McIntosh MA6500 User manual

McIntosh Laboratory,Inc.2 Cha m bersStreetBingha m ton,New York 13903-2699 Phone: [phone] FA X: 607-724-0549
O wner ’s
Manual
MA6500
MA6500 Integrated Amplifier

2
IMP O RTANT SA F E TY
INSTRU C TIO N S!
PL E A S E R E A D TH EM B E F O R E
O P E R ATIN G THIS E Q UIPME N T.
WA RNIN G - T O R E DU C E RIS K O F
FIR E O R E L E C T RIC A L SH O C K,D O
N O T E X P O S E T HIS E Q UIPM E NT T O
R AIN O R MOISTU R E.
The lightning flash with arrowhead,
within an equilateraltriangle,is intended
to alertthe user to the presence of
uninsulated “dangerous voltage”within
the product’s enclosure thatmay be of
sufficientmagnitude to constitute a risk
ofelectric shock to persons.
N O US E R-S E RVIC E A B L E PA RT S
INSID E.R E F E R S E RVICIN G T O
Q U A LIFIE D P E RS O N N E L.
To preventthe risk ofelectric shock,do notremove cover or
back.No user serviceable parts inside.
The exclamation pointwithin an equi-
lateraltriangle is intended to alertthe
user to the presence ofimportant
operating and maintenance (servic-
ing) instructions in the literature ac-
companying the appliance.
General:
1.Read theseinstructions.
2.Keep theseinstructions.
3.Heed all warnings.
4.Follow all instructions.
5.Warning: To reduce risk of fireor electrical shock,
do not exposethisequipment to rain or moisture.
Thisunit iscapableof producing high sound pres-
surelevels.Continued exposureto high sound pres-
surelevelscan causepermanent hearing impair-
ment or loss.User caution isadvised and ear protec-
tion isrecommended when playing at high volumes.
6.Caution: to prevent electrical shock do not usethis
(polarized) plug with an extension cord,receptacle
or other outlet unless thebladescan befully in-
serted to prevent bladeexposure.
Attention: pour pevenir leschocselecriquespas
utiliser cettefichepolarisee avec un prolongateur,
uneprisedecourant ou un autresortiedecourant,
sauf si leslamespeuvent etreinsereesafond ansen
laisser aucunepartiea decouvert.
7.Unplug thisequip m entduring lightning stor m sor
when unused for long periodsof ti m e.
8.Only useattach m ents/accessoriesspecified by the
m anufacturer.
Installation:
9.Theequip m entshall beinstalled near theAC Socket
Outletand thedisconnectdevice shall beeasily acces-
sible.
10.Do notblock any ventilation openings.Install in accor-
dance with the m anufacturer’sinstructions.
11.Do notinstall near any heatsourcessuch asradiators,
heatregisters,stoves,or other equip m ent(including
a m plifiers) thatproduce heat.
12.Do notusethisequip m entnear water.
13.Do notexposethisequip m entto dripping or splashing
and ensurethatno objects filled with liquids,such as
vases,areplaced on theequip m ent.
14.Useonly with thecart,stand,tripod,
bracket,or tablespecified by the m anu-
facturer,or sold with theequip m ent.
When acartisused,usecaution when
m oving thecart/equip m entco m bination
to avoid injury fro m tip-over.
Connection:
15.Connectthisequip m entonly to thetypeof A C power
source as m arked on theunit.
16.Protectthepower cord fro m being walked on or
pinched particularly atplugs,convenience receptacles,
and thepointwherethey exitfro m theequip m ent.
17.Do notdefeatthesafety purposeof thepolarized or
grounding-typeplug.

