McIntosh MC7106 User manual

MC7106
SIXCHANNEL
POWER
AMPLIFIER

MC7106
SIXCHANNEL
POWER
AMPLIFIER

IMPORTANT
SAFETY
INSTRUCTIONS
THESE
INSTRUCTIONS
ARETOPROTECT
YOUANDTHE
MclNTOSH
INSTRUMENT.
BESURETO
FAMILIARIZE
YOURSELF
WITHTHEM
Copyright1993© by
MclntoshLaboratoryInc.
1.Readallinstructions- Readthesafetyandoperatinginstructionsbeforeoperatingtheinstrument.
2.RetainInstructions- Retainthesafetyandoperatinginstructionsforfuturereference.
3.Heedwarnings- Adheretowarningsandoperatinginstructions.
4.FollowInstructions- Followalloperatinganduseinstructions.
WARNING: TO REDUCERISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRICALSHOCK, DONOT EXPOSETHIS IN-
STRUMENTTORAINORMOISTURE.
5.PowerSources- Connectthepowersupplyonlytothetypedescribedintheoperatinginstructions
orasmarkedontheunit.
6.Power-CordProtection- Routepower-supplycordssothattheyarenotlikelytobewalkedonor
pinchedbyitemsplaceduponoragainstthem,payingparticularattentiontocordsatplugs,
conveniencereceptacles,andthepointwheretheyexitfromtheinstrument.
7.Ventilation- Locatetheinstrumentforproperventilation.Forexample,theinstrumentshouldnot
beplacedona bed,sofa,rug,orsimilarsurfacethatmayblockventilationopenings;or,placed
ina built-ininstallation,suchasa bookcaseorcabinet,thatmayimpedetheflowofairthrough
theventilationopenings.
8.Heat- Locatetheinstrumentawayfromheatsourcessuchasradiators,heatregisters,stoves,or
otherappliance(includingamplifiers)thatproduceheat.
9.WallorCabinetMounting- Mounttheinstrumentina wallorcabinetonlyasdescribedintheowner's
manual.
10.WaterandMoisture- Donotusetheinstrumentnearwater- forexample,neara bathtub,washbowl,
kitchensink,laundrytub,ina wetbasement,orneara swimmingpool,etc.
11.Cleaning- Cleantheinstrumentbydustingwitha drycloth.Cleanthepanelwitha clothmoistened
witha windowcleaner.
12.ObjectandLiquidEntry- Donotpermitobjectstofallandliquidstospillintotheinstrumentthrough
enclosureopenings.
13.NonusePeriods- UnplugthepowercordfromtheACpoweroutletwhenleftunusedfora longperiod
oftime.
14.DamageRequiringServiceServicemustbeperformedbyqualifiedservicepersonnelwhen:
A.Thepowersupplycordortheplughasbeendamaged;or
B.Objectshavefallen,orliquidhasbeenspilledintotheinstrument;or
C.Theinstrumenthasbeenexposedtorain;or
D.Theinstrumentdoesnotappeartooperatenormallyorexhibitsa markedchangeinperformance;
or
E.Theinstrumenthasbeendropped,ortheenclosuredamaged.
15.Servicing- Donotattempttoservicebeyondthatdescribedintheoperatinginstructions.Allother
serviceshouldbereferredtoqualifiedservicepersonnel.
16.GroundingorPolarization- Donotdefeattheinherentdesignfeaturesofthepolarizedplug.Non-
polarizedlinecordadaptorswilldefeatthesafetyprovidedbythepolarizedACplug.
17. CAUTION: TO PREVENTELECTRICAL SHOCK DONOTUSE THIS (POLARIZED)PLUG
WITHANEXTENSIONCORD,RECEPTACLEOROTHEROUTLETUNLESSTHEBLADESCAN
BEFULLYINSERTEDTOPREVENTBLADEEXPOSURE.
ATTENTION: POURPREVENIR LES CHOCSELECTRIQUES PAS UTILISERCETTE
FICHEPOLARISEEAVECUNPROLONGATEUR,UNEPRISEDECOURANTOUUNEAUTRE
SORTIEDECOURANT,SAUFSILESLAMESPEUVENTETREINSEREESA FONDSANSEN
LAiSSERAUCUNEPARTIEA DECOUVERT.
Thelightningflashwitharrowhead,withinanequilateraltriangle,isintendedtoalertthe
usertothepresenceofuninsulated"dangerousvoltage"withintheproduct'senclosure
thatmaybeofsufficientmagnitudetoconstitutea riskofelectricshocktopersons.
CAUTION: TO PREVENT THE RISK OF ELECTRICSHOCK, DONOT
REMOVECOVER(ORBACK).NOUSER-SERVICABLEPARTSINSIDE.
REFERSERVICINGTOQUALIFIEDPERSONNEL.
Theexclamationpointwithinanequilateraltriangleisintendedtoalerttheusertothe
presenceofimportantoperatingandmaintenance(servicing)instructionsintheliterature
accompanyingtheappliance.
WARNING:THISUNITISCAPABLEOFPRODUCINGHIGHSOUND
PRESSURELEVELS.CONTINUEDEXPOSURETOHIGHSOUND
PRESSURELEVELSCANCAUSEPERMANENTHEARINGIMPAIRMENT
ORLOSS.USERCAUTIONISADVISEDANDEARPROTECTIONIS
RECOMMENDEDWHENPLAYINGATHIGHVOLUMES.
2
RISKOFELECTRICSHOCK
DONOTOPEN
CAUTION

