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Using MQ-102 with non-McIntosh speakers

bystander

bystander

Active Member
Revisiting an old topic. I know the MQ line of equalizers are designed exclusively for certain McIntosh speakers only, and there are warnings about using them with any other speakers. But, opinions vary.

Specifically, any risk using an MQ-102 with a pair of Klipsch La Scala speakers? I’m looking to boost the bass a bit, without using tone controls. FYI, the amp is an MC-2100.

Anyone with real-world experience using an MQ-102 with this combo, or similar amp and speakers? I really want to scratch this itch, but not if I’m likely to blow up the woofers.
 
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The La Scalas's Recent models (AL5/AL6) boast $\sim$105dB sensitivity, 100W continuous power handling (400W peak), and a frequency response of roughly 51hz to 20kHz.
What amp are you using?
As long as you keep the Wattage under say 90W the speakers should be OK. Those speakers should be loud enough at much less - they are very efficient. The 102 can actively boost bass very significantly. The centerpoint of the boost is at 20Hz which is lower than those speakers claim to go. I do not think there will be any damage but it may cause some distortion at higher volumes. I would not go above 3 on the bass boost knob and i would make sure you are not exceeding 90W and see how it sounds. I would also recommend starting with the mid and hi controls flat.
Here from the Owners manual of a MQ-101 which has the same eq specs as far as I know.
1778521450177.png
Hopefully some others will weigh in as I cannot guarantee there will be no damage but under the parameters i outlined above i think you will be OK.
 
If you want good low bass, those are not the speakers. Boosting bass signal that the driver/cabinet/horn cannot produce will have little effect. To add bass to classic Klipsch speakers, you add a subwoofer.

Is there a risk to your speakers? Not if you keep the power reasonable, just not much if any positive. Try it, keep the meters on the left, and see if there’s anything there for you.
 
bystander said:
Anyone with real-world experience using an MQ-102 with this combo, or similar amp and speakers? I really want to scratch this itch, but not if I’m likely to blow up the woofers.
Click to expand...
No chance of blowing them up unless you decide to go buck wild with the volume. Try the combo and let us know the results.
 
Closest I came was using an mq101 with a variety of amps on a pair of khorns. One of them being an mc2100 and then a pair of them. The k's benefitted from the boost in the low end the 101 provided and I never had any issues.
 
62caddy said:
In a word, no. The MQ will be ineffective in improving LF response with that speaker.
Click to expand...
IMHO
Ineffective? No.
Inefficient - Yes - due to the bass boost centerpoint being lower than the speaker is built to output(20 Hz) It will make the amp work hard to produce output between 10Hz to 40Hz which will not fully translate to db output from this speaker in those ranges, but the rise in signal in the 40Hz to 100hz range will be heard and may provide the OP with enough bass boost to satisfy his enjoyment goals.
There are better pairings for sure but if I already owned the EQ i would try it!
See response curve below.
1778608944658.png
 
Refugee said:
IMHO
Ineffective? No.
Inefficient - Yes - due to the bass boost centerpoint being lower than the speaker is built to output(20 Hz) It will make the amp work hard to produce output between 10Hz to 40Hz which will not fully translate to db output from this speaker in those ranges, but the rise in signal in the 40Hz to 100hz range will be heard and may provide the OP with enough bass boost to satisfy his enjoyment goals.
There are better pairings for sure but if I already owned the EQ i would try it!
See response curve below.
View attachment 3760824
Click to expand...
With a pair of modern Polk speakers with far lower response than the LaScala, ie 30 Hz (-3dB), the 20Hz control barely made any difference. I cannot see it doing much good with the LaS except creating excessive woofer travel while having little or no audible benefit. The only way to get meaningful improvement here would be a sub as @SaturationPt said.
 
Yes. A sub and a careful room calibration with a more tunable EQ would be the best way.
 
Thanks everyone. As expected, opinions vary widely.

I now understand the risks involved (minimal, if careful) and the potential results (also possibly minimal, or none).

If I can find a not-so-mint MQ102 (to match my not-so-mint MC2100 amp) for a fairly reasonably price, I'll take the plunge. If I'm successful, I'll be sure to report my results here.

Thanks again for all the input.
 
