McIntosh MSE-1 Owners manual

Surround Expander

Owners
Manual

MSE1

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

Thank You

Table of Contents

Your decision to own this McIntosh MSE1 Surround Ex­pander 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]

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

Please Take a Moment ....................................................... 2

Technical Assistance .......................................................... 2

Customer Service............................................................... 2

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

Safety Instructions ............................................................. 3

Introduction ....................................................................... 4

Performance Features ........................................................ 4

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

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

Rear Panel Switches and Connections .............................. 7

How to Connect with a MX132......................................... 8

How to Connect with a C39/MX130

and MSD4 or MAC3 ....................................................... 10

How to Connect with a MSD4 or MAC-3....................... 12

Front Panel Controls, Displays, Push-Buttons,

and Switch ....................................................................... 14

Speaker Settings .............................................................. 15

Surround Calibrations ...................................................... 16

How to Operate................................................................ 19

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

Packing Instruction .......................................................... 23

General Notes

1. The following Connecting Cable is available from the
McIntosh Parts Department:

Data and Power Control Cable Part No. 170-202

Six foot, shielded 2 conductor, with 1/8 inch stereo mini
phone plugs on each end.

2. For additional connection information, refer to the owners
manual(s) for any component(s) connected to the MSE1
Surround Expander.

Customer Service

If it is determined that your McIntosh product is in need of
repair, you can return it to your dealer. You can also return
it to the McIntosh Laboratory Service Repair Department.
For assistance on factory repair return procedure, contact
the McIntosh Repair Department at:

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

Copyright 2000 ã by McIntosh Laboratory, Inc.

2

Safety Instructions

IMPORTANT SAFETY

INSTRUCTIONS!

PLEASE READ THEM BEFORE

OPERATING THIS EQUIPMENT.

WARNING SHOCK HAZARD ­DO NOT OPEN.

The lightning flash with arrowhead, within an equilateral
triangle, is intended to alert the user to the presence of
uninsulated dangerous voltage within the products
enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to consti-

tute a risk of electric shock to persons

AVIS RISQUE DE CHOC ­NE PAS OUVRIR.

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.

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. Refer
servicing to qualified personnel.

General:

1. Read all the safety and operating instructions, con­tained in this owners manual, before operating this
equipment.

2. Retain this owners manual for future reference about
safety and operating instructions.

3. Adhere to all warnings and operating instructions.

4. Follow all operating and use instructions.

5. Warning: To reduce risk of fire or electrical shock,
do not expose this equipment to rain or moisture.
This unit is capable of producing high sound pres­sure levels. Continued exposure to high sound pres­sure levels can cause permanent hearing impair­ment or loss. User caution is advised and ear protec­tion is recommended when playing at high volumes.

6. Caution: to prevent electrical shock do not use this
(polarized) plug with an extension cord, receptacle

.

or other outlet unless the blades can be fully in­serted to prevent blade exposure.
Attention: pour pevenir les chocs elecriques pas
utiliser cette fiche polarisee avec un prolongateur,
une prise de courant ou un autre sortie de courant,
sauf si les lames peuvent etre inserees afond ans en
laisser aucune partie a decouvert.

7. For added protection for this product during a lightning
storm, or when it is left unattended and unused for long
periods of time, unplug it from the wall outlet. This
will prevent damage to the product due to lightning or
power line surges.

8. Do not use attachments not recommended in this
owners manual as they may cause hazards.

Installation:

9. Locate the equipment for proper ventilation. For ex­ample, the equipment should not be placed on a bed,
sofa, rug, or similar surface that may block ventilation
openings; or, placed in a built-in installation, such as a
bookcase or cabinet, that may impede the flow of air
through the ventilation openings.

10. Locate the equipment away from heat sources such as
radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other appliance(s)
(including amplifiers) that produce heat.

11. Mount the equipment in a wall or cabinet only as de­scribed in this owners manual.

12. Do not use this equipment near water; for example,
near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, laundry tub, in
a wet basement or near a swimming pool, etc.

13. Do not place this product on an unstable cart, stand,
tripod, bracket, or table. The equipment may fall, caus­ing serious injury to a person, and serious damage to
the product.

Connection:

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

15. Route AC power cords so that they are not likely to be
walked on or pinched by items placed upon or against
them, paying particular attention to cords at plugs, con­venience receptacles, and the point where they exit
from the instrument.

16. Do not defeat the inherent design features of the polar­ized plug. Non-polarized line cord adapters will defeat
the safety provided by the polarized AC plug. If the
plug should fail to fit, contact your electrician to re­place your obsolete outlet. Do not defeat the safety
purpose of the grounding-type plug.