YourdecisiontoownthispieceofMclntoshStereoEquipmentranksyouattheverytop
amongdiscriminatingmusiclisteners.Younowhave"TheBest".TheMclntoshdedication
to"Quality",isassurancethatyouwillreceivethousandsofhoursofmusicalenjoymentfrom
thisunit.
Pleasetakea shorttimetoreadtheinformationinthismanual.Wewantyoutobeasfamiliar
aspossiblewithallthefeaturesandfunctionsofyournewpieceofMclntosh.Thiswillen-
surethatyoureceivealltheperformancebenefitsthisinstrumentcanofferyou,andthat
itwillbecomea highlyvaluedpartofyourhomemusicsystem.
THANK
YOU
Theserialnumber,purchasedate,andMclntoshLaboratoryServiceContractnumberare
importanttoyouforpossibleinsuranceclaimorfutureservice.Recordthisinformationhere.
SerialNumberPurchaseDate
ServiceContractNumber
Uponapplication,MclntoshLaboratoryprovidesa ServiceContracttotheoriginalpurchaser.
YourMclntoshAuthorizedServiceAgencycanexpediterepairswhenyouprovidetheSer-
viceContractwiththeinstrumentforrepair.
SERVICECONTRACT 4
INTRODUCTION. 5
HOWTOINSTALLTHEMC7106. 5
CUSTOMINSTALLATIONDIAGRAM.6
MC7106OPERATINGCONFIGURATIONS.7
REARPANELFEATURESANDCONNECTIONS7,8,9
AMPLIFIER/SPEAKERCONFIGURATIONS.9,10,11
MclNTOSHHOMETHEATERAMPLIFIER/SPEAKERCONNECTIONS12,13
SPECIFICATIONS14
TECHNICALDESCRIPTION15,16
TABLEOF
CONTENTS
3

TAKEADVANTAGEOF3 YEARSOFCONTRACTSERVICE.. .
FILLINTHEAPPLICATIONNOW.
YourMC7106PowerAmplifierwillgiveyoumanyyearsofsatisfactoryperformance.Ifyou
haveany questions,pleasecontact,
MclntoshLaboratoryInc.
2ChambersStreet
Binghamton,NewYork13903-2699
Phone:[phone]
MclNTOSH
THREEYEAR
SERVICE
CONTRACT
AnapplicationforA THREEYEARSERVICECONTRACTisincludedwiththismanual.
Thetermsofthecontractare:
1.Iftheinstrumentcoveredbythiscontractbecomesdefective,Mclntoshwillprovideallparts,
materials,andlaborneededtoreturnthemeasuredperformanceoftheinstrumenttothe
originalperformancelimitsfreeofanycharge.Theservicecontractdoesnotcoverany
shippingcoststoandfromtheauthorizedserviceagencyorthefactory.
2.AnyMclntoshauthorizedserviceagencywillrepairallMclntoshinstrumentsatnormal
servicerates.Toreceivethefreeserviceunderthetermsoftheservicecontract,theser-
vicecontractcertificatemustaccompanytheinstrumentwhentakentotheserviceagency.
3.Alwayshaveservicedonebya Mclntoshauthorizedserviceagency.Ifthe instrument is
modified or damaged as a result of unauthorized repair the service contract will be cancell-
ed. Damagebyimproperuseormishandlingisnotcoveredbytheservicecontract.
4.Theservicecontractisissuedtoyouastheoriginalpurchaser.Toprotectyoufrom
misrepresentationthiscontractcannotbetransferredtoa secondowner.
5.UnitsinoperationoutsidetheUnitedStatesandCanadaarenotcoveredbytheMclntosh
FactoryServiceContract,irrespectiveoftheplaceofpurchase.Norareunitsacquired
outsidetheUSAandCanada,thepurchasersofwhichshouldconsultwiththeirdealer
toascertainwhat,ifany,servicecontractorwarrantymaybeavailablelocally.
A