3
A polarized plug hastwo bladeswith onewider
than theother.A grounding typeplug hastwo
bladesand athird grounding prong.Thewide
bladeor thethird prong areprovided for your
safety.If theprovided plug doesnotfitinto your
outlet,consultan electrician for replace m entof the
obsoleteoutlet.
18.Do notoverload wall outlets,extension cordsor inte-
gral convenience receptaclesasthiscan resultin arisk
of fireor electricshock.
19.To co m pletely disconnectthisequip m entfro m theAC
Mains,disconnectthepower supply cord plug fro m the
AC receptacle.
Careof Equipment:
20.Clean only with adry cloth.
21.Do notper m itobjects or liquidsof any kind to be
pushed,spilled and/or fall into theequip m entthrough
enclosureopenings.
22.Unplug thepower cord fro m theAC power outlet
when leftunused for along period of ti m e.
Repair of Equipment:
23.Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel.Ser-
vicing isrequired when theequip m enthasbeen da m -
aged in any way,such aspower-supply cord or plug is
da m aged,liquid hasbeen spilled or objects havefallen
into theequip m ent,theequip m enthasbeen exposed to
rain or m oisture,doesnotoperatenor m ally,or has
been dropped.
24.Do notatte m ptto service beyond thatdescribed in the
operating instructions.All other service should bere-
ferred to qualified service personnel.
25.When replace m entparts arerequired,besuretheser-
vice technician hasused replace m entparts specified by
McIntosh or havethesa m echaracteristicsastheorigi-
nal part.Unauthorized substitutions m ay resultin fire,
electricshock,or other hazards.
26.Upon co m pletion of any service or repairsto thisprod-
uct,ask theservice technician to perfor m safety checks
to deter m inethattheproductisin proper operating
condition.
C usto mer Servic e
Te chnic al A s sista nce
Pleas e Tak e A Mom ent
Thank You
Copyright2001 ©by McIntosh Laboratory,Inc.
Theserial nu m ber,purchasedateand McIntosh dealer
na m earei m portantto you for possibleinsurance clai m or
futureservice.Thespacesbelow havebeen provided for
you to record thatinfor m ation:
Your decision to own thisMcIntosh MA6500 Integrated
A m plifier ranksyou atthevery top a m ong discri m inating
m usiclisteners.You now have“TheBest.”TheMcIntosh
dedication to “Quality,”isassurance thatyou will receive
m any yearsof m usical enjoy m entfro m thisunit.
Pleasetakeashortti m eto read theinfor m ation in this
m anual.Wewantyou to beasfa m iliar aspossiblewith all
thefeaturesand functionsof your new McIntosh.
Serial Number:
Purch ase Date:
Dealer Name:
If itisdeter m ined thatyour McIntosh productisin need of
repair,you can return itto your dealer.You can also return
itto theMcIntosh Laboratory Service Depart m ent.For as-
sistance on factory repair return procedure,contactthe
McIntosh Service Depart m entat:
McIntosh Laboratory,Inc.
2 Cha m bersStreet
Bingha m ton,New York 13903
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
If atany ti m eyou havequestionsaboutyour McIntosh
product,contactyour McIntosh dealer who isfa m iliar with
your McIntosh equip m entand any other brandsthat m ay
bepartof your syste m .If you or your dealer wish addi-
tional help concerning asuspected proble m ,you can re-
ceivetechnical assistance for all McIntosh products at:
McIntosh Laboratory,Inc.
2 Cha m bersStreet
Bingha m ton,New York 13903
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

4
Perform ance F eature s
Introdu ction and Performa nce F eatures
Introd uctio nTa ble of C o ntents
Safety Instructions............................................................ 2
Thank You and PleaseTakeaMo m ent............................. 3
Technical Assistance and Custo m er Service .................... 3
Tableof Contents and General Notes............................... 4
Introduction ...................................................................... 4
Perfor m ance Features....................................................... 4
Di m ensions....................................................................... 5
Installation ........................................................................ 6
Rear Panel Connectionsand Switch................................. 7
How to Connectfor Loudspeakers................................... 8
How to Connectfor Audio and DataControl ................... 9
How to Connectfor Video.............................................. 10
How to Connectfor aSecond Roo m .............................. 11
FrontPanel Controls,Display,Indicator Push-Button
and Switch...................................................................... 12
How to Operate............................................................... 13
Re m oteControl Push-Buttons........................................ 16
How to Operateby Re m oteControl ............................... 17
Specifications................................................................. 18
Packing Instruction ......................................................... 19
G en eral N ote s
1.Connecting Cablesareavailablefro m theMcIntosh Parts
Depart m ent:
Data and Power Control CablePartNo.170-202
S ix foot,shielded 2 conductor,with 1/8 inch stereo m ini
phoneplugson each end.
2.For additional connection infor m ation,refer to theowner ’s
m anual(s) for any co m ponent(s) connected to theMA6500
Integrated A m plifier.
3.Thereisa built-in turn on delay which will m utethespeaker
outputs for approxi m ately two secondswhen thea m plifier is
turned on.
4.Itisvery i m portantthatloudspeaker cablesofadequatesize
beused in your m usicsyste m ,to ensurethattherewill beno
power loss or heating.Cablesizeisspecified in Gauge
nu m bersor A W G (A m erican W ireGauge).Thes m aller the
Gaugenu m ber,thelarger thewiresize:
Ifyour loudspeaker cablesare25 feet(7.62 m ) or less,
use16 Gauge(A W G) wiresizeor larger.
Ifyour loudspeaker cablesare50 feet(38.1 m ) or less,
use14 Gauge(A W G) wiresizeor larger.
Ifyour loudspeaker cablesare100 feet(76.2 m ) or less,
use10 Gauge(A W G) wiresizeor larger.
5.In theeventthattheMA6500 Integrated A m plifier over heats,
dueto i m proper ventilation and/or extre m ely high a m bient
te m perature,thebuiltin protection circuits will activate.The
MA6500 FrontPanel Power Guard LED’swill both
continuously indicateOn and theaudio outputsignal will be
m uted. W hen thete m peratureoftheMA6500 hasreturned to
a safecondition,sound will return and thePower Guard
Indicatorswill return to nor m al operation.
Your decision to own thisMcIntosh M A6500 Integrated
A m plifier ranksyou atthevery top a m ong discri m inating
m usiclisteners.You now have“TheBest.”TheMcIntosh
dedication to “Quality,”isassurance thatyou will receive
m any yearsof m usical enjoy m entfro m thisunit.
Pleasetakeashortti m eto read theinfor m ation in this
m anual.Wewantyou to beasfa m iliar aspossiblewith all
thefeaturesand functionsof your new McIntosh.
••
••
•Power Output
TheM A6500 consists of two separatepower a m plifier
channels,each capableof 200 watts and asophisticated
control center in oneco m pactunitwith less than 0.005%
distortion.
••
••
•Power Guard
Both channelsincludethepatented McIntosh Power Guard
circuitthatprevents thea m plifier fro m being overdriven
into clipping with its harsh distorted sound thatcan also
da m ageyour valuableloudspeakers.
••
••
•ElectronicInput Switching
Digital Logicintegrated circuits driveElectro m agnetic
switcheson all six inputs and operating functionsfor reli-
able,noiseless,distortion free switching.
••
••
•Speaker Switching
Frontpanel Speaker push-buttonscontrol two switched
outputs thatallow you to send signalsto two separatepairs
of loudspeakers.
••
••
•Sentry Monitor and Thermal Protection
McIntosh Sentry Monitor power outputstageprotection
circuits ensuretheM A6500 will havealong and trouble
free operating life.Built-in ther m al protection circuits
guard against overheating.
••
••
•Illuminated Power Meters
Theillu m inated power outputwatt m eterson theMA6500
arepeak responding,and indicatethepower outputof the
a m plifier.

