How Mac tube amps are made

This has been posted before - and every time I see it - it feels new. I could watch it a thousand times. Wonderful piece.
 
This has been posted before - and every time I see it - it feels new. I could watch it a thousand times. Wonderful piece.

Sorry for the repost, not being a McIntosh owner I rarely come to this neck of the woods. But I did find the video very interesting and thought I should share.
 
Once you go Mac, you never go Back. ;)

Thanks for the post, OP. I never worry about double posts on a similar subject, because it's a community forum not a court of law. Some may not have seen the original(s) Post(s).

I like watching that video. I couldn't watch it 1,000 times like DGM, but maybe five or six. I think this makes three or so. :)
 
So, who has gone Mac and later moved on?
Love the vid btw, they are sure different now than the vintage MC75 pair I redid. Their owner who toured the factory when he bought them liked the vid as well, said much of it is still like then.

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How they're REALLY made ...

mcintosh-made.jpg
 
The first McIntosh SS amp I purchased was an MC2200 in 1994. I bought it for $200 and it needed work. All said and done I was in it less than $300. You just have to look around a bit - deals can still be had.

It is worth the tenacity it may take to find a piece priced within you budget.
 
Not me. Sid Corderman and Ron Evans are the fathers of the MC275s. Ron-E is the designer of MC275 MKIII-> MKVI, the latest MC75s and the MC2301 amps.

Thanks,
Ron-C
 
I'd like to slap whoever's responsible for putting those silly LEDs under the drivers ...

AssUming of course they're smaller than me and can't run as fast ... <G>
 
Those LEDs under the small tubes actually show the status of the amplifier. Users find this to be a superb feature.

Thanks,
Ron-C
 
Those LEDs under the small tubes actually show the status of the amplifier. Users find this to be a superb feature.

Thanks,
Ron-C

Can I assume the SMD circuitry is there for the LEDs and 'housekeeping', with the original active signal circuitry largely retained?

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Yes, many small SMD parts monitor the operation of the amp and will mute it or shut it off if a tube fails, any two points are shorted, or the speaker wires are shorted. This protects the amp and the tubes in case of failure. The small tube LEDs will trigger the red indication for either channel depending on the problem.
The actual amplifier circuitry is modified for higher performance, greater bandwidth, higher signal to noise and meeting specs when the tube performance drops off, especially in the driver stages. To accomplish this operational voltages have been changed as well as the output transformers for more bandwidth.

Thanks,
Ron-C
 
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