MclntoshLaboratoryhasearneda worldwidereputationforitstechnicalcontributionsto
improvedsoundreproduction.ThetechnicalinnovationsinMclntoshproductshaveintegrity
provenbytime.TheMclntosh"Classic"designisrecognizedasthemostoutstandinginthe
industry.
Mclntoshproductsaredesignedtobemaximumuserfriendlysoanyonecanenjoyusing
them.Theyarealsodesignedforeasymaintenance.ThelegendaryreliabilityofMclntosh
productshasbeena matterofrecordsince1949.
TheMC7106,SixChannelPowerAmplifier,isidealfora "MclntoshQuality"HomeTheater
system.Itcanalsobeusedinsystemswheremultiamplifiersareneededforremotezones.
AllthreepairsofstereochannelscanbeswitchedintoBridgedconfigurationfor320watts
each.Youhavea choiceofsix100wattchannels,(160wattsinto4 ohms),four100/160watt
channelsandone320wattchannel,two100/160wattchannelsandtwo320wattchannels
orthree320wattchannels.TheMC7106configurationisperfectfora hometheatersystem
thatwillreproduceDolbySurroundTMsoundtracks.TheMC7106hasbeenHome
THX®AudiolicensedbyLucasfilmLtd.tomeetallthespecializedTHXrequirementsfor
reproducingDolbySurroundmoviesoundtracks.TheMC7106includesa rearpanel25pin
connectorfora computertypecabletoacceptallsixaudiochannelsandACpowercontrol
informationfroma MclntoshC39orMX130Audio/VideoControlCenter.TheC39andMX130
includebuilt-inDolbyProLogic™decodingcircuits,andcanbeconvertedtoHome
THX®Audiowiththeadd-onMclntoshTHX-Mmodule.TheHomeTHX®AudioSystemisa
licensingprogramofLucasfilmLtd.whichdefinesnewtechnologiesandqualitystandards
foraccuracyinhometheaters.
EachofthesixMC7106directcoupledchannelscandelivera PeakOutputCurrentof25
amperes,makingitcompatiblewitha widevarietyofloudspeakers.Allsixchannelsincor-
poratetheMclntoshPOWERGUARDcircuitwhichpreventsoutputclippingwithitsharsh
anddamagingdistortion.
TherearefrontpanelLEDelectronicpowerlevelindicatorsforallsixchannelswhichac-
curatelyreadthepercentageofmaximumpoweroutput.ThetopLEDforeachchanneldisplay
lightswheneverthePowerGuardcircuitisactivated.Thisindicatesthattheamplifierisbe-
ingprotectedfromoverdriveandclipping.TheoutputlevelwherePowerGuardactswillbe
wellabovetheratedpowerduetoconservativeMclntoshdesignphilosophy.
TheLEDpowerleveldisplayswillautomaticallydimastheroomlightsdim.A rearpanel
controlallowsyoutoadjusttheLEDilluminationintensitieswhentheyaredimmed,orturn
themoffcompletely.Thefrontpanelis"ClassicMclntosh",allglass,withlightednomenclature.
THX® is a registered trademark of Lucasfilm Ltd.
DOLBY SURROUND, PRO LOGIC and the Double "D" Symbol are registered trademarks
of Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation,
INTRODUCTION
TheMC7106canbeplaceduprightona tableorshelf,standingonitsfourplasticfeet.
Theamplifiercanalsobecustominstalledina cabinetofyourchoice.Themountingpanel
cutoutandamplifierdimensionsareshowninthediagramsfoundonPage6 ofthismanual.
Alwaysprovideadequateventilationfortheamplifier.Thetroublefreelifeofanyelectronic
instrumentisgreatlyextendedbyprovidingsufficientventilationforpropercooling.
Allowatleast1-1/2inches(3.8cm)abovetheheatsinkareatoallowthefreeflowofair.
Therecommendedminimum depthformounting,includingclearanceforconnectors,is20
inches(51cm)behindthefrontmountingpanel.Clearancerequiredinfrontofthemounting
panelsurfaceis1 inch(2.54cm).
HOWTOINSTALL
THE MC7106
5