3

Safety Instructions cont, Introduction and Performance Features

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

Care of Equipment:

18. Clean the instrument by dusting with a dry cloth. Un­plug this equipment from the wall outlet and clean the
panel with a cloth moistened with a window cleaner.
Do not use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners.

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

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

Repair of Equipment:

21. Unplug this equipment from the wall outlet and refer
servicing to a qualified service personnel under the fol­lowing conditions:

A. The AC power cord or the plug has been damaged.
B. Objects have fallen, or liquid has been spilled into

the equipment.
C. The equipment has been exposed to rain or water.
D. The equipment does not operate normally by fol-

lowing the operating instructions contained within

this owners manual. Adjust only those controls

that are covered by the operating instructions, as an

improper adjustment of other controls may result

in damage and will often require extensive work by

a qualified technician to restore the product to its

normal operation.
E. The equipment has been dropped or damaged in any

way.
F. The equipment exhibits a distinct change in perfor-

mance - this indicates a need for service.

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

23. 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.

24. 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.

Introduction

The McIntosh MSE1 is a precision Surround Expander
which will reproduce the back channels of specially en­coded 5.1 digital sound tracks with ultimate fidelity and
sonic purity. The MSE1 has many valuable and useful fea­tures that will enhance your home theater listening experi­ence.

Performance Features

· 24 Bit DSP Processing

The Motorola 24 Bit Digital Signal Processors decode the
back channel information from specially encoded Digital

5.1 sound tracks.

· 20 Bit Conversion

Two 20 bit stereo digital to analog, (D/A) converters are
used to reproduce the back channel information, and one
20 bit stereo analog to digital, (A/D) converter is for input
signal from the analog inputs.

· Automatic Expansion Mode

The MSE1 automatically switches expansion modes when
receiving specially encoded Digital 5.1 sound tracks (re­quires connections to the McIntosh MX132 A/V Control
Center). Expand nomenclature illuminates to show which
decoding mode is in use.

· LED Output Format / Delay / Volume Indicators

The MSE1 includes four LEDs on the Front Panel to indi­cate status of the output signal format. In addition, there is
a two digit LED indicator that shows the Trim Volume,
Time Delay and Channel Level during surround level cali­bration.

· Adjustable Channel Time Delays

Signals to the back Surround channels can be time delayed.
This feature can be used to correct the different listening
distances from the back surround speaker(s) and the pri­mary listening location.

· Built-In System Level Calibration Generator

A built-in test signal generator can be switched manually or
automatically through all surround channels for surround
level calibration. The levels can be adjusted plus or minus
6dB.

· Automatic Input Level Control

The Analog Input includes a special circuit which protects
against accidental input signal overdrive.

4

Dimensions

The following dimensions can assist in determining the
best location for your MSE1. There is additional informa­tion on the next page pertaining to installing the MSE1 into
cabinets.

Front View of the MSE1

17-

1/2

44.45cm

Dimensions

"

3-

9/16

"

4-

3/16

"

9.00cm

10.60cm

Rear View of the MSE1

Side View of the MSE1

17"

43.18cm

13-

1/4

33.65cm

15-

11/16

39.90cm

14-

37.1cm

2-3/4"

7.00cm

"

"

5/8

"

3/16

"

2-

15/16

0.48cm

7.47cm

"

13/16

2.06cm

"

11-

9/16

"

29.36cm

1"

2.54cm

5

Installation

The MSE1 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 required
panel cutout, ventilation cutout and unit dimensions are
shown.

Always provide adequate ventilation for your MSE1.
Cool operation ensures the longest possible operating life
for any electronic instrument. Do not install the MSE1 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 (5.08 cm)
above the top, 2
inches (5.08cm) be­low the bottom and
1 inch (2.54 cm) on
each side of the
Surround Expander,
so that airflow is
not obstructed. Al­low 20 inches (50.8
cm) depth behind
the front panel. Al­low 1 inch (2.54
cm) in front of the
mounting panel for
clearance. Be sure
to cut out a ventila­tion hole in the
mounting shelf ac­cording to the di­mensions in the
drawing.

