McIntosh MX-113 Owners manual
THE MclNTOSH MX113 FM/FM STEREO-AM TUNER-PREAMPLIFIER
Reading Time: 45 Minutes
Price $1.25
Your MX 113 AM-FM/FM stereo tuner
and stereo preamplifier will give you
many years of pleasant and satisfactory
performance. If you have any questions
please contact—
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Mclntosh Laboratory Inc.
2 Chambers Street
Binghamton, New York 13903
Phone: 607-723-3512
WARNING: TO PREVENT FIRE OR
SHOCK HAZARD, DO NOT EXPOSE
THIS UNIT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.
Take Advantage of 3 years
of FREE Service ...
Fill in the Application NOW.
CONTENTS
Service Contract 1
Installation 2, 3
How to Connect 4, 5
What the Controls Do
And How to Use Them 6, 7
Using the Pushbuttons 7
Balancing Your Stereo 8
Listening to Your Stereo 9
Performance Limits and
Ratings 10, 11
Performance Charts 12, 13, 14
Technical Description 15, 16, 17
Block Diagrams 18, 19
Station Log 20
THREE YEAR SERVICE CONTRACT
An application for a FREE THREE YEAR SERVICE CONTRACT is included with this manual.
The terms of the contract are: or mishandling is not covered by the SERV-
ICE CONTRACT.
4. The SERVICE CONTRACT is issued to you as
1. Mclntosh will provide all parts, materials and
labor needed to return the measured performance of the instrument to the original per-
formance limits free of any charge. The
SERVICE CONTRACT does not cover any shipping costs to and from the authorized service
agency or the factory.
2. Any Mclntosh authorized service agency will
repair all Mclntosh instruments at normal
service rates. To receive the free service under
the terms of the SERVICE CONTRACT, the
SERVICE CONTRACT CERTIFICATE must accompany the instrument when taken to the
service agency.
3. Always have service done by a Mclntosh
authorized service agency. If the instrument
is modified or damaged, as a result of unauthorized repair the SERVICE CONTRACT
will be cancelled. Damage by improper use
the original purchaser. To protect you from
misrepresentation this contract cannot be
transferred to a second owner.
5. For your protection Mclntosh selects only
dealers who have technical competence to
guide purchasers fairly, and provide service
when necessary. To receive the SERVICE
CONTRACT your purchase must be made
from a Mclntosh franchised dealer.
6. Your completely filled in application for a
SERVICE CONTRACT must be postmarked
within 30 days of the date of purchase of
the instrument.
7. To receive the SERVICE CONTRACT all in-
formation on the application must be filled
in. The SERVICE CONTRACT will be issued
when the completely filled in application
is received at Mclntosh Laboratory Incorporated in Binghamton, New York.
Copyright © 1971 by Mclntosh Laboratory Inc.
1
Adequate ventilation extends the trouble-free life of
electronic instruments. It is generally found that each 10°
centigrade (18° F) rise in temperature reduces the life of
electrical insulation by one half. Adequate ventilation is an
inexpensive and effective means of preventing insulation
breakdown that results from unnecessarily high operating
temperatures. The direct benefit of adequate ventilation
is longer, trouble-free life.
Allow at least 15 inches deep x 17½ inches wide x 6
inches high for mounting the MX 113. Always allow for air
flow by either ventilation holes or space next to the bottom
of the instrument and a means for warm air to escape at
the
top.
With adequate ventilation, the MX 113 can be mounted
in any position.
If the cutout is to be located from the front of the panel,
begin at 2. If the cutout is to be located from the rear of the
panel, begin here.
1. On the back of the cabinet panel, scribe a vertical cen-
terline through the exact center of the area in which the
cutout is to be made.
Place the template against the back of the panel and
match the template centerline with the centerline on
the cabinet panel.
Make sure that there is at least ¼ inch clearance between the bottom of the dashed line of the cutout area
on the template and any shelf or brace below the pro-
posed cutout.
Mark the two locating holes ("C" holes on the mounting
template).
Drill the two locating holes. Be certain the drill is per-
pendicular to the panel.
Now position the template on the front of the panel by
aligning the "C" locating holes on the template with the
drill holes.
2. If the cutout is to be located from the front of the panel:
With the template in place against the cabinet panel,
mark the "A" and "B" drill holes and the four small
holes that identify the corners of the cutout. Join the
corner marks with a pencil. The edge of the template
can be used as a straight edge.
To prepare the MX 113 for installation remove the protective covering. Turn the MX 113 upside down so that it
rests on its top on the shipping pallet. Remove the four
plastic feet fastened to the bottom of the chassis.
Next, place the mounting brackets, the parts bag and the
mounting template at hand.