CUSTOM
INSTALLATION
DIAGRAM
6

TheversatileMclntoshMC7106canbeusedinfourdifferentbasicoperatingconfigurations.
1.Sixseparate100wattchannelsinto8 ohms,(160wattsinto4 ohms).
2.Four100/160waftchannelsandone320wattchannel,bridged(8ohms).
3.Two100/160wattchannelsandtwo320wattchannels,bridged(8ohms).
4.Three320wattchannels,bridged(8ohms).
TheMclntoshHT,HomeTheaterSeriesloudspeakersare4 ohmimpedance.TheMclntosh
MC7106willdelivera totalof960wattsofpowerintothesesixloudspeakerswhenusedin
aMclntoshHomeTheaterSystem.
TheMC7106isdesignedtodirectlyinterfacewitha MclntoshC39orMX130Audio/Video
ControlCenter.Theconnectionisthrougha shielded25conductorSubminiature"D"com-
putertypecableconnectedfromtheMclntoshControlCentertotheTHXINPUTconnector
ontheMC7106rearpanel.AllsixprogramsignalsaswellasACpowercontrolsignalsare
senttotheamplifierthroughthiscable.Individualdiscretecablescanalsobeusedifdesired.
TheMC7106alsoisanidealamplifierforapplicationsrequiringmultizoneamplifiers.For
example,theMC7106cansupplypowertoa pairofspeakersinthreeseparateareaswhen
itisusedwiththeMclntoshCR10RemoteControlSystem.
MC7106
OPERATING
CONFIGURATIONS
Usehighqualityinputandoutputconnectingcables.Propercableswillensurereceiving
thebestpossibleperformancefromyourMclntoshsystem.YourMclntoshdealercanadvise
youonthetypesandlengthsofcablesthatwillworkbestinyourinstallation.
Refertothehookupdrawingsforinformationonhowtoconnecttheinputsandoutputsfor
eachinstallationconfiguration.Payspecialattentiontothepolaritiesofthespeakerhookups.
ThetopREDspeakeroutputterminalsarepositive,andthebottomBLACKterminalsare
negativeorcommon.Thisconfigurationapplieswhentheamplifierchannelsareused
individually.
InBRIDGEDconfiguration,onlytheTopREDterminalsareused.Followtheplusandminus
polarityindicationsmarkedabovetheREDterminals.Whenusinga pairofchannelsinBRIDG-
EDmode,settherearpanelMODESwitchforthatpairofchannelstotheBRIDGEDposition.
Useonlyspeakerswithanimpedanceof8 ohmsorhigherwithBRIDGEDchannels.
RefertothenumbersontherearpaneldrawingforthedescriptionsoftheMC7106con-
nectionsandcontrols.
1.POWER(ON,OFF/REMOTE)
ONpositionturnstheMC7106ACpoweron.OFF/REMOTEallowstheMC7106ACpower
tobeturnedonbya controlsignalfroma MclntoshControlCenterthroughthe25conductor
THXconnector.Theamplifiercanalsobeturnedonbya controlsignalfedfroma Mclntosh
ControlCenterPOWERCONTROLOutputtotheMC7106rearpanelPOWERCONTROLIN
connector.
2.MODE(NORMAL/BRIDGED)
SetthisswitchtoNORMALwhenchannels5 and6 arebeingusedseparately.Settheswitch
toBRIDGEDwhenthetwochannelsareconnectedtogetherforbridgedoperation.
3.INPUTS5 and6
Connectcablesfroma preamplifier,controlcenterorotheraccessoryoutput-tothese
inputs.
REARPANEL
FEATURES
AND
CONNECTIONS
7

