McIntosh XR5 speakers: What do I need to drive them?

C

crazykiwi

New Member
I just found a pair of McIntosh XR5 speakers for $60 and had them refoamed. Curious to hear peoples impressions of these. They seems to have very nice, semi forward midrange and lots of detail with treble that can be a touch shrill but is also very realistic to my ears.

What do I need to drive these effectively? I have a HK730 40wpc, Yamaha CA-1010 100wpc (but no warmth or coloration to keep the treble in check, so not the best sonic pairing), and a Sony STR-6046a 20wpc.

SUB-question? Does using big lugs like these on a older, unserviced receiver stress it if the wpc is rated to low or even if it is in range but getting out of spec?

Thanks!
 
Well you really do want to seek out the companion EQ - a MQ101 or MQ102 is easiest. With the EQ I'd recommend at least 150wpc but your Yammie may power them nicely.
 
damacman said:
Well you really do want to seek out the companion EQ - a MQ101 or MQ102 is easiest. With the EQ I'd recommend at least 150wpc but your Yammie may power them nicely.
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Edit: Did a little digging and it seems it's primarly to flatten out the FR and work on room placement. I think I may skip on that unless I see a really good deal on one.

Yikes, I was not planning on putting another $200+ into these. Is there an advantage to the EQ other than balancing? If I can achieve a balance I enjoy with my existing receivers does it matter?

I have tried them with my Yamaha and HK and the HK sounds far better. Would I do any damage to the HK at 40wpc over time. It is not serviced.
 
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Amplifiers are rarely damaged by speakers however there is a real chance of damaging the tweeters when an (often underpowered) amplifier is overdriven.

Earlier McIntosh speakers were designed to be used with a McIntosh MQ 101 or 102 which restores flat response to 20 Hz in these models. However, when the speakers are placed in a corner (which acoustically increases LF output), chances are the MQ will not be needed. The MQ 102 is the simplest McIntosh EQ models and can usually be had for < $100.

As damacman said, you'll probably want a good 100 - 150 w minimum - especially in conjunction with the MQ. Smaller amplifiers may be used but lower the volume immediately if distortion or other weird/unpleasant noise is heard.

*XR5 is "rated" for 200w acc to McIntosh's somewhat murky power spec.
 
Clip your 40 watt amp and you will take out the mid domes (under metal mesh) in a heart beat. Mac developed Power Guard for their amps to protect detailed sensitive drivers so a 75 watt Mac amp was sufficient for many owners.

I would not be surprised if the mid domes were toast already and if not open certainly a good candidate to rattle especially on piano notes. I believe $165.00 each to be repaired.
 
62caddy said:
Amplifiers are rarely damaged by speakers however there is a real chance of damaging the tweeters when an (often underpowered) amplifier is overdriven.

Earlier McIntosh speakers were designed to be used with a McIntosh MQ 101 or 102 which restores flat response to 20 Hz in these models. However, when the speakers are placed in a corner (which acoustically increases LF output), chances are the MQ will not be needed. The MQ 102 is the simplest McIntosh EQ models and can usually be had for < $100.

As damacman said, you'll probably want a good 100 - 150 w minimum - especially in conjunction with the MQ. Smaller amplifiers may be used but lower the volume immediately if distortion or other weird/unpleasant noise is heard.

*XR5 is "rated" for 200w acc to McIntosh's somewhat murky power spec.
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Thanks for the info guys. You have been really helpful. Too bad, since the HK was really sounding nice. I'll try to get the Yamaha 100wpc tuned better. I may just be responding to the warmth of the HK anyways which I tend to get over with time. Sorry if this is a lot of questions but I was also wondering about what people say about the HK 730. Some claim it pushes well over rated 40wpc due to being dual mono. Does that have any bearing on this problem or is that just people talking?
 
To quote Gordon Gow " I own a amplifier company that builds big amps. Why would we build speakers that can not use a big amp?"
 
crazykiwi said:
Shoot, wondering I I already did in the tweeters. Everything is responding but the twitters sound dead silent.
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Check the tweeter fuse.

Here's some basic info:

XR5 Isoplanar Radiator Loudspeaker System

txr5.jpg
4-way floor system has 12" woofer, 8" lower mid, 1-1/2" dome upper mid and two 2-5/8" angled tweeters. Walnut finish with clear vinyl laminate. Replaceable top and base. Hinged grille. Black grille cloth.

Plug-in printed circuit crossover board. Crossover cover at the top front has block diagram plus main and tweeter fuses. Red and yellow indicator lights at the bottom right. Red light indicates tweeter fuse blown. Yellow light indicates maximum power level. Requires the MQ101 or MQ102 equalizer for flat low frequency response.

