McIntosh RT-29 Owners Manual

XRT29

Owner’s Manual

Loudspeaker System

XRT29

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.

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. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.

Installation:

7. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

8. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other equipment (including amplifiers) that produce heat.

9. Do not use this equipment near water.

10. Do not expose this equipment to dripping or splashing and ensure that no objects filled with liquids, such as vases, are placed on the equipment.

11. Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table specified by the manufacturer, or sold with the equipment. When a cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/equipment combination to avoid injury from tip-over.

Care of Equipment:

12. Clean only with a dry cloth.

13. 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:

14. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the equipment has been damaged in any way, 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.

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

16. 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.

17. 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.

Thank You

Table of Contents

Your decision to own this McIntosh XRT29 Loudspeaker System ranks you at the very top among discriminating music listeners. You now have “The Best.” The McIntosh dedication to “Quality,” is assurance that you will receive many years of musical enjoyment from this unit.

Please take a short time to read the information in this manual. We want you to be as familiar as possible with all the features and functions of your new McIntosh.

Please Take A Moment

The serial number, purchase date and McIntosh Dealer name are important to you for possible insurance claim or future service. The spaces below have been provided for you to record that information:

Serial Number:

Purchase Date:

Dealer Name:

Technical Assistance

If at any time you have questions about your McIntosh product, contact your McIntosh Dealer who is familiar with your McIntosh equipment and any other brands that may be part of your system. If you or your Dealer wish additional help concerning a suspected problem, you can receive technical assistance for all McIntosh products at:

McIntosh Laboratory, Inc. 2 Chambers Street Binghamton, New York 13903 Phone: 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 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: 607-723-3515 Fax: 607-723-1917

Safety Instructions ............................................................. 2

Thank You and Please Take a Moment ............................. 3

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

Table of Contents and Important Information ................... 3

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

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

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

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

How to Connect using a single amplifier ........................ 10

How to Connect using two amplifiers............................. 12

Specifications .................................................................. 14

Packing Instruction .......................................................... 15

Important Information

Caution: The XRT29 High Frequency Column weight is 82

pounds (37.20kg) net. It requires two or more persons to safely handle the column.

1. Loudspeaker Cables of adequate size are important to ensure that there will be no significant power loss or heating. Cable size is specified in Gauge numbers or AWG (American Wire Gauge). The smaller the Gauge number, the larger the wire size:

If the Loudspeaker Cables are 25 feet (7.62m) or less, use at least 18 Gauge (AWG) wire size or larger. If the Loudspeaker Cables are 50 feet (38.1m) or less, use at least 14 Gauge (AWG) wire size or larger. If the Loudspeaker Cables are 100 feet (76.2m) or less, use at least 12 Gauge (AWG) wire size or larger. The Loudspeaker Connection Terminals can accept up to 12 Gauge (AWG) wire.

2. For additional connection information, refer to the owner’s manual(s) for any component(s) connected to the XRT29 Loudspeaker.

3. The XRT29 has built in speaker protection in the form of three automatic resetting solid state devices as part of the crossover networks. Two protect the tweeters and one for the midranges drivers. The characteristics of this protection are that a certain amount of overdrive is allowed but extended periods of overdrive will trigger protection. If an obvious lack of high or mid frequencies is noticed, the Loudspeaker Protection Device may have activated. The protection devices will automatically reset when the volume control is reduced significantly and kept low until the output of the affected Loudspeaker Element returns to normal.

4. When the XRT29 Loudspeaker System is driven by more than one amplifier, the output levels of the different amplifiers connected to the Loudspeaker System must be adjusted to achieve a proper balance between the midrange and high frequencies reproduced. This adjustment is best achieved through the use of audio test equipment operated by a qualified installer.

5. The XRT29 is designed to be used with a Subwoofer, like a McIntosh PS112, in order to hear the entire audible range of sound.

Introduction

McIntosh Acoustic Engineers have refined the line source Column Loudspeaker concept to provide superior quality midrange and high frequency sound reproduction.