Okay, so I found a not-expensive, not-mint MQ102. I have a pair of "practice" bookshelf speakers that I use for testing various things, so I started with those.

I hooked up my CD player directly to the inputs of the MQ102 (no preamp), and the outputs to my MC2100 amp.

I started slowly at low volume levels, and went through the 1 to 5 settings, gradually increasing the volume at each step. The impact was subtle at best, maybe almost non-existent.

I switched over to my not-mint Klipsch Industrial La Scalas (FYI, all this non-mintness is in my garage system) and repeated the process, taking even more care to avoid any catastrophic results. Again, the impact was at best subtle, I could detect only the slightest bump in bass as I went through the paces.

I wonder if there truly is that much of an impact when used with the intended ML and XR speakers?

In any event, the itch has now been scratched. I may hang on to it as a fun little Mac piece, or I may pass it along.
 
bystander said:
<<snip>>
I wonder if there truly is that much of an impact when used with the intended ML and XR speakers?

In any event, the itch has now been scratched. I may hang on to it as a fun little Mac piece, or I may pass it along.
Click to expand...

The difference is that the ML & XR speakers can produce some of that low-frequency sound, albeit not very efficiently. Boosting what is weak in this speaker to make up for its response curve should be audible and significant.

The other speakers roll off an octave or more above the MQ102’s boosted ranges and are just a louder version of silent, although the cone might respond some.

Put the output into your subwoofer and see what happens.
 
MQ 102 will tear up 95% of conventional woofers and can over drive power amps without power guard. I used one with some Altec Carmels at one time but never set it above the 6 db boost postion to keep from tearing up the Altec 414 woofers which couldn't reach much below 32 HZ in the ported enclosure. You really have to know the capabilities of your speakers and their power ratings of the LF drivers to use a M series equalizers. The Altecs I had were capable of only 60 watts at 30 HZ according to Don Davis formerly of Altec and founder of Syn-aud- con! They would go into cone break up with that much power below 22 HZ. Mcintosh speakers of the ML series have charts showing how much power they can take at what frequencies. So do the XR series spakers. Speakers after that from Mac stopped using MQ equalizers. I do use a MQ 107 wihth my XRT 28's because the room is not symmetrical. Most of the time I seldom use over 20 watts per channel with an occasional use of 100 instantaneous peak watts. But the spaeakers have solid state protection relays in the crossover so I am safe from ever over driving the woofers. What I am trying to say is be-careful and don't over drive your speakers. A lot of speakers today the drivers have been discontinued and replacements aren't available anymore! At least you can still get your Eminence woofers replaced. But if you want bass from your La Scala I suggest a really strong sub woofer. Call Steve at Audio Classics to find out which one you really need. It ain't gonna be cheap! The old la scalas started falling off rapidly at 70 to 65 HZ. The new ones just introduced will reach 40 HZ. I think they are using 12 inch drivers now. I know the Klipsch SW 15 woofer could not keep up with one La Scala back in the 80;s let alone two. If the room was big enough I would install a Klipsch professional MWM-S Theater LF box which would reach to just below 30 HZ and had the same efficiency as a La Scala. The problem with them was the signal leads from the speaker terminals to the voice coil of the woofer were to short and would fail when driving the spekaers with a reommended 200 watt amp. So I would take out the Eminance woofers and in stall cut down altec 421 woofers or altec 3156 woofers that could take 300 watts and 600 watts respectively in order to keep up with two la Scalas I would use 4 la Scalas in small discos with two MWM-s LF horn sups. Great sound and bass. Always use direct coupled amps for subs to get the best percussive impact. MC 7200 for instance. 2000 series amps were to mushy. 7300 works if you need more power for the subs, too. But again you have to know your LF speaker capabilities. The idea any Klipsch speaker woofer can take 400 watts is plain BS. Even 120 watts of continuous loud music from a 2104 or a 2125 can cook Klipsch woofers. I know as I have done it. I finally gave up on using fragile Klipsch speakers in Commercial applications and stuck with Altec and JBL. And both of them had their limits, too.
 
Yeah, I just felt like I had to check it out for myself. Fortunately no harm, no regrets.

Now I need to find an ML or XR owner who needs an EQ.
 
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