McIntosh Loudspeaker Systems Part 1
A History
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Contact McIntosh Laboratory, Inc. for complete literature and retail prices of current products. |
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H = height |
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The systems are listed alphabetically. There may be missing prices or other features. Any additions, corrections or comments are welcome. |
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MQ |
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A McIntosh MQ101 or MQ102 equalizer was part of the system design and was required for extended bass response. |
HT-1 Home Theater loudspeaker system
2-way floor system has two 8" LD/HP
woofers and three 1" aluminum dome tweeters. THX approved. Black ash finish. Tweeter panel can be turned 90
degrees if system placed on its side. This will maintain the same tweeter
orientation.
Resetting solid state tweeter protection.
Crossovers: at 500Hz and 1400 Hz
Impedance: 4 ohms
Output: 86dB @1w/1m [89dB @ 2.83v]
Power rating: 300w
Overload protection: Solid state for tweeters
Size: 22-1/2"H, 15-1/2"W and 10-1/2"D
Weight: 42 lb.
Manufactured: 1993-.
Last retail price: $1,100.00 each
Floor system has Two 12" LD/HP
woofers facing downward. THX approved. Black ash finish.
Impedance: 4 ohms
Output: 88dB @1w/1m [91dB @ 2.83v]
Power rating: 600w
Size: 20-1/2"H, 30"W and 20"D
Weight: 90.5 lb.
Manufactured: 1993-.
Last retail price: $1,750,00 each
HT-3 Home Theater surround speaker
Wall speaker has Two 5" woofers and
two 1" aluminum dome tweeters. THX approved.
Finish textured black. White grille cloth.
Crossover frequency: 1500Hz
Impedance: 4 ohms
Output 85dB @1w/1m [88dB @ 2.83v]
Power rating: 200w
Size: 15-1/2"H, 15-1/2"W and 4" into wall, 2" out from wall
Weight: 20 lb.
Manufactured: 1993-
Last retail price: $1000.00 each
HT-3F and HT-3W Home Theater surround Speaker
Earlier versions of the HT-3. One for flush
in-wall mounting and one for on the wall mounting.
Wall speaker has Two 5" woofers and two 1" aluminum dome tweeters. THX approved. Finish textured black. White grille cloth.
Crossover frequency: 1500Hz
Impedance: 4 ohms
Output 85dB @1w/1m [88dB @ 2.83v]
Power rating: 200w
Size: 15-1/2"H, 15-1/2"W and 4" into wall, 2" out from wall
Weight: 20 lb.
Manufactured: 1993-
Last retail price: $1000.00 each
HT-4 Home Theater center channel speaker.
Two 6-1/2" woofers and three 1"
aluminum dome tweeters. THX approved. Black ash finish.
Crossover frequency: 1250Hz
Impedance: 4 ohms
Output: 84dB @1w/1m [87dB @ 2.83v]
Power rating 200w.
Overload protection: Solid state for tweeters
Size 8"H, 21"W and 11"D
Weight 23 lb.
Manufactured 1994-.
Last retail price $1,000.00 each
Contemporary style equipment cabinet matches
the ML-2C and ML-4C speaker systems. Has the same height and depth. Walnut
finish. Lift-up top is in two pieces, 41-3/4" and 21-1/8". Left and
right storage with hinged doors 19" wide.
Size: 29"H, 63-1/8"W
and 21-3/8"D.
Sold from: 1971-.
Last retail price: $600.00
Mediterranean style equipment cabinet
matches the ML-2M and ML-4M speaker systems.. Has the same height and depth.
Pecan finish. Lift-up top is in two pieces, 41-3/4" and 21-1/8". Left
and right storage with hinged doors 19" wide.
Size 29"H, 63-1/8"W
and 21-3/8"D.
Sold from 1971-.
Last retail price $600.00
2-way bookshelf system with 8" LD/HP
woofer and 1" aluminum dome tweeter. Walnut or black ash finish. Resetting
solid state protection. Terminals for bi-amp/bi-wire. Black grille cloth.
Crossover at 2500Hz
Impedance 4 ohms
Output 84dB @1w/1m [87dB @ 2.83v]
Power rating 200w
Overload protection: none
Size 18-1/2"H, 10-1/2"W and 10-1/2"D
Weight 24.5 lb.
Sold from 1993-1997
Last retail price $1100/pr
3-way floor system with two 8" LD/HP
woofers and 1" aluminum dome tweeter. Walnut or black ash finish.
Resetting solid state protection. Terminals for bi-amp/bi-wire. Black grille
cloth.
Crossover frequencies: 350Hz and
3500Hz
Impedance 4 ohms
Output 85dB @1w/1m [88dB @ 2.83v]
Power rating 300w
Overload protection: none
Size 36"H, 13"W and 12"D
Weight 56.5 lb.