The High Frequency Section utilizes a patented Column Design

with multiple four inch Midrange LD/HP2 Magnetic Circuit Design Drivers and one inch soft dome

Figure 1

Tweeters. Refer to figure 1. Since the audio power fed to a column is distributed among all the drivers, each driver does not have to work as hard, resulting in greater power handling capability and a dramatic reduction in distortion. The Sound Waves from the Column produce a Cylindrical Wave Front with a stable symmetrical horizontal sound dispersion to minimize undesirable floor and ceiling reflections that could detract from a stable sound image. Refer to figure 2. In the illustration the

Figure 2

Loudspeaker on the left side produces a Cylindrical Wave Front and the Loudspeaker on the right side produces a conventional Spherical Wave Front.

The Midrange Drivers incorporate McIntosh’s Patented LD/HP2 Magnetic Circuit Design with shielding to greatly reduce any external magnetic field. Extensive inves-

LD/HP

tigating and testing resulted in a new design concept

Conventional

which utilizes a pair of aluminum shorting sleeves in the magnetic circuit. Refer to figure 3. The sleeves virtually eliminate the negative influence of the fluctuating voice coil field on the

Figure 3

permanent magnet field. This results in lower distortion due to more linear mag-

COLUMN Pat. No. 4,267,405 2LD/HP Pat. No. 5,151,943

netic flux in the voice coil gap. Refer to figure 4. Additional benefits are less volume compression due to improved heat transfer through the sleeves and a cooler operating voice coil. Both measurements, as well as critical listening, reveal ten times less distortion

Figure 4

than previous designs. A good example of this low distortion is incredible smoothness and clarity in the reproduction of the human voice.

The Crossover Network used in the XRT29 Loudspeaker System is designed to ensure an even frequency response over its audible range. The Crossover Network utilizes both Second and Third Order Crossover Designs. Refer to figure 5. It also uses Capacitors and Inductors with high current capacity. The Capacitors used include low loss (ESR) Polypropylene and Mylar types. The Crossover Network uti-

Figure 5

lize self resetting high current Poly-Switches to provide an extra measure of protection.

The enclosure is an important part of the XRT29 Loudspeaker System. The High Frequency Column utilizes a massive extruded aluminum enclosure that houses the 30 four inch Midrange and 25 one inch Tweeter Drivers. Refer to figure 6. It also has multiple front to back internal braces to form a dampened rigid Column Structure. The

Figure 6

Column’s small footprint allows for a variety of different placements in a room.

Performance Features

Patented LD/HP Technology

•

The McIntosh Midrange Loudspeaker Elements feature the patented LD/HP Magnetic Circuit Design. This design, when compared to conventional Loudspeaker Elements, reduces distortion significantly. It also increases power handling and efficiency.

Neodymium-Iron-Boron Alloy Magnets

•

The 30 four inch Midranges and 25 one inch Dome Tweeters all use this Alloy. The Neodymium-Iron-Boron Alloy has a high flux density per unit of volume and helps to keep the Column weight to a minimum.

Controlled Magnetic Field

•

The XRT29 may be used in Home Theater Installations near a television receiver or monitor without causing the television image to degrade. McIntosh has designed a controlled magnetic structure of the XRT29 Loudspeaker Elements to prevent interference.

Introduction and Performance Features

High Power Handling

•

The Loudspeaker Elements and Crossover Components of the XRT29 are all chosen for use with powerful amplifiers up to 1,200 watts.

Superior Imaging

•

Locating the Column of Tweeters between the two Columns of Midranges helps to generate a symmetrical horizontal polar response for superior imaging.

Versatile Operation and Placement

•

In additional to the regular connections, the XRT29 Loudspeaker System provides separate connections for Bi-Amplification hookups. The Crossover Network has an input provision to ensure the best performance when the High Frequency Column is mounted in-wall.

Gold Plated Input Connectors

•

The XRT29 input connectors are gold plated for superior corrosion resistance and high electrical conductivity.

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