MSE1 Front Panel
Custom Cabinet Cutout

MSE1 Side View
in Custom Cabinet

MSE1 Bottom View
in Custom Cabinet

Cabinet
Front
Panel

Support
Shelf

2

-1/8

5.4cm

"

1

"

2.54cm

17-

1/16

"

43.34cm

Cutout Opening for Custom Mounting

Cutout Opening for Ventilation

11-

1/2

"

29.20cm

Cutout Opening
for Ventilation

9"

22.90cm

Installation

3-

1/16

"

7.80cm

Chassis
Spacers

13-

33.70cm

1/4

"

6

Rear Panel Switches and Connections

Connect the MSE1
power cord to a live AC
outlet. Refer to informa­tion on the back panel of
the MSE1 to determine
the correct voltage

BACK1 OUTPUT provides
the audio output signal to the
power amplifier input for the
Back Surround Loudspeaker

ANALOG INPUT receives
Left and Right Surround
Signals from the McIntosh
A/V Control Center

POWER CONTROL IN
jack accepts a turn-on sig­nal from a McIntosh Con­trol Center. The POWER
CONTROL OUT jack
sends the turn-on signal to
another McIntosh product

SPEAKER SETTINGS
switches allow the selection
of one or two Back Surround
Louspeakers, their frequency
response capability and
whether or not an optional
Secondary Subwoofer is used
in the system

BACK2 OUTPUTS provide
the audio output signals to
the power amplifier inputs
for the Left and Right Back
Surround Loudspeakers

The SUBWOOFer OUT­PUTS feed an audio signal to
the input on a power ampli­fier for the optional second­ary Subwoofer

SURRound Outputs
provide the Left and
Right Surround Sig­nals to the power am­plifier driving the
Surround
Louspeakers

DATA IN jack receives control
data from a McIntosh A/V Con­trol Center and the DATA OUT
jack provides the control data
for the next McIntosh Compo­nent

AUTOmatic switches the
built-in calibration test
signal to each of the Sur­round Loudspeakers in 2
second intervals on a con­tinuous basis. MANual
system calibration requires
the manual selection of
Surround Loudspeakers

7

How to Connect with a MX132

The following connection instructions and illustrations
cover the addition of the McIntosh MSE1 Surround Ex­pander, McIntosh Back Surround Power Amplifier and op­tional secondary McIntosh Power Subwoofer into an exist­ing MX132 Home Theater System. For additional connec­tion information, please refer to the owners manuals for
the particular components that make up your system.

1. Connect a Power Control Cable from the MX132
Power Control A jack to the POWER CONTROL IN
jack of the McIntosh MSE1 Surround Expander.

2. Connect a Power Control Cable from the POWER
CONTROL OUT jack of the McIntosh MSE1 Sur­round Expander to the Power Control In jack of the
McIntosh Back Surround Power Amplifier.

3. Connect a Power Control Cable from the Power Con­trol Out jack of the McIntosh Five Channel Power Am­plifier to the Power Control In jack of the McIntosh
Powered Subwoofer.

4. Connect a Data cable from the MX132 Sum A Data Out
Port to the DATA IN of a jack of the McIntosh MSE1
Surround Expander.

5. Connect cables from the MX132 Zone A Surround Out­puts to the ANALOG Inputs of the McIntosh MSE1
Surround Expander.

6. Temporarily disconnect the male end of the 25 conduc­tor DB25 cable from the McIntosh Five Channel
Power Amplifier. Locate and remove (cut out) pins 5,
6, 18 and 19 from the male connector end of the DB25
cable. Reconnect the now modified male end of the
DB25 cable to the McIntosh Five Channel Power Am­plifier.

Note: The above step is necessary, as the Left and Right

Surround Channels receive additional sound processing
in the MSE1 Surround Expander. The next step connects
the MSE1 Surround Outputs to the McIntosh Five
Channel Power Amplifier using the audio connection
cables. If your system consists of
a McIntosh Six Channel Power
Amplifier the same above step
must also be performed.

Left
Surround

7. Connect cables from the McIntosh
MSE1 Surround Expander
SURRound Outputs to the Sur­round Inputs of the McIntosh Five
Channel Power Amplifier.

8. Connect cables from the McIntosh
MSE1 Surround Expander
BACK2 Outputs to the Inputs of
the McIntosh Surround Power
Amplifier.

Note: The MSE1 also has a BACK1 Output that provides a

single Surround Back Channel that may be used in
place of the BACK2 Output.

9. Connect the loudspeaker hookup cables to the output
terminals of the McIntosh Surround Power Amplifier.

10. Plug the MSE1 AC power cord into a live AC outlet.

McIntosh Powered Secondary Subwoofer

(Optional)

®

McIntosh Five Channel
Power Amplifier

Right

®

Surround

8