McIntosh XR-50 Owners Manual

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

XR50

Loudspeaker System

Owner’s Manual

WARNING - TO REDUCE RISK OF

FIRE OR ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO

NOT EXPOSE THIS EQUIPMENT TO

RAIN OR MOISTURE.

IMPORTANT SAFETY

INSTRUCTIONS!

PLEASE READ THEM BEFORE

OPERATING THIS EQUIPMENT.

NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS

INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO

QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.

To prevent the risk of electric shock, do not remove cover or

back. No user-serviceable parts inside.

1. Read these instructions.

2. Keep these instructions.

3. Heed all warnings.

4. Follow all instructions.

5. Do not use this apparatus near water.

6. Clean only with a non-abrasive dry soft cloth.

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

8. This Loudspeaker is capable of producing
extremely high sound pressure levels, even
when connected to amplifiers of moderate
power output. User caution is advised. Ear
protection is recommended when playing
at high volumes as continued exposure
to high sound pressure levels can cause
permanent hearing impairment or loss.
The use of a Sound Level Pressure Meter
will greatly aid in determining when high
volume levels are occurring.

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

10. Only use attachments/accessories specified
by the manufacturer.

11. Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket,
or ta ble sp e ci f ied by th e
manufacturer, or sold with the
apparatus. When a cart is used,
use caution when moving the
cart/apparatus combination to
avoid injury from tip-over.

12. Refer all servicing to qualified service
personnel. Servicing is required when the
apparatus has been damaged in any way,
liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen
into the apparatus, the apparatus has been
exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate
normally, or has been dropped.

13. 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.

14. WARNING: When this Loudspeaker is
connected to an amplifier that is Powered
On, the connection terminals may have
hazardous live voltages present with a risk
of electric shock.

2

Thank You

Power
Control

Ground

Meter
Illumination
Control
Pass Thru

Your decision to own this McIntosh XR50 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 listening 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

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

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

Table of Contents and General Information .............3

Connector/Cable Information ...................................3

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

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

Dimensions ............................................................6 -7

Unpacking the Loudspeaker ..................................... 8

Installation .............................................................8-9

How to Connect ................................................. 10 -11

Photos ................................................................. 12-13

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

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

General Information

1. For additional connection information, refer to the
owner’s manual(s) for any component(s) connected
to the XR50 Loudspeaker.

2. The design of XR50 Loudspeaker took into ac­count the acoustic characteristics of the Front Panel

Grille and it should be attached to the Loudspeaker
for the best sonic performance.

3. If there is an obvious lack of high, mid or low
frequencies after extended periods of overdrive,
the Protection Device(s) may have activated. These
devices will automatically reset when the volume
level is greatly reduced until the output of the af­fected Loudspeaker Driver(s) returns to
normal.

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 XR50
and other McIntosh Products please visit the McIn­tosh Web Site at www.mcintoshlabs.com.

Connector/Cable Information

Power Control Connectors

The XR50 Power Control Jacks (IN/OUT) receive and
pass on an ON/OFF signal from +5 to +12 volts. An
additional connection passes on Meter Illumination
Control for compatible Power
Amplifiers. The 1/8 inch stereo
mini phone plug connects to a
McIntosh Preamplifier or A/V
Control Center Power Control
Output.

Copyright 2011 © by McIntosh Laboratory, Inc.

3

Introduction

McIntosh Acoustic Engineers have achieved in the de­sign of the XR50 Loudspeaker System, a level of high
performance. The XR50 provides superior spacious­ness sound reproduction with unusual sound stage
depth in a full range system.

The XR50 utilizes a three-quarter
inch Titanium Dome Tweeter and 2 two
inch Midrange Inverted Titanium Dome
Drivers. Refer to figures 1 and 2. Since
the audio power is distributed among all
the drivers, each driver does not have to
work as hard, resulting in greater
power handling capability, dra­matic reduction in distortion and
greater dynamic range.

The Low Frequency Section
of the System consists of a newly
designed six inch Woofer. Refer to
figure 3.

