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3

Six foot, 2 conductor shielded, with two 1/8 inch 

stereo mini phone plugs.

2. For additional connection information, refer to the 

owner’s manual(s) for any component(s) connected 

to the MC302.

3. The MC302 mutes the speaker output for approxi-

mately two seconds when first turned on.

4. For the best performance and safety it is important 

to always match the impedance of the loudspeaker 

to the Power Amplifier connections. Refer to “How 

to Connect” pages 8 thru 11.

Note: The impedance of a Loudspeaker actually var-

ies as the Loudspeaker reproduces different 

frequencies. As a result, the nominal impedance 

rating of the Loudspeaker (usually measured at 

a midrange frequency) might not always agree 

with the impedance of the Loudspeaker at low 

frequencies where the greatest amount of power 

is required. Contact the Loudspeaker Manufac-

turer for additional information about the actual 

impedance of the Loudspeaker before connecting 

it to the McIntosh MC302.

5

In the event the MC302 over heats, due to improper 

ventilation and/or high ambient temperature, the 

protection circuits will activate. The Front Panel 

Power Guard LEDs will continuously indicate ON 

and the audio will be muted. When the MC302 has 

returned to a safe operating temperature, normal 

operation will resume.

6. When discarding the unit, comply with local rules 

or regulations. Batteries should never be 

thrown away or incinerated but disposed 

of in accordance with the local regulations 

concerning battery disposal.

7. For additional information on the MC302 

and other McIntosh Products please visit 

the McIntosh Web Site at www.mcintosh-

labs.com.

1. The following Connecting Cable is available from 

the McIntosh Parts Department:

Power Control Cable Part No. 170-202

Thank You

Please Take A Moment

Technical Assistance

If at any time you have questions about your McIntosh 

product, contact your McIntosh Dealer who is familiar 

with your McIntosh equipment and any other brands 

that may be part of your system. If you or your Dealer 

wish additional help concerning a suspected problem, 

you can receive technical assistance for all McIntosh 

products at:

McIntosh Laboratory, Inc.

2 Chambers Street

Binghamton, New York 13903

Phone: 607-723-1545

Fax: 607-724-0549

Customer Service

If it is determined that your McIntosh product is in 

need of repair, you can return it to your Dealer. You 

can also return it to the McIntosh Laboratory Service 

Department. For assistance on factory repair return 

procedure, contact the McIntosh Service Department 

at:

McIntosh Laboratory, Inc.

2 Chambers Street

Binghamton, New York 13903

Phone: 607-723-3515

Fax: 607-723-1917

Copyright 2011 © by McIntosh Laboratory, Inc.

Table of Contents

Your decision to own this McIntosh MC302 Power 

Amplifier ranks you at the very top among discrimi-

nating music listeners. You now have “The Best.” The 

McIntosh dedication to “Quality,” is assurance that 

you will receive many years of musical enjoyment 

from this unit.

Please take a short time to read the information in 

this manual. We want you to be as familiar as pos-

sible with all the features and functions of your new 

McIntosh.

The serial number, purchase date and McIntosh Dealer 

name are important to you for possible insurance 

claim or future service. The spaces below have been 

provided for you to record that information:
Serial Number: _______________________________
Purchase Date:  _______________________________

Dealer Name:  ________________________________

Safety Instructions ......................................................2

Thank You and Please Take a Moment .......................3

Technical Assistance and Customer Service ..............3

Table of Contents ........................................................3

General Information ...................................................3

Connector and Cable Information ..............................4

Introduction .................................................................4

Performance Features .................................................4

Dimensions .................................................................5

Installation ..................................................................6

Rear Panel Connections and Switch ...........................7

Output Terminals and How to Connect .................. 8-9

Output Terminals and How to Connect for Bi-Amp .... 

.............................................................................. 10-11

Front Panel Displays and Controls ............................12

How to Operate .........................................................13

Technical Description .......................................... 14-17

Specifications ............................................................ 18

Packing Instruction ...................................................19

General Information

Summary of Contents for MC302

Page 1: ...McIntosh Laboratory Inc 2 Chambers Street Binghamton New York 13903 2699 Phone 607 723 3512 www mcintoshlabs com MC302 Power Amplifier Owner s Manual...