5
MA6500 Dim ensions
Thefollowing di m ensionscan assist in deter m ining the
best location for your M A6500.Thereisadditional infor-
m ation on thenextpagepertaining to installing the
MA6500 into cabinets.
MA6500 Dim ensions
17-1/2"
44.45cm
7 -5/8"
19.37cm
3/16"
0.48cm
17"
43.18cm
FrontViewoftheMA6500
RearViewoftheMA6500
SideViewoftheMA6500
7 -1/8"
18.10cm
13/16"
2.06cm
6-5/16"
16.03cm
13-1/4"
33.66cm
18-1/2"
46.99cm
17"
43.18cm
6-1/2"
16.51cm
7/8"
2.22cm
14-1/16"
35.72cm

6
Installation
TheM A6500 can beplaced uprighton atableor shelf,
standing on its four feet.Italso can becusto m installed in a
piece of furnitureor cabinetof your choice.Thefour feet
m ay bere m oved fro m thebotto m of theMA6500 when it
iscusto m installed asoutlined below.Thefour feetto-
gether with the m ounting screwsshould beretained for
possiblefutureuseif theMA6500 isre m oved fro m the
custo m installation and used free standing.Therequired
panel cutout,ventila-
tion cutoutand unit
di m ensionsare
shown.
Alwaysprovide
adequateventilation
for your MA6500.
Cool operation en-
suresthelongest
possibleoperating
lifefor any elec-
tronicinstru m ent.Do
notinstall the
MA6500 directly
aboveaheatgenerat-
ing co m ponentsuch
asahigh powered
a m plifier.If all the
co m ponents arein-
stalled in asingle
cabinet,aquietrun-
ning ventilation fan
can beadefiniteas-
setin m aintaining all
thesyste m co m po-
nents atthecoolest
possibleoperating
te m perature.
A custo m cabinet
installation should
providethefollow-
ing m ini m u m spac-
ing di m ensionsfor
cool operation.Al-
low atleast 6 inches
(15.24c m ) abovethe
top,2 inches
(3.81c m ) below the
botto m and 1 inch
Installation
6 - 5/8 "
16.83cm
17- 1/16 "
43.34cm
CutoutOpening forCustom Mounting
MA6500 FrontPanel
CustomCabinetCutout
1"
2.54cm Cutout
Opening
for
Ventilation
CutoutO pening forVentilation
Support
Shelf
Cabinet
Front
Panel
Chassis
Spacers
MA6500 SideView
inCustomCabinet
MA6500 BottomView
inCustomCabinet
7"
17.78cm
15"
38.1cm
15"
38.1cm
13- 1/8 "
33.34cm
3- 1/2 "
8.89cm
6"
15.24cm
Opening
forVentilation
15- 1/2 "
39.37cm
(2.54c m ) on each sideof thea m plifier,so thatairflow is
notobstructed.Allow 20 inches(50.8c m ) depth behind the
frontpanel.Allow 1 inch (2.54c m ) in frontof the m ounting
panel for knob clearance.Besureto cutoutaventilation
holein the m ounting shelf according to thedi m ensionsin
thedrawing.