Sold from 1993-1997
Last retail price $2200/pr
3-way floor system with two 10"
LD/HP woofers, 5" mid and 1" aluminum dome tweeter. Walnut or black
ash finish. Resetting solid state protection. Terminals for tri-amp/tri-wire.
Black grille cloth.
Crossover frequencies: 450Hz and
2500Hz
Impedance: 4 ohms
Output: 86dB @1w/1m [89dB @ 2.83v]
Power rating: 500w
Overload protection: none
Size: 44"H, 15-1/2"W and 12-5/8"D
Weight: 87.5 lb.
Sold from: 1993-1997
Last retail price: $3500/pr
4-way bookshelf system has 12"
woofer, 8"lower mid, 1-1/2" soft dome upper mid and 2-1/4"
tweeter. Contemporary design has walnut finish. Solid wood grille frame with
plastic vertical slats having matching walnut laminate. Black grille cloth
behind slats. Requires the MQ101 or MQ102 equalizer for flat low frequency
response.
Crossover frequencies: 250 Hz,
1.5kHz and 7kHz
Impedance: 8 ohms
Output: 89dB @1w/1m
Power rating: 100w
Size: 26"H, 15"W and 13-1/2"D
Weight: 64lbs.
Sold from: 1970 to 1975
Last retail price: $399.00 each
5-way floor system has two 12"
woofers, 8" lower-mid, 1-1/2" soft dome mid-mid, 1-1/2" soft
dome upper-mid and 2-1/4" tweeter. Contemporary design has walnut finish.
Solid wood grille frames with plastic vertical slats having matching walnut
laminate. Black grille cloth behind slats. Requires the MQ101 or MQ102
equalizer for flat low frequency response.
Crossover frequencies: 250 Hz,
1.5kHz, 3kHz and 7kHz.
Impedance: 8 ohms.
Output: 89dB @1w/1m.
Power rating: 200w.
Size: 29"H, 28-3/8"W and 21-3/8"D. Weight 144 lb.
Sold from: 1971 to 1981.
Last retail price: $799.00 each
5-way floor system has two 12"
woofers, 8" lower mid, 1-1/2" soft dome mid mid, 1-1/2" soft
dome upper mid and 2-1/4" tweeter. Mediterranean design has pecan finish.
Gathered curtains on rods behind grilles. Colors of green, red and gold were
available. Solid brass decor and handles at the center of the grille. Requires
the MQ101 or MQ102 equalizer for flat low frequency response.
Crossover frequencies: 250 Hz,
1.5kHz, 3kHz and 7kHz
Impedance: 8 ohms
Output: 89dB @1w/1m
Power rating: 200w
Size: 29"H, 28-3/8"W and 21-3/8"D
Weight: 144 lb.
Sold from: 1971 to 1985
Last retail price: $799.00 each
5-way floor system with four 12"
woofers, 8" lower mid, two 1-1/2" soft dome mid mids, two 1-1/2"
soft dome upper mids and two 2-1/4" tweeters. Contemporary design has
walnut finish. Solid wood grille frame with plastic vertical slats having
matching walnut laminate. Black grille cloth behind slats. Requires the MQ101
or MQ102 equalizer for flat low frequency response.
Crossover frequencies: 250 Hz,
1.5kHz, 3kHz and 7kHz
Impedance: 8 ohms
Output: 89dB @1w/1m
Power rating: 300w
Size: 29"H, 41"W and 21-3/8"D
Weight: 212 lb.
Sold from: 1971 to 1977
Last retail price: $1199.00 each
5-way floor system with four 12"
woofers, 8" lower mid, two 1-1/2" soft dome mid mids, two 1-1/2"
soft dome upper mids and two 2-1/4" tweeters. Mediterranean design has
pecan finish. Gathered curtains on rods behind grilles. Colors of green, red
and gold were available. Solid brass decor and handles at the center of the
grille. Requires the MQ101 or MQ102 equalizer for flat low frequency response.
Crossover frequencies: 250 Hz,
1.5kHz, 3kHz and 7kHz
Impedance: 8 ohms
Output: 89dB @1w/1m
Power rating: 300w
Size: 29"H, 41"W and 21-3/8"D
Weight: 212 lb.
Sold from: 1971 to 1973
Last retail price: $1199.00 each
3-way bookshelf system with 10"
woofer, 1-1/2" soft dome mid and 2-1/4" tweeter. Contemporary design
has walnut finish. Solid wood grille frame with plastic vertical slats having
matching walnut laminate. Black grille cloth behind slats. Requires the MQ101
or MQ102 equalizer for flat low frequency response.
