McIntosh XRT1K User Manual

Loudspeaker System

XRT1K

Owner’s Manual

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

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. Th is 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 impair ment 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
table specified by the manufacturer,
or so ld wi t h th e ap pa ra t u s .
When a cart is used, use caution
when moving the car t/apparat us
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 ensu re that no objects filled
with liquids, such as vases, are placed on the
equipment.

14. WARN ING : When this Loud speake r i s
connected to an amplifier that is Powered On,
the connection terminals may have hazardous
live voltages present with a risk of electric
shock.

15 . CAUT ION: Wh en thi s Loud spe ake r i s

assembled it weighs 168 pounds (76.2 kgs). It
requires three or more persons to safely move
the Loudspeaker.

2

Thank You

Table of Contents

Your decision to own this McIntosh XRT1K 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]

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

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

3

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to Connect with one Amplifier ................................ 9

How to Connect using two Amplifiers .......................10-11

How to Connect using three Amplifiers .................... 12-13

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

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

General Information

Caution: The XRT1K weight is 168 pounds (76.2kg). It re­quires three or more persons to safely handle the Loudspeaker
System.

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 50 feet (38.1m) or less,
use at least 12 Gauge (AWG) wire size or larger.
If the Loudspeaker Cables are 100 feet (76.2m) or less,
use at least 10 Gauge (AWG) wire size or larger.

2. For additional connection information, refer to the owner’s
manual(s) for any component(s) connected to the XRT1K
Loudspeaker.

3. The XRT1K’s built-in speaker protection incorporates five
automatic resetting solid-state devices in the crossover
networks. One protects the tweeters, one for the midranges
and three for the woofers. The protection allows a certain
amount of overdrive but extended periods will trigger pro­tection. If an obvious lack of high, mid or low frequencies
is noticed, the Protection Device may have activated. These
devices will automatically reset when the volume level is
reduced significantly and kept low until the output of the
affected Loudspeaker Element returns to normal.

4. When the XRT1K 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 low, midrange
and high frequencies reproduced. This adjustment is best
achieved through the use of audio test equipment operated
by a qualified installer.

Copyright 2007 © by McIntosh Laboratory, Inc.

3

Introduction

McIntosh Acoustic Engineers have further refined the con­cept of line source column in the XRT1K Loudspeaker to
provide superior sound reproduction in a full range system.
It uses the same acoustic technology found in the famous
XRT2K Column Loudspeakers. The technology has been
refined over the years and is now the 6th generation of the
design and provides superior
quality sound reproduction in a
full range system.

The High Frequency Sec-

tion utilizes a patented Column

1

Design

with multiple three­quarter inch Titanium Dome
Tweeters and two inch Midrange
Inverted Titanium Dome Driv­ers. Refer to figures 1 and 2.

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 symmet-

Figure 2

rical horizontal
sound disper­sion to minimize
undesirable
floor and ceiling
reflections that
could detract
from a stable
sound image. In

Figure 3

the illustration the Loudspeaker on the left side produces a
Cylindrical Wave Front and the Loudspeaker on the right
side produces a conventional Spherical Wave Front. Refer
to figure 3.

The Low Frequency Section of the System consists of
two 10 inch Woofers. They have a large magnet assembly
and long cone excursions with very low levels of harmonic
distortion and frequency response down to 16Hz. Refer to
figure 4. The Woofer also incorporates McIntosh’s Pat-

2

ented LD/HP

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 to figure 5. The sleeves virtually elimi-

1

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

nate the negative
influence of the
fluctuating voice
coil field on the
permanent magnet
field. This results
in lower distor

­tion due to more
linear magnetic
flux in the voice
coil gap. Refer to
figure 6. 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

Figure 4

listening, reveal
ten times less distortion than

LD/HP

previous designs. A good
example of this low distortion

Conventional

is incredible smoothness and
clarity in the reproduction of
the human voice.

The Crossover Network
used in the XRT1K Loud­speaker System is designed
to ensure an even frequency

Figure 5

response over
the entire au­dible range. The
Network utilizes
both Second
and Third Order
design utilizing
Capacitors and
Inductors with
high current
capacity. Refer

Figure 6

to figures 7, 8 and 9. There are two different types of low
loss (DCR) Inductors in the network, each one chosen not
to exhibit any core saturation even at high power levels.
This prevents the addition of distortion to the music at any
frequency. The Capacitors used include low loss (ESR)
Polypropylene and Mylar types. The Network also utilizes

4

Introduction and Performance Features

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
Elements, reduces distortion significantly. It also increases
power handling and efficiency.

• Neodymium-Iron-Boron Alloy Magnets

The 44 two inch Midranges and 28 three-quarter inch
Dome Tweeters all use this Alloy. The Neodymium-Iron­Boron Alloy has the highest flux density per unit of vol
ume and helps to keep the Column weight to a minimum.

-

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

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

The enclosure is an important part of the XRT1K
Loudspeaker System. The Loudspeaker System utilizes a
massive extruded alumi­num enclosure that houses
the Loudspeaker Drivers.
Refer to figure 10. It also
has multiple front to back
internal braces to form a
dampened rigid Column
Structure. The Column’s
small footprint allows
for a variety of different
placements in a room.

Figure 10

• Low Harmonic and Intermodulation Distortion

The XRT1K Loudspeaker System is capable of reproduc

­ing the full dynamic range of a symphony orchestra with
very low audible distortion of any kind.

• Large Long Low Frequency Port

The XRT1K Loudspeaker System utilizes a very large 6
inch diameter port to increase bass output, reduce distor

-

tion and improve the overall efficiency of the Loudspeaker.

• High Power Handling

The Loudspeaker Elements and Crossover Components of
the XRT1K are all chosen for use with powerful amplifiers
up to 1,200 watts.

• Superior Imaging

Locating the Tweeters between the two rows of Midranges
generates a symmetrical horizontal polar response for
superior imaging.

• Versatile Operation and Placement

In addition to the regular connections, the XRT1K Loud

­speaker System provides separate connections for Bi­Amplification and Tri-Amplification hookups, as well as
Bi-Wiring and Tri-Wiring.

· Extruded Column

The Column enclosure is extruded thick aluminum con

­struction with non-parallel internal sides and is given a
High Gloss Black Piano Type Finish.

• Gold Plated Input Connectors

The XRT1K input connectors are gold plated for superior
corrosion resistance and high electrical conductivity.

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