McIntosh MC443M help

[FullThrottle7 10+ year member]

Hi, guys, its been a while since I've been on since my budget has been in the negatives for a while //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif . Anyways, I was just given a McIntosh MC443M amplifier and am excited to get it hooked up. I am confused however, because I can't find a manual online anywhere and although the amp is supposedly a monoblock, there are two output channels. I looked on McIntosh's website at the newer models, which look fairly similar to this one, and it appears that several models are basically two mono amps in one with two channel outputs. I have an RE SX 12" sub, so it can take the full load of this amp, but I would like to know if anyone is positive about the way to properly bridge the channels first so I don't fry my new baby. There are no markings on the amp that show which terminals to use while bridging, so I'm nervous to just start testing it while its powered up. Please, anyone who knows about these amps, let me know how I can get the full power out of this thing.

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[FullThrottle7 10+ year member]

Also, I forgot to add, there are no gains or crossover settings on this amp. Is that just because it is a monoblock, or is this an old school amp that requires more stuff or special decks to use it properly?

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

Holy hell, someone gave you that amp?!?!

MC443: 1 channel X 300w into 4 ohms or 500w into 2 ohms. Power guard. MOSFET PWM power supply. Multi-stage thermal protection. Ported tunnel forced-air cooling. Continuously variable low pass filter with 24dB/octave slope. Separate high pass filter with 18dB/octave slope. Input level control. Size 2-3/4"H, 14-1/4"W and 12"D.Sold from 1996-1997. Last retail price $800.00

MC443M: Identical performance as MC443. Illuminated output level meter. Sold from 1995-. Last retail price $1350.00

It appears as though it should have gains/xover....you apparently just need to locate the controls //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

http://www.mcintoshlabs.com/data/brochures/MCC302br.pdf#search='McIntosh%20MC443M

Anyways....when all else fails, contact the manufacturer //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[UndercoverPunk 5,000+ posts]

You lucky bastard! I want one...

 

[FullThrottle7 10+ year member]

Ok, well, I hooked the amp up last night and I have to say I'm kinda dissapointed. Unless I have to take the amp apart to get to the gains, which I highly doubt is the case, this amp is definately not underrated. My current crossfire amp puts out a little more power so I think I'll be keeping that hooked up. The only info I can find is what was posted above on the McIntosh and that thing about continuously variable crossover sounds like the amp just guesses whats best and picks that frequency???? After looking a bit closer, I think the second channel input I was looking at yesterday isn't active. They probably use the same chassis for other models, however, with such a high end brand, I am somewhat skeptical of this reasoning. There is a pretty cool guage on the top of the amp that shows how much power its putting out at any given time, though, and its jumping to right about 500 when I turn the volume up loud, so it may just be doing what its supposed to and I'm just expecting too much. Any thoughts on the gain thing??

 

[req 5,000+ posts]

if it puts out 500w. then it puts out 500w. make sure your electrical is at 14.4v.

make sure those two channels are 'bridged' and your sub is ran at 2ohms. if you get 500w from an amp that says 500w, id be happy. if it was 500@4 id ask you to shoot it my way //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

The only info I can find is what was posted above on the McIntosh and that thing about continuously variable crossover sounds like the amp just guesses whats best and picks that frequency????

No, it means the xover point isn't fixed. It likely has a potentiometer somewhere to allow you to select any xover frequency within a certain range.

though, and its jumping to right about 500 when I turn the volume up loud, so it may just be doing what its supposed to and I'm just expecting too much.

You know.....if you are unhappy with it, I'd gladly take it //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/thumbsupwink.gif.129404938effda6ad9cca39e7f4b58a3.gif

Any thoughts on the gain thing??

LOL....yeah, find it //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

I dunno....it could be hidden under a panel somewhere (along w/ the xover)

 

[maylar 10+ year member]

From the pics in that pdf file it looks like the top cover comes off their amps to reveal the controls.

 

[psycho72 10+ year member]

Yeah remove the glass top. I wish I could afford an all McI system...........at home too........

 

[FullThrottle7 10+ year member]

All right, sweet, I took off the glass top and found the controls, thanks for that. I am still in the dark as to the two channels on the amp, however. Both channels A and B have a set of wire terminals labled positive and negative, do you think that the second set is just for the regular MC443, not the mono version? There are two switches that I am not sure about, also. I believe the subsonic filter filters out low frequencies (

EDIT: I question the two channel thing because there are 4 RCA input jacks and a switch that allows the selection to use 1, 2, or all 4, and I have no idea what mono amp would use the signal of two sets of RCAs...

 

[FullThrottle7 10+ year member]

P.S. Whats an honest estimate about this amp's value right now? I know they are expensive as hell new, but this is not a current model. It was about $1300 new, but I don't know how long ago that was. Do McIntosh's hold their value well since they are such a high end brand???

 

[UndercoverPunk 5,000+ posts]

P.S. Whats an honest estimate about this amp's value right now? I know they are expensive as hell new, but this is not a current model. It was about $1300 new, but I don't know how long ago that was. Do McIntosh's hold their value well since they are such a high end brand???

It's worth more than I'll be spending on any single new amp any time soon.

 

[FullThrottle7 10+ year member]

So is that like $300, $600, what are we talking here????

 

[noob with an RS 10+ year member]

i would say about twenty dollars. but ill be a GENEROUS gentleman and buy it off of you for 100 dollars cuz i don't want it to be a burden to you. hehe. seriously.

 

[FullThrottle7 10+ year member]

That sounds about right, $20 for a McIntosh. It can't be that good of a brand cause nobody has them, right? I mean theres tons of Kenwood, Pioneer, and Sony stuff around so that must be the best stuff... Its probably right down around Legacy and Pyle. Thanks for the helpful response...