Crossover frequencies: 1kHz and
7kHz
Impedance: 8 ohms
Output: 89dB @1w/1m
Power rating: 100w .Size 25"H, 12-13/16"W and 12-5/8"D
Weight: 58 lb.
Sold from: 1973 to 1981
Last retail price: $319.00 each
Has 12" LD/HP woofer and built-in McIntosh
amplifier. Black ash finish. THX approved. Black grille cloth.
AMPLIFIER: 250w into 4 ohms. Distortion .005%. Hum and noise -115dBA. IHF dynamic headroom 1.1dB. Input sensitivity: THX 0.1V, variable mode 0.4V (9.0V max). Input impedance 15k. Power Guard.
LOUDSPEAKER: Front facing woofer. Response 20-350Hz (THX mode). 12" LD/HP woofer. Magnetic shielding.
FRONT PANEL: Power switch with indicator lights: off or on/standby. High pass frequency control: 50 to 125Hz with labels at 50, 63, 80, 100 and 125Hz. Subwoofer frequency control: 50 to 125Hz with labels at 50, 63, 80, 100 and 125Hz. Level control: 0 to max. Control mode switch: var or THX. Phase switch: 0 or 180.
BACK PANEL: High input barrier strip. R/Mono input connector. Line input. Hi pass output. THX/mono. Power control connectors: in and out. Fuse.
Size: 18-3/4"H,
16-1/2"W and 19"D
Weight: 85 lb.
Sold from: 1997-
Last retail price: $2000 each
2-way floor system with two 6-1/2"
woofers and 1" aluminum dome tweeter. Slim line. Walnut or black ash
finish. Magnetic shielding. Black grille cloth.
Crossover frequency: 2400Hz
Impedance: 4 ohms
Output: 84dB @1w/1m [87dB @ 2.83v]
Power rating: 150w
Overload protection: none
Size: 41"H, 10"W and 10-1/4"D
Weight: 23 lb.
Sold from: 1995-
Last retail price: $700.00 each
Three way floor system with two 6"
woofers, 6" woofer/midrange and three 1" aluminum dome tweeters. Slim
line. THX approved. Walnut or black ash finish.
Magnetic shielding. Terminals for biamp/biwire. Black grille cloth.
Crossover frequencies: 200Hz and
1800Hz
Impedance: 4 ohms
Output: 85dB @1w/1m [88dB @ 2.83v]
Power rating: 200w
Overload protection: none
Size: 47"H, 12-1/2"W and 10"D
Weight: 55-1/2 lb.
Sold from: 1995-
Last retail price: $1,250.00 each
ST 1 Stereotech Loudspeaker system
2-way bookshelf system with 10"
woofer and 2" cone tweeter. Vinyl covered cabinet.
Crossover at 1500 Hz.
Impedance 8 ohms.
Power rating 70w.
Size 23"H, 13"W and 10-11/16"D.
Weight 32 lb.
Manufactured 1975-1981.
Last retail price $169.00 each
ST 2 Stereotech Loudspeaker system
3-way bookshelf system with 10"
woofer, 5" mid and 1-3/4" tweeter. Vinyl covered cabinet. Mid and
tweeter controls.
Mid-range level switch (800 to
3500Hz): Boost, normal and cut
Tweeter level switch (3500 to 20,000Hz): Boost, normal and cut
Crossover frequencies: 600 and
4kHz
Impedance: 8 ohms
Power rating: 90w
Size: 24-1/2"H, 14"W and 12-5/16"D
Weight: 43 lb.
Sold from: 1975-1978
Last retail price: $234.00 each
ST 3 Stereotech Loudspeaker system
3-way bookshelf system with 12"
woofer, 5" mid and 1-3/4" tweeter. Vinyl covered cabinet. Mid and
tweeter controls.
Mid-range level switch (600 to
3500Hz): Boost, normal and cut
Tweeter level switch (3500 to 20,000Hz): Boost, normal and cut
Crossover frequencies: 600 and
4kHz
Impedance: 8 ohms
Power rating: 100w
Size: 26"H, 15"W and 13-5/16"D
Weight: 49 lb.
Sold from: 1975-1978
Last retail price: $269.00
ST 4 Stereotech Loudspeaker system
3-way bookshelf system with 12"
woofer, 5"mid and 1-5/8" tweeter. Vinyl covered cabinet. Mid and
tweeter controls.
Mid-range level switch (600 to
5000Hz): Boost, normal and cut
Tweeter level switch (5000 to 20,000Hz): Boost, normal and cut
Crossover frequencies: at 600
and 5500 Hz
Impedance: 8 ohms
Power rating: 100w
Size: 28"H, 16-1/2"W and 13-5/16"D
Weight: 56 lb.