7
Re ar Pa nel C on ne ctio ns an d Switc h
Connectthe
MA6500 power
cord to aliveAC
outlet.Refer to in-
for m ation on the
back panel to deter-
m inethecorrect
voltage
TheEX T
(external)
S EN S OR S
for aMcIn-
tosh Key-
pad or IR
S ensor
DATA PORTs
send signalsto
co m patible
source co m po-
nents to allow
you to re m ote
control the m
POWER
CONTROL
Outputsends
turn-on sig-
nal to a
McIntosh
Co m ponent
CD1 and CD2
inputs accept
signalsfro m
separateCD
players
HOME DataPort
isfor usewith the
optional HC-1
Ho m eController
S PE A KER S 1 and 2 the
signal outputcontrolled
by thefrontpanel
S PE A KER push-buttons
ThePH/AU X
S witch selects
signalsfro m a
Moving Magnet
phono cartridge
or an audio high
level signal
TUNER inputs
acceptsignals
fro m theoutput
of atuner
TAPE inputs
arefor tape
recorders
S UM DataPort
connects to a
McIntosh Re-
m oteControl
Translator
GND ter m inal
accepts a
ground wire
fro m aturntable
VIDEO inputs for
audio signalsfro m
aLV,VCR,TV or
theoptional A/V
S elector
TAPE OUT-
PUT S supply
record signals
for taperecord-
ers
POWER A MP
INPUT S witch
allowsan exter-
nal prea m plifier
connection to the
MA6500 Power
A m plifier
PH (Phono)/A UX IN-
PUT S acceptsignalsfro m
aMoving Magnetphono
cartridgeor an audio high
level signal,depending on
theposition of thePH/
AUX S witch
MAIN OUTPUT S supply
thePrea m plifier Output
to an external power a m -
plifier
Fuseholder,refer
to infor m ation on
theback panel to
deter m inethe
correctfusesize
and rating
POWER AMP IN inputs accept
signalsfro m separateexternal
prea m plifier

8
How to Connect Loudspeakers
Caution: Thesupplied AC Power Cord should notbe
connected to theRear Panel of theMA6500
A m plifier until after theLoudspeaker Connections
havebeen m ade.F ailureto observethiscould
resultin Electric S hock.
1.PreparetheLoudspeaker Hookup Cablesthatattach to
theA m plifier by choosing oneof the m ethodsbelow:
Barewirecableends:
Carefully re m ovesufficientinsulation fro m thecable
ends,refer to figures1,2 & 3.If thecableisstranded,
carefully twist
thestrandsto-
gether astightly
aspossible.
Note: Ifdesired,
thetwisted
endscan betinned with solder to keep thestrands
together,or attach spadelug and/or banana
connector.
Spadelug or prepared wireconnection:
Insertthespadelug connector or prepared section of
thecableend into theter m inal sideaccess hole,and
tighten the
ter m inal
cap until
thecableis
fir m ly
cla m ped
into theter-
m inal so thewirescannotslip out.Refer to figures4,
5 & 6.
Bananaplug connection:
Insertthebananaplug into theholeatthetop of the
ter m inal.
Note: Banana Plugsarefor usein theUnited S tatesand
Canada only.
2.Connecttheloudspeaker cablesto theappropriateter-
m inals(SPEA K ERS 1 or 2) for your loudspeakers,be-
ing careful to observethecorrectpolarities.
3.Install theplasticprotectiveloudspeaker ter m inal cov-
ersthatweresupplied with your a m plifier.Refer to fig-
ures7 and 8.
WARNING: Loudspeaker ter m inalsarehazardous
liveand presenta risk of electricshock.
For additional instruction on m aking
Loudspeaker Connectionscontactyour
McIntosh Dealer or McIntosh Technical
S upport.
Right
Loudspeaker
4 oh m
How to Connect Loudspeakers
Figure7
Left
Loudspeaker
4 oh m
Figure8
Cable
Openings
Ter m inal
Connection
Cover
Cover Mounting Screw Locations

9
How to C onnect A udio C omponents
1.Connectan Audio Cablefro m theMcIntosh CD Player
Audio Outputs to theMA6500 CD2 INPUTS.
2.Connectan Audio Cablefro m aMcIntosh Tuner 1 Out-
puts to theM A6500 TUNER INPUTS.
3.Connectan Audio Cablefro m aTurntableto the
PH/AUX INPUTS and theTurntableGround Connec-
tion to theGND grounding post.
4.Connectan Audio Cablefro m theMA6500 TAPE
OUTPUTS to theRecord Inputs of aTapeRecorder
and fro m theM A6500 TAPE INPUTS to aTapeRe-
corder Outputs.
5.ConnectaControl Cablefro m theMA6500 POWER
CONTROL ACC Jack to thePower Control In on the
McIntosh Tuner.
6.ConnectaControl Cablefro m theMcIntosh Tuner
Power Control OutJack to thePower Control In jack
on theMcIntosh CD Player.
7.ConnectaControl Cablefro m theM A6500 TUNER
DATA PORT Jack to theMcIntosh Tuner DataIn
(Tuner 1).
8.ConnectaControl Cablefro m theMA6500 CD2
DATA PORT Jack to theMcIntosh CD Player DataIn
Jack.
9.Connectan RG6 or RG59U coaxial cablefro m the
EXTernal SENSOR Jack to aKeypad.
Note: A W all Mounted I R S ensor m ay also beused in place
ofthekeypad.
10.ConnecttheM A6500 Power Cord to aliveAC outlet.
To AC
Outlet
TapeRecorder Turntable
McIntosh CD Player
McIntosh Tuner
How to C onnect A udio C omponents
OutIn
Keypad

