McIntosh Serial # Decoder ?
- Thread starter JONERVI
- Start date
JONERVI.......Go to Berner's Site, click on the model you are interested in, scroll to the bottom where you will find serial number ranges, and dates the model was manufactured. From this information you can approximate your manufacture date.
http://www.berners.ch/McIntosh/en/Frame_Compendium.htm
Welcome to AudioKarma, and the McIntosh forum.
http://www.berners.ch/McIntosh/en/Frame_Compendium.htm
Welcome to AudioKarma, and the McIntosh forum.
gmc
Well-Known Member
@FrostEOne That actually doesn't work in this case because Berner's only cites the UM serial numbers (beginning with UM1001 sometime in 2003) . According to another site, in November 2006, the MC501 changed to WU serial numbers after becoming RoHS compliant. Starting with WU1001, production was continued until sometime in 2013.
thornev
Super Member
I just purchased an MC250 with a serial number that doesn't match the format of any MC250 serial numbers I've seen. They all have a letter in the middle. Mine has "3091" with no letter. Anyone know what that means? Before or after serial numbers with letters, so very early or very late date of manufacture? Thorne
The serial numbers were inked onto a plastised sticker so it can wear off if mishandled.
Proper schematic to use can be determined from the driver board layout and part number.
When Fran retired all the notebooks that kept track of the serial numbers and build dates were retired also.
Proper schematic to use can be determined from the driver board layout and part number.
When Fran retired all the notebooks that kept track of the serial numbers and build dates were retired also.
Possibly an engineering unit - prototype?
Larry
Larry
clinic-audio
all on YAMAHA untill 1990
Hello
I don't understand why the date of manufacturing is so important when you know that MC250 was made between 1967 to 1979
Did you make a research inside the unit to see where the serial number is and if it is 100% identical to the one outside ?
I don't understand why the date of manufacturing is so important when you know that MC250 was made between 1967 to 1979
Did you make a research inside the unit to see where the serial number is and if it is 100% identical to the one outside ?
If the number is correct I would assume it was a late production back fill inventory for the commercial market.
That is why seeing the circuit boards will tell us much.
So many of these non metered units were used in commercial operations for non audio use, therefore it was common to see them in electrical bids.
Since Mac would build these in batches, starting with the boards and build up a back stock of needed sub assemblies, they then would build some amps, Fran would create the serial numbers and enter them into her tracking notebooks.
I would not be surprised to find the unit to have different driver board builds or desparite date codes on the capacitors.
Most likely therefore it is the last of the production runs which none of us would sell in 1978 or 79 because their were so many better options.
But for a fixed bid, maybe a rehashed bid that had been installed multiple times before the system contractor would want to honor the speced units; installers who did not want to reopen a bid would stick with what they had done before even if they knew of a better solution like the MC502 or MC2120.
It was in 1980 or so and I got a call from a electrical contractor on the otherside of the mitten who needed 2 discontinued MC2300 for a major electrical bid he was trying to fulfill.
Fran found me two MC2300s, one salted away somewhere in the plant in Binghamton, another somewhere in the country. These had been out of production for over a year, replaced by the far better MC2500, but the contractor was adament and as usual Fran came through......she was a unsung heroine of the dealers around the country.
Two new MC2300s, along with two MAC4100s were soon put to work in two new GM plants.
Without seeing the boards my best guess.
That is why seeing the circuit boards will tell us much.
So many of these non metered units were used in commercial operations for non audio use, therefore it was common to see them in electrical bids.
Since Mac would build these in batches, starting with the boards and build up a back stock of needed sub assemblies, they then would build some amps, Fran would create the serial numbers and enter them into her tracking notebooks.
I would not be surprised to find the unit to have different driver board builds or desparite date codes on the capacitors.
Most likely therefore it is the last of the production runs which none of us would sell in 1978 or 79 because their were so many better options.
But for a fixed bid, maybe a rehashed bid that had been installed multiple times before the system contractor would want to honor the speced units; installers who did not want to reopen a bid would stick with what they had done before even if they knew of a better solution like the MC502 or MC2120.
It was in 1980 or so and I got a call from a electrical contractor on the otherside of the mitten who needed 2 discontinued MC2300 for a major electrical bid he was trying to fulfill.
Fran found me two MC2300s, one salted away somewhere in the plant in Binghamton, another somewhere in the country. These had been out of production for over a year, replaced by the far better MC2500, but the contractor was adament and as usual Fran came through......she was a unsung heroine of the dealers around the country.
Two new MC2300s, along with two MAC4100s were soon put to work in two new GM plants.
Without seeing the boards my best guess.
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escorial
Active Member
Just came across this and hate to hijack but I just purchased a MC250 and the serial number is 59L3T, I wen to Brenners and then to the new site and I reall do not see any build dates, jut saw this. It looks like mine was a later model, is there a way to narrow it down a bit more?
Based on the serial number it is about midway through the production. But we don't know if production was even over the product span or if it was skewed one way or the other. Only McIntosh would know that.
Larry
Larry
twiiii
Lunatic Member
Back in the old days before computers if a customer walked in with a Mac from out of town for repair and there was a warranty issue we could call our Mac Representative, he would find out when the unit was shipped to which dealer and if the factory had or hadn't received the warranty card. Then he would call the dealer and find out when the unit had been sold and whether the unit was eligible for warranty repairs. With computers I would think it would be easy for Mac to get you the answer, but that maybe against the company policy to guarantee the original owners privacy.
I know from having been executor on different Estates research can be time consuming especially from out of town government entities. I would ask the original owner. If you don't know who that. is, you might be out of luck.
With the quality of the components in Mac amps Its not that big of an issue on recent products. If your that concerned buy your units from Mac dealers or Audio Classics. At least you will get a warranty that way.
I know from having been executor on different Estates research can be time consuming especially from out of town government entities. I would ask the original owner. If you don't know who that. is, you might be out of luck.
With the quality of the components in Mac amps Its not that big of an issue on recent products. If your that concerned buy your units from Mac dealers or Audio Classics. At least you will get a warranty that way.
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