McIntosh MC202 Amplifier w/200WPC - Serviced

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General:
The McIntosh MC202 is a formidable amplifier with great sound quality and looks to match. With 200WPC into 8 ohms of that signature sweet McIntosh clean power, it can drive just about any speaker to respectable levels. 

Featuring LED backlit meters and a simplistic two knob glass faceplate, it has the all the features of a great McIntosh solid state amplifier. Also being a more modern unit, it features balanced XLR inputs.

This particular amp was serviced in-house at SkyFi and performed beautifully in our bench and long-term testing areas.

SkyFi Cosmetic Notes:
The lighting in this unit was swapped from incandescent to LED. The main reason that we do this on this model is to prevent damage to the plastic lamp housing and back of the meter. The new LEDs look fantastic but some hot spots might be noticeable in the meters from a distance.

SkyFi Technical Notes:
This amplifier was serviced in-house at SkyFi. We replaced the main filter capacitors in the power supply, converted the lighting to LED, and detailed the glass faceplate, removing the distracting dust halos that often form between the meter filters in this model.

Brand Background:
McIntosh Laboratory is an American manufacturer of handcrafted high-end audio equipment based in Binghamton, New York. The company was founded in 1949 by Frank McIntosh. The company designs and produces audio amplifiers, stereo tuners and other consumer electronics products.

Ownership:
Single Owner

Connections:
RCA, XLR, 5 Way Speaker Binding Posts

General Sound:
Smooth, uncolored, undistorted natural and clean

Cosmetic Condition:
8/10 = Very Good. Excellent front faceplate, one minor flaw on chassis side or top. See our detailed rating description here.

Working Condition:
Working perfectly and tested in our lab and listening room.

Included:
Just the unit and power cord.

Packing:
Original Manufacturers Packing

Specs:
Frequency response: 10 Hz to 100 kHz
Total harmonic distortion: 0.005%
Damping factor: 40
Input sensitivity: 1.7V
Signal to noise ratio: 110 dB
Speaker load impedance: 2 Ω to 8 Ω

Dimensions:
5.44" x 17.5 x 17.5"

Weight:
65 lbs.

Approximate Age:
2000

Link to Manual:
Click Here

Recommended Cables:
Kimber Kable - RCA Interconnects - Better

Kimber Kable - RCA Interconnects - Best

Kimber Kable - BALANCED XLR Connectors - Better

Kimber Kable - BALANCED XLR Connectors - Best

Kimber Kable - Speaker Cables - Better

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

Kimber Kable - Power Cords - Better


Testing Process:
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 1 KHz 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 1 KHz square wave check and a 20 Hz to 20 KHz 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 minimum. 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.