Page 2: ...d for your safety If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet 10 Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularl...

Page 3: ...amiliar with your McIntosh equipment and any other brands that may be part of your system If you or your Dealer wish additional help concerning a suspected problem you can receive technical assistance...

Page 4: ...ovide perfect DC protection for your valuable loudspeakers Balanced and Unbalanced Inputs Balanced connections guard against induced noise and allow long cable runs without compromising sound quality...

Page 5: ...r MC302 Dimensions Front View of the MC302 Rear View of the MC302 Side View of the MC302 17 1 2 44 45cm 8 7 8 22 54cm 9 7 16 23 97cm 11 3 4 29 85cm 16 13 16 42 70cm 20 3 16 51 27cm 3 16 0 48cm 6 6 17...

Page 6: ...ble oper ating temperature A custom cabinet installation should provide the fol lowing minimum spacing dimensions for cool opera tion Allow at least 6 inches 15 24cm above the top 2 inches 5 08cm belo...

Page 7: ...audio cable from a Preamplifier or A V Control Center audio output INPUT MODE switch selects between Balanced or Unbalanced Inputs Balanced INputs RIGHT and LEFT Channels for audio cables from a Pre a...

Page 8: ...t Terminals When connecting Loudspeakers to the MC302 it is very important to use cables of adequate size so there is little to no power loss in the cables The size is specified in Gauge Numbers or AW...

Page 9: ...st lower impedance connection Refer to General Informa tion Note 4 on page 3 for additional information WARNING Loudspeaker terminals are hazard ous live and present a risk of electric shock For addit...

Page 10: ...the MC302 Balanced INput RIGHT and LEFT on Amplifier Two Place the INPUT MODE Switch in the BALANCED Position Note An optional hookup is to use unbalanced cables and place the INPUT MODE Switch in th...

Page 11: ...gure H connect the Loudspeaker hookup cables with banana plugs into the hole at the top of the terminal to the MC302 COM Negative Output Terminal and Positive Output Terminal indentified as 2 ohms 4 o...

Page 12: ...the display modes of the Power Output Meter and Meter Illumination Meter indicates the Right Channel Output of the amplifier LED indicates when the LEFT Channel Amplifier POWER GUARD circuit activate...

Page 13: ...will continue to indicate the power output Note When Power Control Input of the MC302 is connected to a Audio Preampli fier or A V Control Center with Remote Meter Illumination Con trol the Meter Illu...

Page 14: ...e readings The MC302 can deliver the best possible performance from any type of high quality loudspeaker system Refer to figure 12 Creating an amplifier with this level of perfor mance did not come ea...

Page 15: ...s and thus precise ly controls the power amplifier operation over a wide range of music conditions with the benefits of lower distortion and cooler operation Precision metal film resistors and low die...

Page 16: ...cIntosh Sentry Moni tor Output Transistor Protection Circuit Refer to Figure 18 There is absolutely no compromise in sonic performance with this circuit and it ensures safe opera tion of the ampli fie...

Page 17: ...he MC302 Power Am plifier Circuitry there is a high current high voltage power supply for both channels Refer to figures 22 and 25 The very large Power Transfomer can supply over 13 amps of continuous...

Page 18: ...d Damping Factor Greater than 40 Input Impedance 22 000 ohms Balanced 22 000 ohms Unbalanced Voltage Gain 29dB 8 Ohms 26dB 4 Ohms 23dB 2 Ohms Power Guard Less than 2 Total Harmonic Distortion with up...

Page 19: ...shipping damage Use the original shipping carton and interior parts only if they are all in good serviceable condition If a shipping carton or any of the interior part s are needed please call or writ...

Page 20: ...cts is the policy of McIntosh Laboratory Incorporated who reserve the right to improve design without notice Printed in the U S A McIntosh Laboratory Inc 2 Chambers Street Binghamton NY 13903 www mcin...

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