McIntosh MQ101 Vintage 3 Band Equalizer- W/ Wood Case - Overhauled

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General:
The McIntosh MQ101 is a cool and somewhat under-the-radar piece of classic McIntosh gear. Produced in the early 1970s, it was designed to give listeners practical control over their system’s tonal balance required in rooms where acoustics could be improved. 

The MQ101 connects through the tape loop of your preamp, adding a straightforward 3-band equalizer to your setup. It allows you to adjust low, mid, and high frequencies to better suit your room and speakers, 

It pairs especially well with period-correct preamps like the McIntosh C26 or C28, which match it cosmetically. 

This particular unit includes its original wood cabinet, which completes the classic McIntosh look and makes it easy to integrate visually with other walnut-cased components from the same period. It also has the benefit of a new aftermarket faceplate.

SkyFi Cosmetic Notes:
The glass faceplate of this unit shows significant blemishes including bubbling on the top and bottom edges and black pain lift in various area causing some portions to appear light gray instead of black.

The McIntosh factory does not currently reproduce glass for the MQ101. We opted to leave the original glass in place. The lighting has been converted to green LED.

The wood cabinet has been treated with Howard's products. It presents well but there is a bit of a gap in the veneer on the top near the front right corner.

Overall condition is very good.

SkyFi Technical Notes:
This unit was serviced by Absolute Sound Labs in 2023. At this time, the main boards received a bunch of new capacitors and the power supply was rebuilt. The power cord was also replaced. On bench testing at SkyFi, we identified an issue with the frequency response of the midrange control which required a new inductor. We were able to source a replacement directly from the McIntosh parts department. The unit is now functioning properly again with matched frequency response between both channel on all controls.

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, Captive power cord

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.

Included:
Unit, manual, and power cord.

Packing:
Will be packed using our highly developed in-house process and custom packing materials.Specs:

- Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20,000Hz (±0.5dB)
- Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.1%
- Hum and Noise: -80dB
- Input Sensitivity: 2.5V
- Input Impedance: 60k ohms
Input Controls
- Input Attenuator Switch: 0dB, -6dB, -12dB
Output
- Output Level: 2.5V into 47k ohms
- Tape Monitor: Inputs and outputs with dedicated switch
Equalization
- Low Frequency:
- 0 to +17dB at 20Hz
- 5 steps: 0, +6, +9, +13, +17dB
- Mid Frequency:
- -5 to +5dB at 4000Hz
- 5 equal steps
- High Frequency:
- -4 to +4dB at 20kHz
- 5 equal steps
Power
- Power Requirements: 120 volts
- Power Consumption: 20 watts

Dimensions:
Unit size: 2-15/16" high, 16" wide and 10" deep (1-1/2" knob clearance)
Cabinet size: 3-1/2" high, 16-5/8" wide and 9-3/8" deep

Weight:
15 lbs.