McIntosh 4100 speaker recommendations please

OK, need to bring this thread back to life...:boring:

So I made a deal locally on a very nice set of XR14 speakers, and I am very impressed with them with the exception of one item...one of the upper mid speakers (1 1/2" dome) is out. I cannot verify 100%, but it looks like it's either a 036-035 or 036-050 after looking HERE.

c_dk, you seem very knowledgable with this gear, or if anyone else has any suggestions...looking for either a replacement, or if this may be a simple fix (I've done a few online searches, some have claimed it could be a broken wire). :dunno:

Finally, I am searching for an mcintosh MQ equalizer to complete the speaker set-up, preference would be a 104, although any of the appropriate vintage MQ's would work.
Thank you all again! :rockon:
 
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If you pull the metal mesh covered dome from the cabinet it typically will have a DC resistance of 9.8 ohms. Sky high resistance is certainly a burned voice coil, open is most likely a burned voice coil. I believe the broken lead issue was solved when Mac brought production of the earlier ML mid dome in house.

The dome is a 036-035 unless someone subbed in a improper replacement.

NewYork Speaker Works in Syracuse purchased all Mac service's backstock and jigs and such 4 or 5 years ago. I have had a local owner send his driver to them, he has stacked XR16s, and he is happy with the repair. I have not talked to them for a few years since I was looking for a repair for this client.

The speakers do benefit from a electrolytic cap update in the crossover and replacing the cheesy speaker connectors with 4 way binding posts.

You really want to find a MQ107, a much more refined product for professional installation than the other equalizers.
 
Thank you all for the great reply's, much appreciated by this newbie!!!

My next step is a turntable upgrade for my system...my question though is based more around where you think I should post...as I am fairly new to this forum, should I start a new thread in a separate turntable specific section of Audiokarma? Can I add the tags 'turntable' to this post and ask my question here? Both?

Thanks again, loving the new found passion and this great community!!!
 
Not very great the relevance of electronics as it relates to turntable selection. If anything, the cartridge has more bearing in that sense.

The main question is budget for turntable and cartridge. Best to post in the turntable forum but absolutely qualify budget, otherwise you'll get a lot of information that won't be of much use.

That said, I'll kick off with the deck I have in my main system that in my opinion would be difficult to beat for the money: A Pioneer PL518 w/ Audio Technica 440MLa cartridge. You could probably make that happen for ~ $300 - $400 with a bit of patience and searching. The 440MLa has been discontinued a few years ago and prices of new unopened packages have been escalating ever since. If you can get one for under $250, you're doing okay. The PL518 sells for $150 - $250+ depending on condition.

I've owned my PL518 since 1984 and it's the longest in-service component I've ever owned and in all that time, has never been out of service.
 
Not very great the relevance of electronics as it relates to turntable selection. If anything, the cartridge has more bearing in that sense.

The main question is budget for turntable and cartridge. Best to post in the turntable forum but absolutely qualify budget, otherwise you'll get a lot of information that won't be of much use.

That said, I'll kick off with the deck I have in my main system that in my opinion would be difficult to beat for the money: A Pioneer PL518 w/ Audio Technica 440MLa cartridge. You could probably make that happen for ~ $300 - $400 with a bit of patience and searching. The 440MLa has been discontinued a few years ago and prices of new unopened packages have been escalating ever since. If you can get one for under $250, you're doing okay. The PL518 sells for $150 - $250+ depending on condition.

I've owned my PL518 since 1984 and it's the longest in-service component I've ever owned and in all that time, has never been out of service.


Thank you for your response, my first question would be what would match up best with my 4100 amp but it sounds like that may be irrelevant?

Currently I am using a Pioneer PL-115d, the stylus is an AT120E and I am utilizing the stock head shell. This is linked up through the Mac with three separate speaker pairs (Mac, AR & Jamo).

My budget is around $500, but I could probably double that if 'the bang is worth the buck'.

Thank you again for your reply!
 
Thank you for your response, my first question would be what would match up best with my 4100 amp but it sounds like that may be irrelevant?

Currently I am using a Pioneer PL-115d, the stylus is an AT120E and I am utilizing the stock head shell. This is linked up through the Mac with three separate speaker pairs (Mac, AR & Jamo).

My budget is around $500, but I could probably double that if 'the bang is worth the buck'.

Thank you again for your reply!

That's a pretty respectable cartridge as it is. I once owned a PL 112D which is the the fully manual version of the PL115D. My opinion is the 518 would give the best performance improvement for the least cost and would work great with your present cartridge. It's a solid step up from any of the Pioneer PL112/115/117 line.

Another excellent turntable is the Thorens TD125 but its further up the price ladder.
 
Back in the day, a MAC4100 system was expensive, but it was truely a audio system for the family. Many were turned on first thing in the morning and ran all day.

I liked to put a Revox B79x turntable in the system. With a quality cartridge like a AT22 protected in the tonearm cover box I did not have to worry about a needle being broken when the owner's kids used the system or that frustrated call when a dust rag caught a client's stylus.

Another common choice was a automatic linear tracker from Mitsubishi like the LT22.
 
Back in the day, a MAC4100 system was expensive, but it was truely a audio system for the family. Many were turned on first thing in the morning and ran all day.