REARPANEL
FEATURES
AND
CONNECTIONS
4.LEVEL5 and6
SetthecontrolsfullyclockwisetotheTHX(1volt)referencepositionwhenusingtheamplifier
witha MclntoshC39orMX130ControlCenteradaptedfortheHomeTHX®AudioSystem.
Forusewithotheraudiosystems,setthecontrolsasdesired.
5.DISPLAYBRIGHTNESS(MAX/OFF)
(Flush mounted screwdriver control)
AdjustthiscontrolforthedesiredbrightnessofthefrontpanelpowerlevelLEDdisplays
whentheroomisdarkened.Whentheroomlightingreturnstonormal,thedisplayswillalso
returntotheirnormalintensity.Turnthecontrolfullycounterclockwisetoturnthedisplays
completelyoff.Thefrontpaneltealnomenclatureretainsnormalilluminationatalltimes.
6.MODE(NORMAL/BRIDGED)
SetthisswitchtoNORMALwhenchannels3 and4 arebeingusedseparately.Settheswitch
toBRIDGEDwhenthetwochannelsareconnectedtogetherforbridgedoperation.
7. INPUTS3 and4
Connectcablesfroma preamplifier,controlcenterorotheraccessoryoutputstothese
inputs.
8.LEVEL3 and4
SetthecontrolsfullyclockwisetotheTHX(1volt)referencepositionwhenusingtheamplifier
witha MclntoshC39orMX130ControlCenteradaptedfortheHomeTHX®AudioSystem.
Forusewithotheraudiosystems,setthecontrolsasdesired.
9.THX®INPUT
Connecta shielded25conductorSubminiature"D"male-to-femalecomputertypecable
fromthe6 channeloutputconnectorona MclntoshC39orMX130totheMC7106THX®input
connector.ThiscablewillsupplyallsixoutputsignalsfromtheControlCenterforsurround
soundoperation.ItalsosuppliesthecontrolsignaltoturntheMC7106ACpoweronandoff.
10.MODE(NORMAL/BRIDGED)
SetthisswitchtoNORMALwhenchannels1 and2 arebeingusedseparately.Settheswitch
toBRIDGEDwhenthetwochannelsareconnectedtogetherforbridgedoperation.
11.INPUTS1 and2
Connectcablesfroma preamplifier,ControlCenterorotheraccessoryoutputstothese
inputs.
12.LEVELS1 and2
SetthecontrolsfullyclockwisetotheTHX(1volt)referencepositionwhenusingtheamplifier
witha MclntoshC39orMX130ControlCenteradaptedfortheHomeTHX®AudioSystem.
Forusewithotheraudiosystems,setthecontrolsasdesired.
13.OUTPUTS1 and2,andBRIDGEDOUTPUT
Forseparatechanneloperation,connecttheHotleadofa loudspeakertothe+ (Plus)
REDupperterminal,andtheCommonleadtothe- (Minus)BLACKlowerterminalofeach
channel.
ForBRIDGEDoperation,connecttheHotleadofa loudspeakertothe+ (Plus)REDupper
Channel1,BRIDGEDterminal,andtheCommonleadtothe- (Minus)REDupperChannel
2,BRIDGEDterminal.
8

14.OUTPUTS3 and4,andBRIDGEDOUTPUT
Forseparatechanneloperation,connecttheHotleadofa loudspeakertothe+ (Plus)
REDupperterminal,andtheCommonleadtothe- (Minus)BLACKlowerterminalofeach
channel.
ForBRIDGEDoperation,connecttheHotleadofa loudspeakertothe+ (Plus)REDupper
Channel3,BRIDGEDterminal,andtheCommonleadtothe- Minus)REDupperChannel
4,BRIDGEDterminal.
15.POWERCONTROL,IN/OUT
TheMC7106ACpowercanbeturnedonandoffbya controlsignalfedtothePOWER
CONTROLINconnector.Thissignalisavailablefroma MclntoshC39orMX130ControlCenter
throughthe25conductorcomputertypecable,ordirectlyfroma ControlCenterPOWERCON-
TROLOutput.TheMC7106POWERCONTROLOUTjackwillfeedthesameACpowercon-
trolsignalouttoanotheraccessorycomponentwitha compatiblePowerControlinput-The
POWERCONTROLconnectorsarestandard1/8inchminiphoneplugs.Onlythetipandsleeve
areusedforconnections.
TheMC7106POWERswitchmustbeintheOFF/REMOTEsettingforthepowercontrol
signalstoproperlyoperatetheMC7106ACpower.
16.OUTPUTS5 and6,andBRIDGEDOUTPUT
Forseparatechanneloperation,connecttheHotleadofa loudspeakertothe+ (Plus)
REDupperterminal,andtheCommonleadtothe- (Minus)BLACKlowerterminalofeach
channel.
ForBRIDGEDoperation,connecttheHotleadofa loudspeakertothe+ (Plus)REDupper
Channel5,BRIDGEDterminal,andtheCommonleadtothe- (Minus)REDupperChannel
6,BRIDGEDterminal.
17.ACPOWERCORD
ConnecttheMC7106toa live50/60Hz,120voltACwalloutlet.Donotconnecttheunit
toanACoutletontherearpanelofa PreamplifierorControlCenter.
18.15A250V(Fuse)
CAUTION:Forcontinuedprotectionagainstfirehazard,replaceonlywiththesametype
15A-250VSLOBLOfuse.
REARPANEL
FEATURES
AND
CONNECTIONS
ThefollowinghookupdiagramsshowhowtoconnectthesixchannelsoftheMC7106in
fourdifferentoutputconfigurations.TheMC7106hasexcellentchannelseparation,sothe
sixchannelscanbeusedassixseparateamplifiers,inmonoorstereo,eachwithitsdedicated
inputsignalandspeakeroutput.Anyofthefollowingoperatingconfigurationscanbeused
formultizoneamplifierrequirements.
AMPLIFIER/
SPEAKER
CONFIGURATIONS
9