Figure 3

1

LD/HP Pat. No 5,151,943

Figure 1

Figure 2

The Woofer incorporates McIntosh’s Patented LD/
HP® 1 Magnetic Circuit Design. Finite Element Analy­sis and testing resulted in a design concept which
utilizes a pair of aluminum shorting sleeves in the
magnetic circuit. Refer

LD/HP

to figure 4. The sleeves
greatly reduce the nega-

Conventional

tive influence of the fluc­tuating voice coil field
on the permanent magnet
field. This results in lower
distortion due to more
linear magnetic flux in

Figure 4

the voice coil gap. Refer
to figure 5.
Additional
benefits are
less volume
compres­sion due to
improved
heat trans­fer through
the sleeves
and a cooler

Figure 5

operating
voice coil. Both measurements, as well as critical
listening, reveal ten times less distortion 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 XR50 Loud­speaker System is designed to ensure an even fre­quency response over the entire audible range. The
Second Order Designed Network utilizes Capacitors
and Inductors with high current capacity. Refer to fig-

Figure 6

ure 6. The XR50 uses low loss (DCR) Inductors in the
crossover network. The type of Inductor used in each
section of the crossover network has been chosen for
high linearity, even at high power levels. This prevents
distortion of the music at any frequency. The Capaci­tors used are the low loss (ESR) types. The Network
also utilizes self resetting high current PTC Fuses to
provide an extra measure of protection.

The enclosure is an important part of the XR50
Loudspeaker System. It has a front to back and side to
side internal brace to form a dampened rigid Loud­speaker enclosure. The Loudspeaker’s small footprint
allows for a variety of different placements in a room.

4

Performance Features

Connector/Cable Information, Introduction and Performance Features

• Patented LD/HP® Technology

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

The rear vent through the magnetic assembly offers
improved heat dissipation. The die cast basket has an
open air area under the voice coil/spider assembly to
prevent displacement noise. The polypropylene cone
with a rubber surround has a four layer copper voice
coil and is rigid to perform as a near perfect air piston.

Altogether these advances in woofer design con­struction and materials produce the very important
first several octaves of music, with a high degree of
accuracy and superb transient response. This perfor­mance level rivals woofers twice the size of the XR50
woofer.

• Neodymium-Iron-Boron Alloy Magnets

The two inch Midranges and three-quarter inch Dome
Super Tweeter all use this Alloy. The Neodymium­Iron-Boron Alloy has the highest flux density per
unit of volume. This allows for a smaller physical size
driver and thus closer driver to driver placement for
improved dispersion.

• Low Harmonic and Intermodulation Distortion

The XR50 Loudspeaker System is capable of repro­ducing the full dynamic range of a symphony orches­tra with very low audible distortion of any kind.

• Low Frequency Port

The XR50 Loudspeaker System utilizes a vertical port
with a rear opening to increase bass output, reduce
distortion and improve the overall efficiency of the
Loudspeaker.

• High Power Handling

The Loudspeaker Elements and Crossover Compo­nents of the XR50 are all chosen for use with ampli­fiers up to 300 watts, yet can be driven with a 75 watt
amplifier.

• Superior Imaging

Locating the Super Tweeter between the two Midrang­es generates a symmetrical polar response for superior
imaging.

• Loudspeaker Enclosure

The XR50 Loudspeaker enclosure is constructed with
non-parallel internal sides to reduce internal standing
waves and is available in various finishes.

• McIntosh Custom Binding Posts

McIntosh patent pending gold plated input terminals
accept high current signals. They accept large diam­eter wire and spade lugs. Banana plugs may also be
used.

• Power Control

The Power Control Input supplies power to illuminate
the XR50 McIntosh Logo and Power Control Output
supplies power for remote turn-on of additional Com­ponents.

• Solid State Front Panel Logo Illumination

The even Illumination of the Front Panel Logo is ac­complished by the combination of custom designed
Light Diffusers and extra long life Light Emitting
Diodes (LEDs).

5