control.

Repeat

This allows repeating a Track, Disc, Program Mode
or Random Play Mode on a continuous basis. Refer to
figures 2 and 24.

1. With the disc playing (Regular, Program or Ran­dom Playback Modes), press the SHIFT Push-but­ton then the REPEAT Push-button once to activate
the Track Repeat (
button twice to activate the Disc Repeat (N). Refer
to figures 22 and 23.

N1); press the REPEAT Push-

1 0m05s

Figu re 22

1 0m05s

Figu re 23

2. To cancel the previously selected Repeat Mode,
press the REPEAT Push-button until the character
“1” and/or the symbol “
mation Display is extinguished.

Random Playback

This feature allows for listening to Tracks of a Disc in
a Random Order. Refer to figure 24.

Note: Before the Random Playback Mode feature on

the MCT500 can be activated, the disc must be
stopped or the message “Press

will momentarily appear on the Front Panel Dis­play. Refer to figure 25.

1. With the MCT500 in the STOP< Mode press
the SHIFT Push-button and then the RANDOM

N” in the Front Panel Infor-

< (stop) first”

Press first

Figu re 25

Push-button. The word RANDom will be indi­cated in the Front Panel Display.
Refer to figure 26.

2. Press the PLAY/PAUSE/ ;

Push-button to start Random
Playback. After all the tracks have
been played the MCT500 will
stop.

Notes: 1. To provide continuous

playback of the disc, press
the REPEAT Push-button
twice to activate the Disc
Repeat (N) after the Ran-
dom Playback Mode has
started. If Repeat (N1) is
selected, the current track
will repeat.

2. The NEXT TRACK :

function will advance to
the next random selection
and start playing.

3. To cancel the Random Playback
Mode, press the STOP< Push-
button, then press the RANDOM
Push-button twice.

20

Figu re 2

Program Playback

This feature allows for playback of
selected Tracks on a Disc in the de­sired order. In the following example,
a Disc is programmed to play Track 6
followed by Track 4 and then Track 2.

Figu re 24

12 58m32s

Figu re 26

Notes: 1. The MCT500 must be in STOP Mode with the

Disc TOC (Table of Contents) read before
the Program Playback Mode Feature can be
activated.

2. When programming Hybrid SACD Discs, first
choose the layer (SACD or CD) so the correct
TOC can be read, as some discs have different
selections for the SACD and CD Tracks.

1. Press the SHIFT Push-button and then the RAN­DOM Push-button twice to access the Program
Mode. Refer to figures 2, 24 and 27.

12 58m32s

Figu re 27

2. Enter the first desired selection (track 6) using the
Numeric Push-buttons. The Front Panel Display
will first indicate track 6 followed by indicat­ing the total number of tracks and total playback
time for the current program. Refer to figures 28
and 29.

4 m s

Figu re 30

2 8m28s

Figure 31

2 m s

Figure 32

3 15m53s

Figure 33

Note: To view and/or delete the selections pro-

grammed, use the TRACK NEXT :
Push-button to step through programmed
tracks and the CLEAR Push-button to re­move any unwanted selections.

4. To start playback of the just entered program,

press the PLAY/PAUSE/; Push-button. Refer
to figure 34.

How to Operate the MCT500, con’t

5. To cancel the Program Playback Mode, press the
STOP< Push-button, then the SHIFT Push-button
and then the RANDOM Push-button.

Once the Program Playback Mode is active, tracks
may be added or deleted by first pressing the STOP<
Push-button followed by entering the additional tracks
using the Numeric Push-buttons or delete the last
track programmed by using the CLEAR Push-button.

MP3/WMA Disc Playback

The MCT500 has the ability of playing back MP3
and WMA encoded discs. MP3 and some version of
WMA coding allow more tracks on the Disc by us­ing the technique of lossy compression applied to the
original audio information. These Tracks have lower
audio quality than the original recording. Load a MP3/
WMA disc into the MCT500. Refer to figure 36.

DISC 10

Figu re 36

The MCT500 has two MP3/WMA Modes of Opera­tion: Disc Mode and Folder Mode. Refer to figures
37 and 38. Select the desired mode by pressing the

6 m s

Figu re 28

1 4m59s

Figu re 29

3. In a similar manner, enter the remaining Tracks 4
and 2. Refer to figures 30 thru 33.

6 0m03s

Figu re 34

After playback begins, the Repeat Mode can be
activated to provide continuous playback of the
Programmed Track(s). Refer to figure 24.

Note: To momentarily stop playback, press the

PL AY/PAUSE
sume Program Playback press the PLAY/

PAUSE/; Push-button.

/;Push-button. To re-

DISC MODE

Figure 37

FOLDER MODE

Figu re 38

MODE Push-button on the Remote Control.
The Disc Mode will playback all the tracks on the disc
starting with tracks not in folders, followed by the

21

How to Operate the MCT500, con’t

tracks contained in the folder. The Folder Mode will
play back the tracks contained in the selected folder.
Refer to figure 39.

