McIntosh MC2205 Solid State Amplifier - 200WPC, New Glass w/LEDs, Serviced

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200W of American Muscle.

One of McIntosh’s most popular amplifiers from the 1970’s.  

Built like a tank and sure to last 100+ years. 

Still relevant to today’s 200W amplifiers, and a solid reliable performer with a wonderful typical sweet McIntosh sound. 

This model is one of our best sellers and they don't tend to hang around very long. 

This great and powerful vintage amplifier from McIntosh just received a light service from our in house guru and it came out beautiful. 

We even upgraded to LED lighting to give it a fresher, more modern look, as most folks are disappointed with the original dim lighting on vintage pieces. We left the bezel off in case the new owner wants a more modern look. We can attach it if you prefer, just let us know after purchase.

Best of all it will ship in a brand new McIntosh double carton, the only way to ensure safe transport. Never ship one of these in anything other than that as it will result in disappointment. 

SkyFi Service Notes:

• When this amplifier came into the shop it was not performing up to spec. One channel could not reach rated output power and the speaker and power switches were damaged. On further inspection we found that some output transistors and surrounding components had failed.
• We replaced all of the output and driver transistors on the heatsinks with parts sourced directly from the McIntosh parts department. Select out of spec emitter resistors were also replaced at this time.
• After completing the repair we biased the amplifier channels to service manual spec.
• The Power and Speaker rotary controls were replaced with equivalent spec reproduction parts.
• Brand new factory fresh glass was installed along with LEDs for both the meters and text.

SkyFi Cosmetic Notes:

• We chose to install cool white LEDs throughout which results in a very attractive Cyan back light on the meters which mimics current production McIntosh product.
• Light wear on metal surfaces
• Green lettering is not as well diffused as with original glass. McIntosh has changed their glass production methods throughout the years and sometimes we find that the new glass does not handle the light quite like the original.

Recommended Cables:

Kimber Kable - RCA Interconnects - Better

Kimber Kable - RCA Interconnects - Best

Kimber Kable - Speaker Cables - Better

Kimber Summit Series Monocle XL Speaker Cables (PAIR) - Best

Kimber Summit Series BiFocal XL Bi-Wire Speaker Cables (PAIR) - Best If Applicable 

The SkyFi Testing Process for Solid State Amplifiers:

We start with a visual inspection of all internal components to make sure that there are no signs of heat stress or damage. Capacitors are checked for telltale signs of predictive failure including bulging, shrunken wrappers, or physical leakage. We also inspect the PCBs for discoloration from resistors or transistors that may have been running hot. On vintage units we often spot check select capacitors for value and ESR.

If the amplifier passes visual inspection, we move on to a controlled power on sequence using a Sencore safety analyzer to monitor current draw in real time. Once the amplifier is determined to be safe to operate, we connect it to full AC mains for function and power testing. We connect the speaker outputs of the amplifier to a Sencore PA81 Power Analyzer which acts as a dummy load, DC offset monitor, and oscilloscope interface. We start with a low level 1KHz test signal at the amplifier’s input and slowly increase its amplitude while monitoring the output on an oscilloscope for signs of noise, clipping, distortion, or improper channel balance. We continue increasing the signal level until the amplifier reaches clipping. At this point we take an output power measurement and compare it to the spec sheet of the amplifier to verify proper performance. If the device under test has both balanced and single ended inputs they are both tested at this time. We finish off the bench evaluation with a 1KHz square wave check and a 20Hz to 20KHz sine sweep to assess the amplifier’s frequency response characteristics. This battery of tests will usually reveal if the amplifier has any issues that need further attention.

Before the device leaves the bench, we perform a listening test with actual music using a variety of preferred test tracks. Our benches are outfitted with familiar monitor speakers which help us identify inconsistencies that will not always show up on our test gear. The main things that we are listening for are hum or noise with no signal present, proper center image, clicks, pops, or any other obvious undesirable audio characteristics.

If the unit passes all of these tests it is moved to our long term testing rig where we simulate real word operating conditions for 6-8 hours. This allows us to monitor the unit for signs of thermal runaway or intermittent issues that only crop up when the unit has fully come up to temperature.

Specifications:

ELECTRICAL: 200w/ch. (400w mono). Response 20-20kHz (+0 -0.25dB). Distortion 0.1%. Noise and hum -95dB. Output impedance 1, 2, 4 and 8 ohms. (0.5, 1, 2, and 4 ohms in mono). Damping factor 16 or greater. Input impedance 100k. Input sensitivity 0.75v or 2.5v. Headphone impedance: low. Sentry Monitor. Power Guard.

FRONT PANEL: Glass panel with black & gold escutcheon. Illuminated. Power level meters (linear watts or dB). Gain controls. Meter range sw: -20, -10, 0, watts and hold. Output mode lamps: normal or limit. Meter function lamps: watts, hold or decibels. Speaker sw: on or off. Power sw: on or off. Headphone jack.

BACK PANEL: Output barrier strips. Audio inputs. AC outlet. Input level sw: 2.5v or .75v. Mode sw: stereo or mono. Fuse. Panloc mounting.

Size: 7-1/8"H, 16-3/16"W and 14-1/2"D.

Weight: 85 lb.

Sold from: 1975-1979

Manual:

Click here for a PDF copy of the MC2205 Owner's Manual