Mcintosh mc 462

I just read that mcintosh is set to release the mc 462.
450 watts per channel but with 50 percent more filter space for an increase from 1.8 to 3.0 in dynamic headroom.
Forgive me if this was already posted
'Nearly a 50% increase in filter space'.....Hmmm..perhaps, Mcintosh went back to the 39000uF capacitors as used in the Mc2300, and other models..
The Mc452 has 4 27000uF capacitors.
 
'Nearly a 50% increase in filter space'.....Hmmm..perhaps, Mcintosh went back to the 39000uF capacitors as used in the Mc2300, and other models..
The Mc452 has 4 27000uF capacitors.
Could this be responsible for the increase in headroom?
If they say so...
 
Keep in mind the role of voltage when computing stored energy - CV^2 / 2
Those 27000uF caps are rated @ 80 volts, FWIIW.
(There is a photo of the big caps in the Mc452 brochure, and I enlarged the image on my screen to view the values)
 
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MC462, sweet amp!

As an owner of a MC452, I'd have to say, If I'm going to spend more cash I'll be going for mono blocks next, probably used, in that 600w range.
...but then again, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for those mono blocks...

My guess, those that are in the market for a new MC452 (and have a little deeper pocket book.) will be swayed-away from the MC452 now.
Just curious, how much longer will the MC452 be in production?


Waiting on pins & needles for Kevzep's load test................
.
 
We'll the 462 is now taking over the reins as Macs middle power amp. and the highest powered Stereo amp. A very enviable position to be placed in. Speakers rated at 90 db can almost reach 120 db peaks. That should be enough for most folks. I wonder how many speakers can handle the peak power of a 462 with out going into to compression?
 
MC462, sweet amp!

As an owner of a MC452, I'd have to say, If I'm going to spend more cash I'll be going for mono blocks next, probably used, in that 600w range.
...but then again, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for those mono blocks...

My guess, those that are in the market for a new MC452 (and have a little deeper pocket book.) will be swayed-away from the MC452 now.
Just curious, how much longer will the MC452 be in production?


Waiting on pins & needles for Kevzep's load test................
.
I'll get to it, other jobs keep jumping on my bench, shouldn't be too long though...
 
2600's have the power for sure, but they don't have the low distortion and the very important signal to noise the modern Mcintosh Quad amps have. They don't have the capability of driving mis matched loads like the new amps either. Their damping factor isn't as high and if you were bi-amping with out passive crossovers like we did in big professional discos you could easily hear the difference between the direct coupled QSC amps and the 2600. It was a sad day when Mac quit making amps for commercial use, but they just priced them selves out of the market. The 2600 was my favorite Mac amp for big sound systems though we sold a bunch more 2250's and 2500's. There are four Mac amps that have a special place in my heart do to their performance and reliability at the time. MC 3500, still my favorite tube amp, The MC 2255, my favorite amp from the 80's and the little 7200 capable of oh so much more in the 70's. Lastly the 2600. You could run it all day all night for months and months in terrible atmospheric conditions and it just worked and worked. I never had one fail me driving big Cerwin Vega, double Altec and Double JBL woofers. Today I own 207's and a 206 and the 207's sound great. When I go to audition speakers I want to with 1201's or 1.2 K's. The 601's are good and the 2301 surprising with some speakers, but the 12's are my favorites today. Do they bring the same thrill as the 3500 did in the late 60's and early 70's, no way. Do any of todays amps bring me the thrill over hearing, Ray Charles, Al Hirt, Pete fountain, NeilDiamond, Peter Paul and Mary, Letterman, Sandpipers, Herb Alpert, Up with People, Christy Minstrels, etc amplified by 3 3500's live in concert with 12000 screaming fans, nope, not even close. How about my favorite disco with 18 MC 2255's and two MC 2125's, nope. And another disco with Klipsch speakers using four 2600's No Way. The amps today may all be better, but its the total experience that counts and thats why 3500's will always have that special place in my heart. Now I have had special experiences with 2300's . When the Pope came to Mexico city to dedicate the Basillica with 4 2300's pushing the indoor system and two pushing the out door system. 2300's pushing a systems for Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and George Bush. We used 2300's it seemed for ever and though they were my favorite amps to blow diaphragms with and tear up woofers, they sounded fine. 2600's were to expensive and to heavy for portable PA work and QSC amps with their form of power Guard were my preferred choice till I retired. But they were never the Mac amps I had learned to love previously. So dream about 2600's as I do 3500's, but once you hear 1.2k's for over an hour with great speakers playing your favorite music you will know nothing else compares. Its like hearing your first Stradivarius Violin in your living room, Edwards trumpet or Trombone, Steinway or Busendorfer Piano, also, falling in love with Telefunken 250 microphones or Ampex MR-70 tape decks, there is just something special about the sound you hear from Mac 12.series amps.

