McIntosh MC2200 Vintage Solid State Amplifier - Overhauled/Serviced

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General:
The McIntosh MC2200 is a powerful 200-watt solid-state amplifier. It is essentially the same amplifier as the MC2205, but without meters, delivering 85 pounds of classic McIntosh power. The lack of meters and two tone faceplate makes this unit look more vintage and a perfect match to a C22 preamp.  

Proprietary McIntosh features, such as Sentry Monitor and Power Guard, are also included on this unit. Power Guard helps prevent audible clipping by automatically reducing input drive when necessary, while Sentry Monitor provides fuse-free short-circuit protection that automatically resets once normal operating conditions return.

Rated at 200W, it can easily drive more power-sensitive speakers. In testing, it delivered the signature McIntosh sound. 

Best of all, this particular unit has been fully gone through and extensively overhauled by our in-house technician, ensuring it will remain reliable for many years to come.   See picture of the bag of parts we replaced.  

The amplifier includes its original owner's manual and will be shipped in a genuine McIntosh box for safe transport.

SkyFi Cosmetic Notes:
There is a scratch on the faceplate to the right of the McIntosh logo also below the black portion on the faceplate. This unit is otherwise in good cosmetic condition with very nice chrome. The included manual is a color copy, not an original document. Overall great for something of its age.

SkyFi Technical Notes:
We opted to perform an extensive overhaul on this unit. The power supply and driver boards have been extensively reworked. All output and driver transistors on the output modules have been replace with robust On Semi devices.

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:
Second Owner

Connections:
RCA Inputs, Captive Power Cord, Convenience outlet, Speaker Terminals

General Sound:
Big beautiful musical sound with little fatigue.

Cosmetic Condition:
6/10 = Fair. Three to four minor scratches, or one major scratch. See our detailed rating description here.

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

Included:
Unit, Box, Manual, Captive Power Cord

Packing:
McIntosh Box

Specs:
Power output: 200 watts per channel into 8Ω (stereo), 400 watts into 8Ω (mono)
Frequency response: 20Hz to 20kHz
Total harmonic distortion: 0.1%
Damping factor: 16
Input sensitivity: 0.75V
Signal to noise ratio: 95dB
Speaker load impedance: 1Ω to 8Ω
Semiconductors: 2 x IC, 43 x transistors, 24 x diodes

Dimensions:
Width: 16 inches (approx. 40.6 cm) Height: 6 31/32 inches (approx. 17.7 cm) Depth: 14 1/2 inches (approx. 36.8 cm)

Weight:
85 lbs.

Approximate Age:
1976

Link to Manual:
Click Here

Recommended Cables:
Kimber Kable - RCA Interconnects - Better

Kimber Kable - RCA Interconnects - Best

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.