SIX100/160
WATT
CHANNELS
FOUR100/160
WATT
CHANNELS
AND
ONE320WATT
CHANNEL,
BRIDGED
SPEAKERSPEAKER
65
100WATTS100WATTS
SPEAKERSPEAKER
43
100WATTS100WATTS
SPEAKERSPEAKER
21
100WATTS100WATTS
SPEAKERSPEAKER
65
100WATTS100WATTS
SPEAKERSPEAKER
43
100WATTS100WATTS
SPEAKER
1
300WATTS
CHANNELS1 AND2 BRIDGED
10

SPEAKER
3
300WATTS
SPEAKER
2
300WATTS
CHANNELS3 AND4 BRIDGED
SPEAKER
1
300WATTS
CHANNELS1 AND2 BRIDGED
TWO100/160
WATTCHANNELS
AND
TWO320WATT
CHANNELS,
BRIDGED
THREE320WATT
CHANNELS,
BRIDGED
CHANNELS1 AND2,3 AND4,5 AND6 BRIDGED
11
SPEAKERSPEAKER
65
100WATTS100WATTS
SPEAKER
1
300WATTS
SPEAKER
2
300WATTS

MclNTOSH
HOMETHEATER
AMPLIFIER/
SPEAKER
CONNECTIONS
HOMETHEATERSURROUND,USINGSIX100/160WATTCHANNELSWITHA
MclNTOSHC39ORMX130AUDIO/VIDEOCONTROLCENTER
TheMclntoshHT,HomeTheaterSeriesloudspeakersare4 ohmimpedance.TheMcln-
toshMC7106willdelivera totalof960wattsofpowerintothesesixloudspeakerswhenused
ina MclntoshHomeTheaterSystem.
Programsignalscomingfroma MclntoshC39orMX130ControlCenterwillbefedtothe
MC7106inputsthroughtherearpanel25pinTHXINPUTconnector.Allsixchannelswill
receivesignalswhentheControlCentersareusedintheHALL,CINEMA1,(DolbyProLogic)
orCINEMA2,(THX®Audio),MODES.ACpowercontrolfortheMC7106isalsofedthrough
the25pinconnector.TheMC7106ACpowercablemustbeconnectedtoa liveACwalloutlet
atalltimes.SettheMC7106rearpanelPOWERswitchtotheOFF/REMOTEposition.
Do not connect the MC7106 power cable to a Control Center rear panel AC outlet.
ThesixseparateControlCenterrearpanelRCAoutputjacksmayalsobeusedtoconnect
totheMC7106inputsinsteadofthe25conductorcable.Inthismodeofconnecting,tocon-
troltheMC7106ACpoweryoualsomustconnecta cablefromtheControlCenterPOWER
CONTROLjacktotheMC7106POWERCONTROLINjack.ConnecttheMC7106powercable
toa liveACwalloutletandsetthePOWERswitchtotheOFF/REMOTEposition.
OUTPUTCHANNELASSIGNMENTUSINGTHETHX25PINCONNECTOR
AMclntoshC39orMX130usedintheHALL,CINEMA1,orCINEMA2 Modewillfeed
thefollowingsurroundsoundsignalstothesixchannelsoftheMC7106throughthe25con-
ductorTHXconnector.
CHANNEL1:CenterFrontCHANNEL4:RightFront
CHANNEL2:LeftSurroundCHANNEL5:Subwoofer
CHANNEL3:LeftFrontCHANNEL6:RightSurround
For further information on other operating modes of the C39 or MX 130, consult the
applicable owner's manual.
12