If you ever get a chance hear a pair of 2600 pushing XR 290's its something special, a memory I will always have. Remember Mac speakers don't need amps with high Damping factor to control the woofers. If Mac had made a center channel to go with the 290's I would have a set. Even today. and maybe a 2600.
 
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You and me both. However, we'd have to test one in stereo as mono would exceed the maximum input to the unit at 8 Ohms (1kW).
Yeah well, shame you aren't local, I have the means to test that kind of power!!
 
Yeah well, shame you aren't local, I have the means to test that kind of power!!
Kev - he has an AP as well. He owns a lab full of test gear for consumer electronics. The Power Cube is my reference for dynamic measurement as it measures 5 different phase angles at numerous impedances (impedances are user selectable). The problem is, a design oddity - if the first measurement (60deg Capacitive at 8 Ohms) is greater than 1,000W the test is aborted. Oddly enough, the unit is capable to some 20kW per channel once you get past the first measurement. The Power Cubes sell for something like $35k now.

If we were local, we’d be jammin!
 
2600's have the power for sure, but they don't have the low distortion and the very important signal to noise the modern Mcintosh Quad amps have. They don't have the capability of driving mis matched loads like the new amps either. Their damping factor isn't as high and if you were bi-amping with out passive crossovers like we did in big professional discos you could easily hear the difference between the direct coupled QSC amps and the 2600. It was a sad day when Mac quit making amps for commercial use, but they just priced them selves out of the market. The 2600 was my favorite Mac amp for big sound systems though we sold a bunch more 2250's and 2500's. There are four Mac amps that have a special place in my heart do to their performance and reliability at the time. MC 3500, still my favorite tube amp, The MC 2255, my favorite amp from the 80's and the little 7200 capable of oh so much more in the 70's. Lastly the 2600. You could run it all day all night for months and months in terrible atmospheric conditions and it just worked and worked. I never had one fail me driving big Cerwin Vega, double Altec and Double JBL woofers. Today I own 207's and a 206 and the 207's sound great. When I go to audition speakers I want to with 1201's or 1.2 K's. The 601's are good and the 2301 surprising with some speakers, but the 12's are my favorites today. Do they bring the same thrill as the 3500 did in the late 60's and early 70's, no way. Do any of todays amps bring me the thrill over hearing, Ray Charles, Al Hirt, Pete fountain, NeilDiamond, Peter Paul and Mary, Letterman, Sandpipers, Herb Alpert, Up with People, Christy Minstrels, etc amplified by 3 3500's live in concert with 12000 screaming fans, nope, not even close. How about my favorite disco with 18 MC 2255's and two MC 2125's, nope. And another disco with Klipsch speakers using four 2600's No Way. The amps today may all be better, but its the total experience that counts and thats why 3500's will always have that special place in my heart. Now I have had special experiences with 2300's . When the Pope came to Mexico city to dedicate the Basillica with 4 2300's pushing the indoor system and two pushing the out door system. 2300's pushing a systems for Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and George Bush. We used 2300's it seemed for ever and though they were my favorite amps to blow diaphragms with and tear up woofers, they sounded fine. 2600's were to expensive and to heavy for portable PA work and QSC amps with their form of power Guard were my preferred choice till I retired. But they were never the Mac amps I had learned to love previously. So dream about 2600's as I do 3500's, but once you hear 1.2k's for over an hour with great speakers playing your favorite music you will know nothing else compares. Its like hearing your first Stradivarius Violin in your living room, Edwards trumpet or Trombone, Steinway or Busendorfer Piano, also, falling in love with Telefunken 250 microphones or Ampex MR-70 tape decks, there is just something special about the sound you hear from Mac 12.series amps.