10
Monitor / TV
How to Connect for Video Switching
How to Connect for Video Switching
1.ConnectaDatacablefro m theM A6500 VIDEO D ATA
PORT to theAudio/Video Selector DataIn jack.
2.ConnecttheAudio/Video Selector Control Center Au-
dio Outputs to theMA6500 VIDEO INPUTS.
3.ConnecttheAudio/Video Selector Video Monitor Out-
putto aMonitor/T V.
Note: Either or both Audio/Video S elector Monitor
Output(s) m ay beconnected to theMonitor/TV.
4.ConnectaMcIntosh DV D/CD Player Audio Outputs to
theAudio/Video Selector V-Aux Audio Inputs,the
Video Outputto theAudio/Video Selector Video Input
and theControl Outto theAudio/Video Selector Data
Outputjack.
5.ConnectaControl Cablefro m theMA6500 POWER
CONTROL ACC Jack to thePower Control In on the
McIntosh DVD/CD Player.
6.Connectother video source co m ponents to theappro-
priateaudio and video and datajackson theAudio/
Video Selector.
McIntosh DVD Player
Audio / Video Selector

11
Fro nt Pan el C o ntrols,P us h-B utto ns a nd Switch
POWER
switch turns
all AC power
co m pletely
ON or OFF
MONO push-button
co m binestheleftand
rightchannel signalsfor
Mono operation
VOLUME control
allowsadjust m entof
thelistening level for
both channels
TheBA LANCE control
allowsadjust m entof
therelativevolu m ebal-
ance between channels
MUTE push-button
m utesthelistening
audio
S TANDB Y/ON
push-button turns
theMA6500 ON,
or OFF ( S tandby)
IR S ensor
receives
co mm ands
fro m are-
m otecon-
trol
HEADPHONES jack
allowsconnection of
Stereo Headphonesfor
privatelistening
METER indicatesthe
LeftChannel Power
Outputof thea m plifier
POWER GU ARD
LEDslightwhen the
a m plifier’schannel
POWER GU ARD
circuitactivates
METER indicatesthe
RightChannel Power
Outputof thea m plifier
LOUDNE SS
providesfre-
quency re-
sponsecon-
toured to co m -
pensatefor the
behavior of the
hu m an ear at
softer listening
levels
S electany one
of thesix Audio
signal sources
TREBLE control provides
12dB boost or cutwith a
flatcenter position
BA SS control provides
12dB boost or cutwith
aflatcenter position
S PE A KER S
1 and 2
push-buttons
turn the
speakersOn
or Off

12
How to Operate
How to Operate
Power On
Press thePOWER switch to ON.TheRed LED abovethe
STA NDB Y/ON push-button,lights to
indicatetheMA6500 isin Standby
m ode.To turn On theM A6500,press
theSTA NDBY/ON push-button.The
MUTE LED will lightfor approxi-
m ately two secondsafter
turn on.Refer to figures9
and 10.
Note: For nor m al
operation,turn the
MA6500 On and Off
with the S tandby/On
push-button.Ifthe
a m plifier isnotgoing
to beused for an
extended ti m e,turn
off all AC Power with
thePower S witch.
You m ay also turn On
theMA6500 by
si m ply pressing the
desired S ource
S election Push-
button on theFront
Panel or R e m ote
Control.
Source Selection
Selectthedesired source
with theappropriatepush-
button switch on theFront
Panel or Re m oteControl.
Refer to figures10 and 11
and page15 for additional
infor m ation.
VolumeControl
Adjust theVOLUME con-
trol for thedesired listening
level.
PH/A UX Inputs
When using aphono player with a m oving m agnetcar-
tridgeconnected to thePH/AU X inputs,
setthePH A U X switch to thePH posi-
tion.When using an auxiliary progra m
source co m ponentconnected to thePH/
AU X inputs,setthePH A U X switch to
theAU X position.Refer to figure12.
Balance Control
Adjust theBAL ANCE control asneeded to achieveap-
proxi m ately equal listening volu m elevelsin each loud-
speaker.Turn theBA L ANCE to theleftto e m phasizethe
LeftChannel by reducing thelevel of theRightChannel.
Turn theBAL A NCE to therightto e m phasizetheRight
Channel by reducing thelevel of theLeftChannel.
Bass and TrebleControls
Adjust theBASS and TREBLE controlsto suityour listen-
ing preferences.Thebass or trebleintensity can bein-
creased with clockwiserotation and decreased with coun-
terclockwiserotation.All tonecontrol circuitele m ents are
re m oved fro m thesignal path when thecontrolsarein the
center or flatposition.
Loud Switch
Press theLOUD push-button to add loudness bass co m pen-
sation to thevolu m econtrol for i m proved low level listen-
ing.
Mono
Press theMONO push-button to co m bineleftand rightste-
reo signalsto m ono attheSPE A KERS 1 and 2 and HEAD-
PHONES output.
Mute
Press theMUTE push-button to m uteaudio in all outputs
excepttheHE ADPHONES and TAPE OUTPUT.The
MUTE LED abovethepush-button will flash on and off to
indicatethatMuteisactive.To un m uteaudio,press
MUTE,press theRe m oteControl Volu m epush-button(s)
or press an Inputpush-button.
Figure9
Figure10
Figure11
Figure12