1 mp-3

Figure 39

1. Press the PLAY/PAUSE/; Push-button to start

Playback. Refer to figure 40.

4 2m15s

Figu re 40

After all the tracks have been played the MCT500
will stop.

Note: Use the ▲ up and ▼ down directional Push-

buttons to select folders on the disc.

Playback of Data Disc or
USB Flash Memory Data Drive

Load a DATA Disc (CD or DVD) or insert a DATA
USB Flash Memory into the MCT500. The Front
Panel Display will then indicate whether a Data Disk
or a DATA USB Flash Memory has been inserted into
the MCT500. For additional information refer to pages
16 and 17.

After the Folder Mode has been selected, the Front
Panel Information Display will indicate the Folders,
Sub Folders and Tracks. It also indicates the Album
Name, the Artist Name, the Track Name, the Track
Time, along with the Audio Format Type and Sam­pling Frequency. Due to the operational differences

of various computers and the MCT500, sequel listing
of the Folders, Sub Folders and Tracks will usually be
different. If the All Mode on the MCT500 was select­ed the sequential listing will also be different.

Starting Playback

1. Use the INPUT Push-button to select USB or
DISC.

2. Using the Remote Control, press the Number 5
Push-button to start playback.

3. If the desired track for playback is located in a
different folder, first press the Number 4 Push­Button. Then use the Number 2 (select the Up-

per▲ Data Folder

) or Number 8 (select the Low-

er▼ Data Folder) Push-Button to select the desired

Folder. Select the desired Track using the Number
2 or Number 8 Push-button. Once the Desired
Track Name is indicated on the Front Panel Infor­mation Display, press the Number 5 Push-button
to start playback of the track.

Note: Once the desired folder has been selected

the Remote Control NEXT : Push-button
can be used to select the desired track.
Then the Remote Control PLAY  Push­button when pushed will start playback of
the track.

4. While the track just selected is playing back, the
Front Panel Display may also indicate the Track
Name, followed by the Artist Name and/or the
Album Name by pressing the MENU/TEXT
Push-button several times.

5. Press the DISPLAY/TIME Push-button (once or
twice) to indicate on the Front Panel Display the
Audio Format Type and Sampling Frequency of
the track that is playing back.

Selection of a Different Sub Folder

1. Press the Number 4 Push-button. The Front Panel
Display will indicate the name of the current
Folder.

2. Press the Number 2 Push-Button to select an

Upper▲ Data Folder or press the Number 8 Push-
Button to select a Lower▼ Data Folder. Once the

desired folder has been selected, push the Number
6 Push-Button once to to indentify the first track
in the folder. Press the Number 6 to start playing
the first track from the selected folder or press
the Number 6 a second time to start playing the
second track.

3. Press the MENU/TEXT Push-button to display
the Artist Name, followed by the Album Name
and then the Track Name and Number.

4. Press the DISP/TIME Push-button to display the
track number display time. Press the DISP/TIME
Push-button a second time to display the Audio
Format Type and the Sampling Frequency.

22

How to Operate the MCT500, con’t

Display Modes

The MCT500 Front Panel Display indicates both track
number and playing time. There are three playing time
display indications: track elapse time, track remaining
time or disc remaining time. To change from the de­fault setting of track elapse time, press the DSP/TIME
Push-button on the Remote Control. Refer to figures
24, 41, 42 and 43.

1 1m35s

Figure 41

1 -2m35s

Figu re 42

1 -51m33s

Figure 43

Display Brightness

There are three available Settings for the Front Panel
Display. The choices include brightness settings of
high (default setting), medium or low. To change the
brightness setting perform the following steps and
refer to figure 24:

1. Press the SHIFT Push-button.

2. Momentarily press the 2 (DIM) Push-button to
change the current brightness setting. Repeat this
until the desired brightness setting is selected.

3. Press the DISC LAYER Push-button to store the
new brightness setting.

Power Mode

The MCT500 incorporates an Auto Off Feature, which
can automatically place the SACD/CD Transport into
the Power Saving Standby/Off Mode (default setting).
This occurs approximately 30 minutes after there
has been an absence of a Digital Audio Signal. If it is
desirable to disable the Auto Off Feature, perform the
following steps:

1. Using the MCT500 Remote Control, press and
hold in the (Power) Push-button for about 5-10
seconds, at which time the Front Panel Display
indicates “Auto STBY Off”. Refer to figure 44.

Auto STBY Off

Figu re 44

2. The MCT500 will switch Off and the LED above
the STAND/BY Push-button will illuminate Red
in color. Press the (Power) Push-button to
switch the MCT500 On.

3. To re-active the Auto Off Feature, press and hold
in the Power Push-button on the Remote Con­trol for about 5-10 seconds, at which time the Front
Panel Display indicates “Auto STBY On”. Refer to
figure 45.