If you ever get a chance hear a pair of 2600 pushing XR 290's its something special, a memory I will always have. Remember Mac speakers don't need amps with high Damping factor to control the woofers. If Mac had made a center channel to go with the 290's I would have a set. Even today. and maybe a 2600.
twiiii - all great stuff! If an MC2600 is rated capable of 100A/ch, how could it not drive mis-matched loads with ease? Thats 25% greater than an MC452...
 
Kev - he has an AP as well. He owns a lab full of test gear for consumer electronics. The Power Cube is my reference for dynamic measurement as it measures 5 different phase angles at numerous impedances (impedances are user selectable). The problem is, a design oddity - if the first measurement (60deg Capacitive at 8 Ohms) is greater than 1,000W the test is aborted. Oddly enough, the unit is capable to some 20kW per channel once you get past the first measurement. The Power Cubes sell for something like $35k now.

If we were local, we’d be jammin!
Very interesting, oh for sure, there would be all sorts of high power amplifier shenanigans going on if we were local!!
 
For a quick and dirty loadbench I made one using water heater elements.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006JLVBW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

  • High Watt Density heating element
  • 120V/2000W
Using Ohm's law, 1800watts at 120 volts is ~8 Ohms. I couldn't find one, so I bought the 2000 watt elements. (Ohm out to 7.2 Ohms)

It obviously won't handle 2K Ohms like this, nor is likely to be non-reactive, but a metal bucket full of water with one (or more) of these in would take 2K watts.

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Kev - he has an AP as well. He owns a lab full of test gear for consumer electronics. The Power Cube is my reference for dynamic measurement as it measures 5 different phase angles at numerous impedances (impedances are user selectable). The problem is, a design oddity - if the first measurement (60deg Capacitive at 8 Ohms) is greater than 1,000W the test is aborted. Oddly enough, the unit is capable to some 20kW per channel once you get past the first measurement. The Power Cubes sell for something like $35k now.

If we were local, we’d be jammin!

Very interesting, oh for sure, there would be all sorts of high power amplifier shenanigans going on if we were local!!
 
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For a quick and dirty loadbench I made one using water heater elements.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006JLVBW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

  • High Watt Density heating element
  • 120V/2000W
Using Ohm's law, 1800watts at 120 volts is ~8 Ohms. I couldn't find one, so I bought the 2000 watt elements. (Ohm out to 7.2 Ohms)

It obviously won't handle 2K Ohms like this, nor is likely to be non-reactive, but a metal bucket full of water with one (or more) of these in would take 2K ohms.

I've got two 6.7Ω load banks and a 7.8Ω load bank, they can handle about 8,000watts each...

I work a lot on high power amplifiers.

Also going to have to use my scope in differential mode with the minus speaker connection above ground, also have to figure out how I can run my distortion analyser too, maybe I'll lift the earth on it for this exercise....
 
I've got two 6.7Ω load banks and a 7.8Ω load bank, they can handle about 8,000watts each...

I work a lot on high power amplifiers.

Also going to have to use my scope in differential mode with the minus speaker connection above ground, also have to figure out how I can run my distortion analyser too, maybe I'll lift the earth on it for this exercise....


At those power levels; that voltage is well beyond deadly... Yikes!

(Had to look it up, it's a bit higher that cross phase US residental wiring.)
 
I'll let ya'll know what MC452 can do once I get it on the bench to fix this damn meter that keeps randomly stopping....

Of course I'll have to dial it up on the dummy load and see what the story is....
Static problem
 
All the new units look really nice.You will want to put them on amp stands.I know A lot of people put them into shelves.The glass and Gold print look Awesome. I find myself starring at them on the line until A supervisor walks by and gives me that look. I guess they want me to get back to work. Last day of vacation .Back to the Grind Monday.Enjoy the music...
 
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