The PANLOC professional mounting design eliminates
the need for any shelf or bracket to support the MX 113. It
is completely supported by its own mounting brackets.
The design of the mounting template allows you to posi-
tion or locate the cutout from the front or rear of the panel
to which the instrument is to be mounted. Position the plastic mounting template over the area of the panel to be cut
out for installation.
2
IMPORTANT: DRILL THE 6 HOLES BEFORE MAKING
THE CUTOUT.
Accurately drill the three holes on each side of the cutout area with a 3/16 inch drill.
With the saw on the INSIDE OF THE PENCIL LINES
carefully cut out the rectangular opening.
Secure the mounting strips to the rear of the cabinet
panel using two screws from the hardware package.
Insert the screws in the center holes of cabinet panel
("B" holes on the template) and tighten. The screw head
should pull into the wood slightly. (Use two ¾ inch long
screws for panels under ½ inch, or two 1¼ inch long
screws for panels ½ inch thick and larger.)
Attach the mounting brackets to the cabinet panel using
four screws.
Place the template over the mounting screws. The
mounting screws should be centered in the "A" and "B"
holes on the template. The sides of the mounting brackets
should match the vertical dash lines on the template. If
necessary, loosen the screws and push the brackets into
alignment and retighten.
Insert the power cord through the opening. Carefully
slide the MX 113 into the opening so the rails on the bot-
tom of the equipment slide in the track of the mounting
brackets. Slide the instrument in until it stops at the adjust
position latches. Press the latches in and continue to slide
the instrument in until the front panel is against the
cabinet panel. At the bottom corners of the front panel are
the PANLOC buttons. Depressing the PANLOC buttons
will lock the instrument firmly in the installation. Depressing the PANLOC buttons a second time will release the
instrument. You can then slide the instrument forward to
the inspection-adjustment position. Depressing the inspec-
tion-adjustment position latches will allow the instrument
to slide completely out of the installation.
How to Connect
CONNECTING A RECORD PLAYER TO PHONO 1
Connect the cable from the left channel of the record
player into the L PHONO 1 input jack.
Connect the cable from the right channel of the record
player into the R PHONO 1 input jack.
PHONO 2 is provided for the use of a second record
player.
Connect the cable from the left channel of the record
player into the L PHONO 2 input jack.
Connect the cable from the right channel of the record
player into the R PHONO 2 input jack.
AUX
Any high level program source such as another tuner or
a TV set can be connected to the input jacks marked AUX.
CONNECTING A TAPE RECORDER
To Record
Connect a cable from the L TAPE OUTPUT jack to the
left high level input of a tape recorder.
Connect a cable from the R TAPE OUTPUT jack to the
right high level input of the tape recorder.
To Playback/Monitor
Connect the cable from the left channel output of a tape
recorder to the high level inputs . . . L TAPE.
Connect the cable from the right channel output of a
tape recorder to the high level inputs. . . R TAPE.
CONNECTING THE MX 113 TO POWER AMPLIFIERS
Connect the MAIN OUTPUT jacks to the input of a stereo
power amplifier. The L jack is connected to the left amplifier input jack. The R jack is connected to the right amplifier input jack.
The output source impedance at the MAIN OUTPUT is
200 ohms. Longer cables than supplied can be used between the MX 113 and the amplifier. The length of the
cable is limited by the capacity of the cable. The total
capacity must not exceed 1,000 pF. For instance: cables
with a capacity of 25 pF per foot may be 40 feet long.
13.5 pF per foot cable may be 75 feet long. The input
impedance of the amplifiers should be 47,000 ohms or
greater.
L + R OUTPUT
Use the L + R OUTPUT to feed left plus right signal to a
separate power amplifier for monophonic background
music or for a center channel speaker.
CONNECTING AN FM ANTENNA
Satisfactory stereo where mono reception has been
satisfactory requires about ten times as much signal from
the antenna. Monophonic reception that is satisfactory
on an indoor antenna may require the use of an outdoor
antenna for stereo reception of equivalent quality.
With the MX 113 one of three antenna systems can be
used: (1) the indoor dipole supplied with the MX 113,
(2) an outdoor FM antenna, or (3) an all channel (UHF-VHFFM) antenna. In fringe areas best results will probably be
obtained with the use of an outdoor FM antenna. In many
areas the indoor dipole may be satisfactory.
CONNECTING AN INDOOR DIPOLE ANTENNA
The flexible folded dipole antenna (300 ohm) supplied
with the MX 113 is for indoor use in urban or high strength
signal areas.
Connect the two leads from the dipole to the terminals
marked FM ANT (red). The flexibility of the thin flat wire
assembly permits it to be placed under a rug, tacked behind
the stereo ... or, placed in any other convenient location.
