McIntosh Laboratory, Inc. 2 Chambers Street Binghamton, New York 13903-2699 Phone: 607-723-3512 www.mcintoshlabs.
Important Safety Information is supplied in a separate document “Important Additional Operation Information Guide” Thank You Technical Assistance Table of Contents Your decision to own this McIntosh MC3500 Tube Power Amplifier ranks you at the very top among discriminating 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.
IMPORTANT! INSTRUCTIONS FOR REMOVAL OF FOAM INSERT OVER THE VACUUM TUBES PRIOR TO CONNECTING THE A.C. POWER SUPPLY CORD START ON THE NEXT PAGE.
WARNING: To prevent damage to the MC3500 Vacuum Tubes during shipping, there is a special foam insert surrounding the Vacuum Tubes of the Power Amplifier. The Foam Insert must be removed from the MC3500 before connecting the AC Power Supply Cord to the Power Amplifier. Failure to do so is a Fire Hazard, which could result in damage to the MC3500 and the surrounding environment. 4. Carefully lift up and remove the Tube Cover from the MC3500. Refer to figure 2. 5.
Hot Surface Tag Screw Ventilation Adequate ventilation extends the trouble-free life of the MC3500. Always allow air to flow through the ventilation holes on the bottom of the amplifier and a means for the warm air to escape at the top. Refer to figure 6. McIntosh Laboratory Inc., Binghamton, New York, U.S.A.
General Information 1. For additional connection information, refer to the documentation included with any component(s) connected to the MC3500. 2. Apply AC Power to the MC3500 and other components only after all the system components are connected together. Failure to do so may cause a malfunction of system operations as the Microprocessor’s Circuitry inside the components is active when AC Power is applied. 3. When discarding the unit, comply with local rules or regulations.
Dimensions POWER METER LIGHTS OFF Front View WATTS HOLD REMOTE OFF ON SGS WARMUP POWER GUARD 18" 45.7cm 11-5/16" 11-13/16" 28.7cm WATTS 1-7/8" 4.8cm POWER METER 19-3/16" 48.7cm 9/16" 1.4cm REMOTE HOLD OFF ON SGS WARMUP POWER GUARD Rear View 17-1/2" 44.5cm 16-5/8" 42.2cm EL509S EL509S EL509S EL509S 11-1/4" 28.6cm AUTO OFF ENABLED INPUTS BALANCED OUTPUTS UNBALANCED BALANCED UNBALANCED DISABLED MC3500 TUB E A MPL IFIER McINTOSH LABORATORY, INC.
Navigating the Rear Panel EL509S EL509S EL509S EL509S 11 AUTO OFF ENABLED INPUTS BALANCED OUTPUTS UNBALANCED BALANCED UNBALANCED McINTOSH LABORATORY, INC., BINGHAMTON, NY HANDCRAFTED IN USA WITH US AND IMPORTED PARTS IN 1 MC3500 TUB E A MPL IFIER DISABLED POWER CONTROL INPUT MODE FUSE BALANCED UNBALANCED PUSH PUSH OUT 2 1. Balanced Input: Connect an XLR connector cable (see Page 6) from an external output device into this port to amplify a Balanced signal. 2.
Connection Diagram Connection Legend: AC Power Cable: Loudspeaker Cable: Power Control Cable: Audio Signal Cable: Preamplifier EL509S EL509S Loudspeaker + EL509S MC3500 AUTO OFF ENABLED INPUTS BALANCED OUTPUTS UNBALANCED BALANCED UNBALANCED DISABLED MC3500 TUB E A MPL IFIER McINTOSH LABORATORY, INC.
How to Connect Loudspeakers For the best performance and safety, it is important to always match the impedance of the Loudspeaker to the Power Amplifier connections. When connecting the Loudspeaker Hookup Cables to the MC3500 Power Amplifier Output Terminals please follow the steps below: 1. Rotate the top of the Output Terminal Post counterclockwise until an opening appears. Refer to figures A and B. 2.
Output Terminal one quarter of a turn (90°). Do not over tighten. Refer to figure E. 6. Referring to figure H, connect the Loudspeaker hookup cables with banana plugs into the hole at the top of the MC3500 Negative (-) and Positive (+) Output Terminals. The Positive Terminals are indentified as 2Ω (ohms), 4Ω (ohms) or 8Ω (ohms) connection to match the impedance of the Loudspeaker, being careful to observe the correct polarities.
Navigating the Front Panel How to Operate Power Control 1 DECIBELS 20 40 60 80 10 0 PERCENT POWER METER 2 LIGHTS OFF WATTS REMOTE HOLD OFF ON 6 SGS WARMUP POWER GUARD 4 3 5 MC3500 FRONT VIEW 1. Power Output Meter: Displays power output level in Watts and Decibels. 2. Meter Control Knob: Select between the different Output Meter functions (see next page). 3. Warmup LED: Illuminates to indicate when Warmup state is active (see next page). 4.
While the Knob is set to either WATTS or HOLD, the Power Output Meter light will be powered On/Off by a Preamplifier or A/V Control Center connected by a Power Control Cable if that unit has Power Control capabilities. If the Knob is set to LIGHTS OFF, the Power Output Meter light will be permanently off, and the Meter will respond as if the Knob was set to WATTS.
Amplifier Specifications General Specifications Power Output Power Control Input 350 watts into 2 ohm load 350 watts into 4 ohm load 350 watts into 8 ohm load Rated Power Band 20Hz to 20,000Hz Dynamic Headroom 2.4dB Wide Band Damping Factor Greater than 25 Frequency Response +0, -0.5dB from 20Hz to 20,000Hz +0, -3.0dB from 10Hz to 70,000Hz Total Harmonic Distortion 0.
Packing Instructions In the event it is necessary to repack the equipment for shipment, the equipment must be packed exactly as shown below. It is very important that the four feet are attached to the bottom of the equipment. This will ensure the proper equipment location on the bottom foam pad. Failure to do this will result in shipping damage. To protect the tubes during shipment, the Foam Insert removed from the MC3500 needs to be re-inserted.
McIntosh Laboratory, Inc. 2 Chambers Street Binghamton, NY 13903 www.mcintoshlabs.com The continuous improvement of its products is the policy of McIntosh Laboratory Incorporated who reserve the right to improve design without notice. Printed in the U.S.A. McIntosh Part No.