Auto STBY On

Figure 45

4. The MCT500 will switch Off and the LED above
the STAND/BY Push-button will illuminate Green
in color. Press the (Power) Push-button to
switch the MCT500 On.

Figu re 24

23

Resetting the MCT500

FIRST PROCEDURE
In the unlikely event the MCT500 stops functioning,
first try resetting the Main (System) Microprocessor
by performing the following:

1. Switch Off the MCT500 by using the STANDBY/
ON Front Panel Push-button. Then simultaneously
press and hold in the Front Panel STANDBY/ON
and DISC LAYER Push-button until the illumina­tion of the LED above the STANDBY/ON Push­button goes Off.

2. Press the STAND/BY Push-button to switch the
MCT500 back On.

Notes: 1. Resetting of the microprocessor also places

the Power Saving Mode into the default set­ting of On.

2. If the MCT500 is not performing normally,
perform the second procedure below.

SECOND PROCEDURE
If the MCT500 is still not functioning properly, reset
the Secondary (Transport) microprocessor by per­forming the following:

1. Switch Off A.C. Power going to the MCT500.

Note: Temporarily, connect the AC Power Cord

coming from the MCT500 into an AC Power
Strip with an On/Off Switch. Position the
AC Power Strip so the On/Off Switch on
the strip is in very close proximity to the
MCT500 Front Panel NEXT and STOP
Push-buttons (the MCT500 Remote Control
STOP Push-button will not work for reset-

ting the micro).

How to Operate the MCT500, con’t

2. Press and hold in the NEXT: and STOP< Push-
buttons while at the same time switching On the
AC Power Strip.

3. The Front Panel Display will indicate “INITIAL­IZED” then release the NEXT: and the STOP<
Push-button.

4. When the Front Panel Display indicates “DISC” or
“NO DISC”, press the STANDBY/ON Push-button
to switch the MCT500 OFF. Now reconnect the
MCT500 AC Power Cord the way it was connected
before performing Step 1 Note, then switch the
MCT500 back On.

24

Photos

25

Specications

Digital Audio Specifications

Digital Audio Output Format

Coaxial and Optical: SPDIF (PCM1), IEC958

44.1kHz to 192KHz/24Bit
Digital MCT: SPDIF (PCM2), IEC958

44.1kHz to 96KHz/24-Bit
SACD DSD
Data DVD up to DSD128

Digital Audio Outputs

Coaxial: 0.5V p-p/75 ohms
Optical: - 15dbm to -21dbm (TOS Link)
XLR(AES/EBU): 0.5V p-p/150 ohms
Digital MCT: 3V @110 ohms

1

PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) Digital Signal type used for

CD Discs

2

DSD (Direct Stream Digital) Digital Signal type used for

SACD Di sc s

General Specifications

Transport

Laser Type: Twin Beam
Laser Beam Wavelength: 650nm (SACD)/790nm (CD)
Laser Power: CLASS IIa/CLASS I

Power Requirements

100 Volts, 50/60Hz at 35 watts
110 Volts, 50/60Hz at 35 watts
120 Volts, 50/60Hz at 35 watts
127 Volts, 50/60Hz at 35 watts
220 Volts, 50/60Hz at 35 watts
230 Volts, 50/60Hz at 35 watts
240 Volts, 50/60Hz at 35 watts
Standby: Less than 0.5 watt

Note: Refer to the rear panel of the MCT500 for the cor-

rect voltage.

Overall Dimensions

Width is 17-1/2 inches (44.4cm)
Height is 6 inches (15.2cm)
Depth is 19 inches (48.3cm) including the Front Panel

and Cables

Note: When the Disc Tray is opened, the panel clear-

ance required in front of mounting panel is 6-3/4
inches (17.2cm).

26

Weig ht

26 pounds (11.8Kg) net, 40.5 pounds (18.4Kg) in ship-

ping carton

Shipping Carton Dimensions

Width is 26-1/2 inches (67.3cm)
Depth is 24-1/4 inches (62.2cm)
Height is 11-3/4 inches (29.9cm)

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.
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. Refer to page 4. Please
see the Part List for the correct part numbers.

Packing Instructions

Quantity Part Number Description
1 033838 Shipping carton only
4 033837 End cap

1 033836 Inside carton only
1 033725 Top pad
1 034576 Bottom pad
2 034446 Foam plug

4 017937 Plastic foot
4 400159 #10-32 x 3/4” screw
4 404080 #10 Flat washer

27

McIntosh Laboratory, Inc.

2 Chambers Street
Binghamton, NY 13903
www.mcintoshlabs.com

The continuous improvement of its products is the
policy of McIntosh Laboratory Incorporated who
reserve the right to improve design without notice.
Printed in the U.S.A.

McIntosh Part No. 04183201