13
How to O perate,con’t
Speakers1 and 2
Press SPE A K ERS 1 or 2 push-buttonsto switch thetwo
pairsof speakers
on or off.You can
press either push-
button individu-
ally,or both to-
gether.Refer to
figure13.
HeadphonesJack
Connectapair of dyna m icheadphonesto theHeadphones
Jack for privatelistening.Press Muteto m uteall other out-
puts including thea m plifier connected to theloudspeakers.
Refer to figure13.
Reset of Microprocessors
In theeventthatthecontrolsof theMA6500 stop function-
ing,push thePOWER switch OFF and waitabouttwo m in-
utes.Then push thePOWER switch ON followed by push-
ing theSTA NDB Y/ON push-button.Thiswill resetthe
MA6500 m icroprocessorsand theIntegrated A m plifier
should befunctioning nor m ally.
Note: Theabovecondition isusually caused by either
interruptionsin AC power and/or m ajor changesthat
m ay occur in AC power linevoltage.
Using a SeparatePower Amplifier
Therearetwo differentwaysto useaseparatepower a m -
plifier with aMA6500.Thefirst way isto usetheseparate
a m plifier instead of theM A6500 built-in power a m plifier.
Connecttheloudspeakersto theseparatepower a m plifier
and settherear panel POWER A MP INPUT Switch to the
EXT position.Refer to figure14.
Note: W hen a separatepower a m plifier
isconnected to theMA6500 and
thePO W E R AMP INPUT S witch
to theEXT position,theMA6500
FrontPanel S PEAKE R S Push-
button S witcheswill no longer
function.
Thesecond way isto useboth aseparatepower a m plifier
and theMA6500 built-in power a m plifier.Connectone
pair of loudspeakersto theseparatepower a m plifier and
thesecond/third pair to theM A6500.Settherear panel
POWER AMP INPUT Switch to theINT position.Refer to
figure14.
Note: TheMA6500 VOLUME Control will affectthesound
level ofall theloudspeakers.
How To MakeA TapeRecording
1.Selectthesource signal you wish to record with the
appropriateFrontPanel inputpush-button.If you wish
to record fro m an Audio/Video source connected to the
optional McIntosh Audio/Video Selector Audio/Video
Selector,using theRe m oteControl,selectthedesired
source connected to theMcIntosh Audio/Video Selec-
tor.Refer to figure15.
2.Adjust therecord level using thetaperecorder volu m e
control and proceed with therecording process.
3.To listen to thetapeplayback of theprogra m source
just recorded,press theTAPE inputpush-button.
Note: TheMA6500 TAPE OUTPUT S arenotaffected by the
VOLUME or BALANCE controls.
Power Output Meters
TheM A6500 Power OutputMetersindicatethepower de-
livered to theloudspeakersand arebased on using 4 and 8
oh m loudspeakers.The m etersrespond to all the m usical
infor m ation being produced by thea m plifier.They indicate
to an accuracy of atleast 95% of thepower outputwith
only asinglecycleof a2000Hz toneburst.Refer to table
below.
Figure13
Figure15
Figure14
Meter
Reading
ActualPower
Output
(4 ohms)
ActualPower
Output
(8 ohms)
200 200 Watts100 Watts
20 20 Watts10 Watts
2.0 2 Watts1 Watts
.20 0.2 Watts0.1 Watts
.02 20 Milliwatts10 Milliwatts

14
Re mote C o ntrol P us h-B uttons
S elects oneof thetwelve
High Level Audio/Video
S ourcesor Phono Input
TurnsA C Power ON or OFF to
certain McIntosh Co m ponents
when connected viatheDataPort
Adjusts thevolu m e
level up or down
S elects CD Player or
TapeRecorder Functions
and also perfor m svarious
functionson avariety of
McIntosh Co m ponents
Press to Power theM A6900
ON or OFF
Useto selecttuner
presets,disctracksor
any nu m bered opera-
tion
S elects S peaker 2,FM
Tuner Operating Func-
tionsand Track S election
on certain McIntosh CD
Players
Mutestheaudio
Note: The R e m oteControl push-buttonsthat
areblackened outarefor usewith
other McIntosh Products.
Press MODE to switch
between S tereo or Mono
Modes
S elects S peaker 1,AM
Tuner Operating Func-
tionsand Disc S election
on certain McIntosh CD
Players
S elects On S creen Func-
tionsfor McIntosh D VD
Playersand certain CD
Players
Press TRIM to turn the
Loudness Control On or
Off
S elects theFast Forward
Modeon DiscPlayers
and Tuning Up theA M/
FM Dial
S elects theREWind
Modeon DiscPlayers
and Tuning Down the
AM/FM Dial
S elects Functionsfor
McIntosh Ho m eControl-
ler and asa“shift” key
when used with theAM
or FM push-buttonsto
select S peakers1 or 2
Press thepush-button
to illu m inatethekeysPress to REVIEW Tuner
S tation Presets and se-
lects certain functionson
McIntosh CD Players