I liked to put a Revox B79x turntable in the system. With a quality cartridge like a AT22 protected in the tonearm cover box I did not have to worry about a needle being broken when the owner's kids used the system or that frustrated call when a dust rag caught a client's stylus.

Another common choice was a automatic linear tracker from Mitsubishi like the LT22.


Thank you for the reply, how would you rate the quality of these tables against my current pl-115d currently in my system?
Also, no worry's about kids messing with it, they have a 30's Victrola to play with...:music:
 
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The pioneers were a nice mass market turntable, the Revox B795 and B791 were Swiss jewels......

They were a absolute pain to set up, unless you were a pro, but would not feedback no matter how much bass your system could produce. You could beat on the cabinet it was setting on and it would not skip.

Search AK there have been a number of threads by new owners detailing recapping the power supply.

A very unique automatic turntable for sure.
 
The pioneers were a nice mass market turntable, the Revox B795 and B791 were Swiss jewels......

They were a absolute pain to set up, unless you were a pro, but would not feedback no matter how much bass your system could produce. You could beat on the cabinet it was setting on and it would not skip.

A very unique automatic turntable for sure.

Thanks, I would love a 'jewel', but am not a 'pro' so the set-up factor concerns me a bit...:oops:
 
Read the reviews available in the turntable forum and I am sure there could be someone near to properly setup ANY table if you search them out.
 
Too many years ago on a junket courtesy of B&O I met a number of
Listen Up employees. They seemed to be very competent and I have to believe some might still be in the industry. I thought they had a number of stores throughout the state of Colorado and the surrounding major markets.
 
Too many years ago on a junket courtesy of B&O I met a number of
Listen Up employees. They seemed to be very competent and I have to believe some might still be in the industry. I thought they had a number of stores throughout the state of Colorado and the surrounding major markets.
 
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On c_dk's recommendation I bought the Hi Fi News test LP and with the help of the MPI4 I determined the antiskate mechanism was not applying the correct amount of pressure. My guess is the spring had lost some of its tension over time. Thankfully the PL518 A/S adjustments can be made on the fly while observing the stereo trace on the oscilloscope. Tracking is much improved.
 
Too many years ago on a junket courtesy of B&O I met a number of
Listen Up employees. They seemed to be very competent and I have to believe some might still be in the industry. I thought they had a number of stores throughout the state of Colorado and the surrounding major markets.

Straight Johnson Pizza used to be located at the northwest corner of Pearl St. and Exposition Ave in Denver. Circa 1970, we used to go there and when we walked in the door, above and behind the front counter was a very cool stereo system up on a shelf. I do not recall what all was in the system except it included R-R tape and I distinctly remember McIntosh MC-275 tubes glowing on the dark shelf. In the dining room were two huge Aztec (local brand) speakers. The pizza and music were both outstanding.

But they went out of business and ListenUp started a high-end audio shop at the same location. I bought a pair of B&O 5700 speakers there circa 1972. I left Co in 1974. About 35 years later, when visiting Co, I stopped in at ListenUp at that location just for fun. I walked in the door and the first thing I see is a McIntosh MC-275 on display - not more than 10' from where the pizza place had theirs (even though the interior had been completely rearranged). I mentioned this to the LU sales guy and he remembered (or at least had heard of) the legendary Straight Johnson Pizza.

Listen Up is still at that location (and a few others) and still a McIntosh dealer.

Anyway. They probably sold MAC4100s at ListenUp at some point (just to pretend to be on topic).
 
It is your thread so you can lead it anywhere you want.......

The MAC4100 does not care how good of turntable and cartridge you put with it, you just want the best cartridge your turntable can track correctly and your wallet can justify. When you get into what would be a $500 or $600 cartridge with a $350 to $400 stylus (I would regularly install a $200+ cartridge back in the late 70 and 80s with this quality system and of coarse inflation) you want to take care of it as best as you can. That level of cartridge will probably be beyond your Pioneer...but again you have to start somewhere.

Is ListenUP still doing cartridge setup? I am sure they will have some suggestions.
 
Question, where would you experts place a Rotel RP-2500 in the hierarchy of tables?

Reason I ask is I have an opportunity to get one (along with 380 bulk lp's to be sifted through) locally.

Thank you all! :music:
 
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Good or bad, McIntosh speakers,whether the dimminitive ML10 or the XRT290, always have provided bass, deep, low distortion, sometimes excessive, but they made bass.

This has always posed a challenge for the McIntosh system designer and the Mac owner in selecting a turntable. Many popular mainstream turntable do not work well with McIntosh speaker systems because the turntables do not have enough isolation from the bass shaking the room.

There is a ongoing thread where the owner is experiencing the negative effects of a turntable not up to the task of isolating the record from the speakers response.

I have always been partial to a floating sub chassis suspension like in the designs from SOTA, Thorens, and Revox as well as a dozen others that do a good job achieving isolation.

Yes there are some turntables that combine mass and big rubber feet that do a decent job of achieving this isolation but there are many popular designs that do a miserable job at acheiving this isolation.

The mentioned Rotel I would expect to be in the later category, and I was a Rotel dealer at one time.
 
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