MclNTOSH
HOMETHEATER
WITHSIX
160WATT
CHANNELS
13

SPECIFICATIONS
PERFORMANCELIMITS
Performancelimitsarethemaximum
deviationfromperfectionpermittedfora
Mclntoshinstrument.Wepromiseyouthat
whenyoupurchaseanMC7106froma
Mclntoshfranchiseddealer,itwillbe
capableofperformanceatorbetterthan
theselimits.
POWEROUTPUT,SIXCHANNELS
100wattsperchannelinto8 ohmloads,
or160wattsperchannelinto4 ohmloads
minimumsinewavecontinuousaverage
poweroutputperchannel,allchannels
operating.
TheoutputRMSvoltageis:
28.3Vacross8 ohms
25.2Vacross4 ohms
POWEROUTPUT,
TWOCHANNELSBRIDGED
320wattsintoan8 ohmload,minimum
sinewavecontinuousaveragepoweroutput.
TheoutputRMSvoltageis:
50.6Vacross8 ohms
OUTPUTLOADIMPEDANCE
8or4 ohms,forallsixseparatechannels
8ohrns,Bridgedoperation
RATEDPOWERBAND
20Hzto20,000Hz
TOTALHARMONICDISTORTION
0.005%maximumharmonicdistortionat
anypowerlevelfrom250mWtoratedpower
output.
IHFDYNAMICHEADROOM
8ohms,1.8dB
4ohms,2.1dB
FREQUENCYRESPONSE
+0,-0.25dBfrom20Hzto20,000Hz
+0,-3.0dBfrom10Hzto100,000Hz
INPUTSENSITIVITY
1V,(2.5VwithLevelcontrolatcenter
detent)
A-WEIGHTEDSIGNAL-TO-NOISERATIO
93dB(113dBbelowratedoutput)
INTERMODULATIONDISTORTION,SMPTE
0.005%maximumifinstantaneouspeak
powerdoesnotexceedtwicetheoutput
powerrating.
RATINGS
WIDEBANDDAMPINGFACTOR
200at8 ohms
100at4 ohms
INPUTIMPEDANCE
20,000ohms
POWERGUARD
ClippingispreventedandTHDdoesnot
exceed2%withupto14dBoverdriveat
1000Hz.
POWERREQUIREMENTS
120V,50/60Hz,12AUL/CSA
MECHANICAL
SIZE
Frontpanel:171/2inches(44.5cm)wide,
by7 1/8inches(18.1cm)high.Depthbehind
thefrontmountingpanelis20inches
(50.8cm)includingclearanceforconnectors.
Panelclearancerequiredinfrontofmount-
ingpanelis1 inch(2.54cm).
FINISH
Frontpanelisglasswithgold/teal
nomenclatureillumination.Chassisand
chassiscoverareblack.
WEIGHT
52pounds(23.6Kg)net,70pounds
(31.8Kg)inshippingcarton.
14