15
How to Operate by Remote Control
Thesupplied re m otecontrol iscapableof directly control-
ling thefunctionsof conte m porary McIntosh Source Co m -
ponents connected to theM A6500.Earlier McIntosh
source co m ponents and other brand source co m ponents can
becontrolled by theM A6500 with theaddition of aMcIn-
tosh Re m oteControl Translator (RCT).
Note: Your McIntosh Dealer can assist you with the
installation and operation ofthe R e m oteControl
Translator ( R CT).
Mute
Press theMUTE push-button to m uteaudio attheSPE A K-
ERS 1 and 2 and theMAIN OUTPUT Jacks.TheTAPE
OUTPUTS and HE ADPHONES outputarenotaffected by
theMUTE function.TheMUTE LED abovethepush-but-
ton will flash on and off to indicatethatMuteisactive.
Press MUTE asecond ti m eto un m uteaudio.
Mono
Press theMODE push-button to co m bineleftand rightSte-
reo Signalsto Mono attheSPE A KERS 1 and 2 and the
MAIN OUTPUT Jacks.
Trim
Press theTRIM push-button to activetheLoudness Co m -
pensationscircuit.
Input Source Selection
Press any of thetwelveinputpush-buttonsto selectapro-
gra m source.When oneof theAudio/Video Inputs (SAT,
LV,TV,VCR,V CR2 and DVD) areselected by re m ote
control,theMA6500 will auto m atically switch to the
VIDEO Input.If theFrontPanel VIDEO Push-button is
pressed,thesource device connected to theVIDEO INPUT
Jackswill beheard.When theoptional McIntosh M VS Au-
dio/Video Selector isadded, m ultipleAudio/Video Inputs
Sources,such asLV,TV,VCR,VCR2 and D VD (V-Aux),
will beco m eavailableby just pressing thedesired progra m
source push-button on there m otecontrol.
CD/TapeFunctions
Usethesepush-buttonsto operateaCD player,CD changer
or taperecorder.
Numbered Push-buttons
Press push-buttons0 through 9 to access tuner station pre-
sets or CD tracks/discs.
Discand Track
UsetheDISC and TRACK push-buttonswhen aCD player
or changer isbeing used.
Tuner Push-buttons
Press theA M or FM push-button to selectthedesired
broadcast band.Press and releasetheChannel Up or
Down push-button to m ovefro m station to station.Press
and hold aChannel Up or Down push-button to m ove
continuously fro m station to station.Press RE VIEW to
starttheauto m aticbrief audition of each of thepresets
stored in thetuner m e m ory.Press RE VIEW asecond ti m e
to stop on astation presetand exittheReview process.
Volume
Press theUp or Down V OLUME push-button to raiseor
lower thelistening volu m elevel.
Note: TheTAPE OUPUT S arenotaffected by volu m e
changes.
Speaker Selection
Press HOME push-button followed by theSPE A KER 1 or
2 push-buttonseither separately or together,to activatethe
loudspeakersconnected to theM A6500.
Acc On
Press ACC ON to turn thepower ON to aMcIntosh Disc
Player.
Acc Off
Press A CC OFF to turn thepower OFF to aMcIntosh Disc
Player.
E
Press E to perfor m variousfunctionson avariety of McIn-
tosh Co m ponents.Itwill also pausetheplaying of adiscor
tapeplayer.
Lighting
Press and releasetheLIGHTING push-button to m o m en-
tarily illu m inatetheupper half of there m otecontrol push-
buttons.
Note: W hiletheLIGHTING push-button isbeing depressed,
there m otecontrol will beunableto send a re m ote
co mm and. W hen theLIGHTING push-button isreleased
thepush-buttonswill continueto stay illu m inated for
approxi m ately three secondsthusallowing you to send
thedesired co mm and.Ifany ofthetranslucentpush-
buttonsaredepressed,they will continueto stay
illu m inated for approxi m ately three seconds.
How to Operate by Remote Control

16
Loudness C ompensation Range
d B
(Decibel)
Hz (Hertz)
-10
+10
-8
-6
-4
-2
+0
+2
+4
+6
+8
20 20k50 100 200 500 1k2k5k10k
d B
(Decibel)
Frequency Response
Hz (Hertz)
Note: TheLoudness Co m pensation R angeisa co m bination of
theLoudness Circuitry and theVolu m eControl’s
rotational position. W hen theLoudness Circuitisactive,
thefirst 50% rotation oftheVolu m eControl achieves
m axi m u m loudness co m pensation,asshown on the
upper curve. W hen theVolu m econtrol isrotated beyond
the50% point,theloudness co m pensation isgradually
reduced,asshown by there m aining curves.
-1
+10
+0
+1
+2
+3
+4
+5
+6
+7
+8
+9
20 20k50 100 200 500 1k2k5k10k