In some cases, it may be necessary to "position" the an-
tenna for best signal reception. This should be done before
it is permanently located or tacked down. Keep the antenna
away from metal objects. Do not attach to a metal surface.
CONNECTING AN OUTDOOR FM ANTENNA
An outdoor antenna is recommended for optimum per-
formance in all areas. In fringe (outlying) areas, best results
will be obtained with a highly directional FM antenna used
in conjunction with a rotator. Rotate the antenna until the
best reception is obtained. Connect the 300 ohm antenna to
the terminals marked FM ANT (red).
CONNECTING A 75 OHM COAXIAL ANTENNA
An unbalanced 75 ohm antenna can be connected to the
MX 113 with coaxial cable. Connect the center conductor
to the right FM ANT (red) connector. The shield is connected
to the GND (black) connector.
CONNECTING AN AM ANTENNA
A high-quality loopstick antenna is provided. It can be
rotated through nearly 180° in all directions for maximum
performance, optimum signal reception or minimum inter-
ference. With this mobility you will not suffer loss of sensitivity regardless of the angle at which the instrument is
mounted. A back panel antenna jack is provided for connecting an external antenna if desired.
AC POWER OUTLETS
There are two black AC power outlets, and one red AC
power outlet. The AC power to the black outlets is controlled
by the front panel switch. Use these outlets for a power amplifier, or tape recorder, etc. The red receptable is on at all
times. Use the red outlet for a turntable or record changer.
The turntable is protected by this arrangement. It is necessary to turn off the turntable or record changer with its
own AC power switch.
GROUND CONNECTION
A single ground post is provided. Grounds for turntables,
record changers, tape decks, etc. should be connected to
this post. The left and right program cables and the ground
wire from that source should be loosely twisted together.
To avoid hum, make sure the ground wire does not make
any contact to the shields of the left and right program
cables between the program source and the MX 113.
4
FM ANTENNA
TURNTABLE
TAPE RECORDER
AM ANTENNA
TO 120V AC OUTLET
LEFT SPEAKER
POWER
AMPLIFIER
RIGHT SPEAKER
5
What the Controls Do and How to Use Them
INPUT SELECTOR
Select any one of five program sources:
AUX: Connects the output from any high level program
source requiring flat amplification to the high level
input stage. In the AUX position the gain is 20 dB to
the MAIN outputs and 0 dB to the TAPE outputs. The in-
put impedance is 250,000 ohms.
TAPE: Connects the output from a complete tape recorder to the high level input stage of the MX 113. The
TAPE position has flat amplification. The gain is 20 dB
to the MAIN outputs. The gain is 0 dB to the TAPE
outputs.
AM: Connects the AM tuner portion of the MX 113 to
the output jacks.
FM: Connects the FM tuner portion of the MX 113 to
the output jacks.
PHONO 1: Connects the output of any magnetic phono
cartridge to the low level input stage. The response of
the low level stages has been shaped to conform to
RIAA standards. The gam at 1000 Hz is 62 dB to the
MAIN outputs; 42 dB to the TAPE outputs. The input
impedance is 47,000 ohms.
PHONO 2: Same as PHONO 1
BASS
The BASS is a concentric control. The outer knob controls
the low frequency response in the right channel. The center
knob controls the low frequency response in the left chan-
nel. The two knobs are friction coupled. This permits them
to be adjusted together or independently. Clockwise rotation increases lows and counterclockwise decreases lows.
Turn the control to the center position for flat response.
TREBLE
The TREBLE is a concentric control. The outer knob controls the high frequency response in the right channel. The
center knob controls the high frequency response in the
left channel. The two knobs are friction coupled. This per-
mits them to be adjusted together or independently.
Clockwise rotation increases highs and counterclockwise
decreases highs. Turn the control to the center position for
flat response.
BALANCE/LOUDNESS
The BALANCE/LOUDNESS is a concentric control. The
outer knob controls the balance between channels. The
center knob is a switch that adds loudness compensation
for low volume listening.
BALANCE
The BALANCE control adjusts for unequal volume in
either the left or right channels. The volume of each channel can be varied relative to the other without affecting
their combined loudness.
LEFT . . . turning the control to the left accents the left
channel by reducing the right channel output
RIGHT . . . turning the control to right accents the right
channel by reducing the left channel output.
LOUDNESS
The LOUDNESS control automatically provides the cor-
rect amount of bass required to compensate for the change
in response of the human ear at low-loudness levels.
When the volume is reduced, the music will seem to lose
much of its bass and some of its treble. This effect is due
to the sensitivity characteristic of human hearing. The re-
sponse of the human ear to bass and treble pitch decreases
6
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