McIntosh 4200
- Thread starter Jason Mc
- Start date
18 ga copper wire for run lengths up to < 24 feet for 8 ohm speakers; < 12 feet for 4 ohm speakers.
Save your money for something else.
http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm
Save your money for something else.
http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm
^^^ Spot on advice. ^^^
You can get mini banana jacks to fit the connections on the back of the 4200 at Monoprice.
Jason Mc
New Member
Ok thx I wasn’t sure if the banana jacks would fit on the 4200. What do you recommend for wire? What kind and what gauge?
mnmmt
Active Member
Monoprice has good prices on 12 ga. Oxygen free copper speaker wire by the spool. I use 4 conductor monoprice cables so that I can run direct to the high and low speaker connections and not use the metal jumper. If you really want to be assured you are using audiophile approved wire, the sky is the limit in terms of price and what you may or may not perceive in performance improvements. I have never done any serious speaker cable comparisons, but have never been able to tell any difference between generic high quality copper wire and name brand stuff I have picked up.
18 gauge commonly available at any hardware store, Home Depot, Lowe's etc.
I would simply strip the ends of the wire and twist lightly. I think bare wire would probably provide a greater area of surface contact than banana pins. Same goes for the speakers connections.
Jason Mc
New Member
My speakers only take a rca type connection though. Would the banana jack work for that?
isotopesope
Active Member
lots of RCA connector options here:
https://www.parts-express.com/cat/r...eca:matches(.,"P_Searchable","1")]&PortalID=1
What are the speakers you're using?
Jason Mc
New Member
Bang & Olufsen Penta 3’s
Disregard the above advice - these are self powered speakers and connections to them are NOT to be made at the speaker outputs of the MAC4200 as would be done with regular speakers that need to be powered in the conventional manner and regular speaker wire cannot be used in this situation.
You need a pair of single channel RCA IC cables of a length being enough to reach from the receiver to the speakers. Connections to the MAC are to be made at the PREAMP OUT jacks. The jumpers at the rear of the MAC will have to be removed so the preamp out jacks can be used.
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Jason Mc
New Member
You are correct and that’s what I am currently running but Since the Penta’s have there own power I am worried I am not getting the true McIntosh sound from running it this way. So I figured the only way I could get the true sound is to run regular speaker wire and remove the amps from the Penta’s and run them as passive.
Jason Mc
New Member
I wouldn't recommend doing this unless the speakers are specifically designed for passive operation. If this is not the case, chances are that not only will there be no improvement, but you may very well make things worse, while butchering the speakers in the process.
I suggest using the speakers as intended until you find another pair of speakers that can be powered by the receiver.
Jason Mc
New Member
Ok thank you for all your advice
Jason Mc
New Member
I can almost guarantee the crossover network is integral with the amplifier, therefore there would be no means of sending the proper signals to the appropriate drivers when using outboard equipment to power the speakers. The amplifier/crossover network has already been optimized to the specific characteristics of the drivers & the system and to improve upon it would be impossible for all practical purposes.
Sorry to be the bearer of disagreeable news but far more harm than good would result from trying to power this pair of speakers directly by the MAC. Otherwise, the sky's the limit for many great speakers that can be powered with this receiver, but I'm afraid the B & O's are out of the question in this regard.
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