17
-14
+14
-12
-10
-8
-6
-4
-2
+0
+2
+4
+6
+8
+10
+12
20 2k50 100 200 500 1k
d B
(Decibel)
Hz (Hertz)
Bass C ontrol A djustment Range
Treble Control Adjustment Range
Hz (Hertz)
d B
(Decibel)
Performance C harts
-16
+16
-14
-12
-10
-8
-6
-4
-2
+0
+2
+4
+6
+8
+10
+12
+14
20 20k50 100 200 500 1k2k5k10k

18
Specifications
Specifications
Power Output
Mini m u m sinewavecontinuousaveragepower outputper
channel,all channelsoperating is:
200 watts into 4 oh m load
120 watts into 8 oh m load
Rated Power Band
20Hz to 20,000Hz
Total HarmonicDistortion
Maxi m u m Total Har m onicDistortion atany power
level fro m 250 m illiwatts to rated power outputis:
0.005% for 4 or 8 oh m loads
DynamicHeadroom
2.4dB
Frequency Response
+0,-0.5dB fro m 20Hz to 20,000Hz
+0,-3dB fro m 10Hz to 100,000Hz
Sensitivity
Phono,2.5 m V for 2.5V rated output(0.5 m V IHF)
High Level,250 m V for 2.5V rated output(50 m V IHF)
Power A m plifier Input,2.5V for rated output
Signal To NoiseRatio (A Weighted)
90dB (84dB IHF) below 10 m V input,Phono Input
100dB (90dB IHF) below rated output,High Level
110dB below rated output,Power A m plifier
Intermodulation Distortion
Maxi m u m Inter m odulation Distortion if instanta-
neouspeak outputper channel doesnotexceed
twice therated output,for any co m bination of fre-
quenciesfro m 20Hz to 20,000Hz,with all channels
operating is:
0.005% for 4 or 8 oh m loads
Input Impedance
Phono,47K oh m s,65pF
High Level,22K oh m s
Maximum Input Signal
Phono,90 m V
High Level,8V
Preamplifier Maximum VoltageOutput
Phono,8V attapeoutput
High Level,8V attapeoutput
Main Out,8V atprea m p output
VoltageGain
High Level to Tape: 0dB
High Level to Main: 20dB
Damping Factor
120 at4 oh m s
230 at8 oh m s
Power Requirements
100 Volts,50/60Hz at7.4 a m ps
110 Volts,50/60Hz at6.2 a m ps
120 Volts,50/60Hz at6.2 a m ps
220 Volts,50/60Hz at3.1 a m ps
230 Volts,50/60Hz at3.1 a m ps
240 Volts,50/60Hz at3.1 a m ps
Note: R efer to therear panel oftheMA6500 for thecorrect
voltage.
Overall Dimensions
FrontPanel: 17-1/2 inches(44.45c m ) wide,7-1/8 inches
(18.10c m ) high.Depth behind front m ounting panel is16-
1/2 inches(41.91c m ).Clearance required in frontof the
FrontPanel is1 inch (2.54c m ) for knobs.
Weight
74.5 pounds(33.8 Kg) net,92.5 pounds(41.7 Kg) in ship-
ping carton

19
Packing Instructions
Packing Instructions
In theeventitisnecessary to repack theequip m entfor
ship m ent,theequip m ent m ust bepacked exactly asshown
below.Itisvery i m portantthatthefour plasticfeetareat-
tached to thebotto m of theequip m ent.Three #10 x 2-1/4
inch screwsand washers m ust beused to fasten theunit
securely to thebotto m pad and wood skid.Thiswill ensure
theproper equip m entlocation on thebotto m pad.Failureto
do thiswill resultin shipping da m age.
Usetheoriginal shipping carton and interior parts only
if they areall in good serviceablecondition.If ashipping
carton or any of theinterior part(s) areneeded,pleasecall
or writeCusto m er Service Depart m entof McIntosh Labo-
ratory.Pleasesee thePartList for thecorrectpartnu m bers.
Quantity PartNu m ber Description
1 033888 Shipping carton only
2 033887 End cap (Foa m pad)
1 033697 Insidecarton only
1 033725 Top Pad
1 034008 Botto m pad
2 017218 Plasticfoot(spacer)
1 033699 Wood skid
2 101204 #10 x 2-1/4 inch Wood screw
2 104033 #10 x 1-3/4 inch Flatwasher
4 017218 Plasticfoot
4 100159 #10-32 x 3/4 inch Machine
screw
4 104083 #10 x 7/16 inch Flatwasher
1 048572 Sipping Carton Co m plete

McIntosh PartNo.04063202
McIntosh Laboratory,Inc.
2 Cha m bersStreet
Bingha m ton,N Y 13903