Sold from: 1975-1981
Last retail price: $299.00
2-way wall system has 6" woofer and
1" soft dome tweeter. Mounts in wall. White enamel finish. White grille
cloth.
Resetting solid state protection
Crossover frequency: 1300Hz
Impedance: 8 ohms
Output: 86dB @1w/1m
Power rating: 80w
Size:
Weight: 7 lb.
Sold from 1990-1993
Last retail price: $600/pr
2-way wall system with 5" woofer and 1" aluminum dome tweeter. Mounts in wall.
Crossover frequency: 1800Hz.
Impedance: 4 ohms.
Output: 84dB 1w/1m [87dB @ 2.83v].
Power rating: 150w.
Size: 12-5/8"H and 8-5/8"W.
Weight: 4.9 lb.
Sold from: 1995-.
Last retail price: $550/pr
2-way wall system with 8" LD/HP
woofer with magnetic shielding and 1" aluminum dome tweeter. Mounts in
wall. White enamel finish. Sealed enclosure. Resetting solid state protection
for tweeter.
Crossover frequency: 2100Hz
Impedance: 4 ohms
Output: 84dB @1w/1m [87dB @ 2.83v]
Power rating: 150w
Size: 17-13/16"H, 15-3/8"W and 3-7/8"D behind wall
Weight: 16 lb.
Sold from: 1990-1993
Last retail price: $1000/pr
3-way floor system has 10" woofer,
5" mid and 1" soft dome tweeter. Walnut veneer cabinet. Black grille
cloth.
Main and tweeter fuses are located at the back of the cabinet.
Crossover frequencies: at 375Hz
and 1kHz
Impedance: 8 ohms
Output: 86dB @1w/1m
Power rating: 100w
Size: 30-1/4"H, 14-3/4"W and 10-1/16"D
Weight: 43 lb.
Sold from: 1986 to 1990
Last retail price: $599.00 each
3-way floor system has 12" woofer,
6-1/2 mid and 1" soft dome tweeter. Walnut veneer cabinet. Black grille
cloth.
Main and tweeter fuses are located at the back of the cabinet.
Crossover frequencies: at 350Hz
and 1kHz
Impedance: 8 ohms
Output: 87dB @1w/1m
Power rating: 100w
Size: 37-3/4"H, 17-1/2"W and 11-13/16"D
Weight: 66 lb.
Sold from: 1986 to 1990
Last retail price: $799.00 each
2 way bookshelf system has 10"
passive radiator, 8" woofer and 1" soft dome tweeter. Walnut vinyl
finish cabinet. Black grille cloth. Sold only in Europe. Identical to the XL10
but with slightly different dimensions.
Tweeter fuse is located at the back of the cabinet.
Crossover frequencies: at 90Hz
and 1kHz
Impedance: 8 ohms
Output: 89dB @1w/1m
Power rating: 100w
Size: 24.9"H, 12.5"W and 8.9"D.
Weight: 28 lb.
Sold from; 1981-1984
Last retail price:
Impedance of Home Systems Was Changed To 4 Ohms
All systems manufactured prior to 1993 were 8 ohms and had an industry standard sensitivity rating of 1 watt into 8 ohms. All systems made after this date were 4 ohms and have a rating of 2.83 volts, which is actually 2 watts into 4 ohms, making them appear to have greater sensitivity. To convert to a 1-watt level, subtract 3 dB from the rated sensitivity. For example: the LS350 is rated at 89dB for 2.83 volts. This converts to the industry standard rating of 86dB/watt/meter.
In addition, the new 4-ohm impedance requires the use of heavier speaker wire to maintain the same low losses compared to the earlier 8-ohm speakers. The total DC resistance of the wire must now be less than 0.4 ohms instead of 0.8 ohms.
Frequency Response Tolerance Added
1993 was also the first time that McIntosh advertised a speaker frequency response tolerance (+ or - so many dB). The tolerance is based on measurements made in an anechoic (reflection free) environment, directly in front of the speaker. A response with this tolerance will almost certainly not be measured for the same speaker in a typical home environment. Frequencies below 250Hz are particularly influenced by the speaker location, room dimensions and construction. In some problem rooms peaks and dips as much as 15 dB can be found. Even mid-range and high frequency response can be affected by reflecting objects within a few feet of the speakers. The advertised tolerance is no indication of what the actual response might be in your home.
Power Ratings Changed
Power ratings of the new speaker systems were arbitrarily increased in 1993. All earlier systems were conservatively rated for continuous music listening. Although the new power ratings have higher numbers, they should be considered as a rating only for occasional peaks and not for continuous music.
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More text and pictures about McIntosh will be added as my research continues. Any comments, corrections, or additions are welcome. |
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Created by Roger Russell |
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