DESIGNPHILOSOPHY
TheMC7106SixChannelpoweramplifierisdesignedtooperateloudspeakerswitha
nominalimpedanceof4 to8 ohms.Itfeaturesa newcircuitdesignthatkeepsdistortionlevels
solowittakesspecialtestgearforaccuratemeasurements.
Thedesignphilosophyincorporatedinthisoutstandingamplifierinvolvedmanydifferent
techniques,allbasedonsoundscientificlogic.Everystageofvoltageorcurrentamplifica-
tionwasdesignedtobeaslinearaspossible.Negativefeedbackisthenutilizedtoenhance
theperformance.Mclntoshengineersknowhowtoproperlydesignnegativefeedbackcircuits
sotheycontributetotheextremelylowdistortionperformanceexpectedfroma Mclntosh
amplifier.Alltransistorsareselectedtohavenearlyconstantcurrentgain(Beta)overtheen-
tirecurrentrangetheymustcover.Outputtransistorsinparticular,havematcheduniform
currentgain,highcurrent-bandwidthproductandlargeactiveregionsafeoperatingarea.
Resistorsandcapacitorsinthesignalpatharecarefullyselectedtohaveexceedinglylow
voltagecoefficients,(changeofresistanceorreactancewithappliedvoltage).Precisionmetal
filmresistors,lowdielectricabsorptionfilmcapacitorsandpremiumaudiogradeelectrolytics
areusedinallcriticalcircuitlocations.
PROTECTIONCIRCUITS
Somemanufacturersclaimthattheirproductsdonotneedoruseprotectioncircuitsand
thatsuchcircuitscompromiseperformance.Mclntoshfeelsthatprotectioncircuitsare
desirableandnecessarytopreventamplifierorloudspeakerdamageduetoabnormalcir-
cumstances.ThegeniusofMclntoshengineeringhasresultedinprotectioncircuitswhich
havenoeffectorcompromiseonthenormalperformanceofa poweramplifier.TheSENTRY
MONITORcircuitisa goodexample.TheMC7106incorporatessixspecificprotectioncir-
cuitstoenhanceitsperformance,increaseitsreliabilityandprotectloudspeakers.
SENTRYMONITORCIRCUIT
Allpowertransistorshavelimitsforthemaximumamountofpowertheycanhandle.The
MC7106outputtransistorsandpowersupplyhavebeendesignedtoallowveryhighcurrent
flowintoproperlymatchedloadimpedances.However,ifa shortcircuitorverylowloadim-
pedanceisconnectedtoanyoftheMC7106outputs,destructivecurrentlevelscouldbereach-
edifitwasnotcontrolledbytheSENTRYMONITORcircuit-Thiscircuitsensesthedynamic
operatingtime,voltageandcurrentoftheoutputstage,andcontrolsittosafeoperatinglimits.
Thereisabsolutelynocompromiseinsonicperformanceanditensuressafeoperation
oftheamplifierundereventhemostextremeoperatingconditions.
THERMALCONTROL
Allpowertransistorshavelimitsforthemaximumamountofheattheycansafelytolerate.
TheMC7106useshighlyefficientamplifyingcircuitswhichproducerelativelylittleheatfor
theoutputpowerproduced.Theamplifieruseslargeareaheatsinkstoefficientlydissipate
whatheatitdoesgenerate.Naturalconvectionairflowissufficientforsafecooloperation.
Ifthecoolingairisblocked,ortheamplifieroperatingtemperatureisforcedtoohigh,ther-
malcutoutswitcheswillturnoffthespeakersononeormorepairsofchannels.BothPOWER
GUARDindicators willlightcontinuouslyforthechannelsthatareaffectedtoshowthatther-
malprotectionisoperating.Whentheproblemiscorrectedandtheamplifiercoolsdownto
itsnormaloperatingtemperature,thespeakerswillbeturnedbackon.
TECHNICAL
DESCRIPTION
15

TECHNICAL
DESCRIPTION
DIRECTCURRENTFAILUREPROTECTION
Aprotectioncircuitisprovidedthatturnsoffthespeakersifforanyreasona DCvoltage
shouldappearattheoutputterminalsofanyoneofthesixchannels.Thespeakerswillturn
offonlyforthepairofchannelsthatareaffected.Thissafeguardpreventspossiblespeaker
damage.
POWERGUARD*
TheMC7106amplifierincludestheuniquepatentedMclntoshPOWERGUARDcircuit.
POWERGUARDeliminatesthepossibilityofeveroverdrivingtheamplifierintoclipping.
Clippingoccurswhenanamplifierisoverdrivenpastitsoutputdesigncapabilities.Anover-
drivenamplifiercanproducebothaudibleandultrasonicdistortionlevelsapproaching40%.
Theaudibledistortionisunpleasanttohear,buttheultrasonicdistortionisalsoundesirable,
sinceitcandamagetweeterloudspeakers.
ThePOWERGUARDcircuitactsasa waveformcomparator,monitoringboththeinputand
outputwaveforms.Undernormaloperatingconditionstherearenodifferencesbetweenthese
waveforms.Ifanamplifierchannelisoverdrivenbeyonditsmaximumdistortionfreeoutput,
therewillbea differencebetweenthetwosignalwaveforms.Whenthedifferenceexceeds
0.3%(equivalentto0.3%harmonicdistortion),theamberPOWERGUARDindicatorwilllight.
Ifthedifferencecontinuestoincrease,thePOWERGUARDcircuitwillcontrolanelectronic
attenuatorattheamplifierchannelinputtoreducethegainjustenoughtopreventanyfur-
therincreaseindistortion.Distortionwillnotexceed2%withasmuchas14dBoverdrive
at1000Hz.
AMclntoshpoweramplifierwithPOWERGUARDwillalwaysdeliveritsmaximumdistor-
tionfreeoutput.ThispowerisalwayswellaboveitsratedpowerduetotheMclntoshphilosophy
ofconservativedesign.Youwillneverexperiencetheharshanddamagingdistortiondueto
clippingwhenusinga MclntoshamplifierwithPOWERGUARD.
POWER GUARD is protected by U.S. Patent No. 4048573.
16

Thelettersandnumberscorrespondtotheparagraphsonpages7,8,and9.

04010100
BE022003