Crossover frequencies: 250Hz, 1.4kHz and 7kHz
Impedance 8 ohms
Output: 89dB @1w/1m
Power rating: 200w
Size: 29-15/16"H, 15"W and 12"D
Weight: 76 lb.
Sold from: 1976 to 1980
Last retail price: $599.00 each

Information on the science & design of McIntosh loudspeakers and MQ 101 Equalizer:

http://www.roger-russell.com/ml1cpg.htm
 
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I have a pair. Some times hard to hear mid domes if source is not in crossover range. Play piano music to check or pull and ohm out. Place a styrofoam cup over driver to feel vibe. You could be tone deaf those frequencies and not know it. Ensure the right size tweeter fuse is used and fast blow. I drive mine with a yamaha XPower amp 150 WPC and 300 watts for peaks. These speakers are way better with the MQ102. They will fill a large room with 200 WPC. Go big or go home on the amp.
 
If you don't want to buy a MQ 101 or MQ 102 and a more powerful amplifier then maybe you should sell them. You should be able to sell them for a profit. Then buy a different set of speakers that is a better match for your gear and budget.
 
Seldom, when using the AA2, to measure the XR5s in a actual client's listening room did the EQ bass setting go beyond 3, mostly the 2 setting was used. +3or 6 dB therefore was the typical added gain at 20 Hz.

I can not remember either of the two angled tweeters failing but the mid dome failing due to amp clipping was too common. Years ago I posted one taken apart that was damaged by a clients 60 watt Onkyo.
 
c_dk said:
Seldom, when using the AA2, to measure the XR5s in a actual client's listening room did the EQ bass setting go beyond 3, mostly the 2 setting was used. +3or 6 dB therefore was the typical added gain at 20 Hz.

I can not remember either of the two angled tweeters failing but the mid dome failing due to amp clipping was too common. Years ago I posted one taken apart that was damaged by a clients 60 watt Onkyo.
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Funny, others have mentioned the mid domes. They both sing.... what amazing mids. The tweeters are non responsive though. It's very strange. Then I also did not blast them on the HK 730 or even stretch their legs. I'm a very conservative volume guy. It's a pity, the HK sounded much better and more confident with them. I may look into a bigger amp. Maybe I will look at the EQ too, but first I need to figure out why the tweeters are failing even though the fuses are intact.
 
capt.chaos said:
If you don't want to buy a MQ 101 or MQ 102 and a more powerful amplifier then maybe you should sell them. You should be able to sell them for a profit. Then buy a different set of speakers that is a better match for your gear and budget.
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This has crossed my mind, fist I need to address the tweeters though, then I may think about a bigger amp or selling them. I have to say though, even if underpowered and dangerous they sounded incredible with the HK730. They may be worth the investment
 
Velocityboat said:
I have a pair. Some times hard to hear mid domes if source is not in crossover range. Play piano music to check or pull and ohm out. Place a styrofoam cup over driver to feel vibe. You could be tone deaf those frequencies and not know it. Ensure the right size tweeter fuse is used and fast blow. I drive mine with a yamaha XPower amp 150 WPC and 300 watts for peaks. These speakers are way better with the MQ102. They will fill a large room with 200 WPC. Go big or go home on the amp.
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I Will for sure try that but I am fairly confident they are dead. I have not abused my ears much and am putting my ear right on them. Also I felt like the sound changed and much of the micro detail is gone, so I am fairly confident I did something to them in the switch, and switch from CA-1010 to HK740.

Do I need a dedicated amp to achieve this? I don't see many receivers with that kind of power. I have never tried a dedicated amp. Could I connect an amp to the HK740 and run them that way? I know I vastly prefer it's sound over the Yamaha with this pair.
 
The HK would need pre outs. Are there tie bars on back you can pull off between pre and amp L & R. Then feed into yamahaif separaye amp direct in RCAs are available.
 
Velocityboat said:
The HK would need pre outs. Are there tie bars on back you can pull off between pre and amp L & R. Then feed into yamahaif separaye amp direct in RCAs are available.
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Got really confused on the last part (yamahaif separaye?). Are you saying my Yamaha can be the separate amp for the HK? If I could have the warmpth and more flexible tone controls of the HK with the power of the Yamaha ensuring I don't overdrive the amps and cause speaker damage, I would be smitten at least for now. It may be some time before I can find and settle on a dedicated power amp.

EDIT: I got that working with the STR-6046a because it has a really aright forward way of labeling the pre-out. The HK looks like it has staggered outputs. Very confusing.
 
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crazykiwi said:
Got really confused on the last part (yamahaif separaye?). Are you saying my Yamaha can be the separate amp for the HK? If I could have the warmpth and more flexible tone controls of the HK with the power of the Yamaha ensuring I don't overdrive the amps and cause speaker damage, I would be smitten at least for now. It may be some time before I can find and settle on a dedicated power amp.

EDIT: I got that working with the STR-6046a because it has a really aright forward way of labeling the pre-out. The HK looks like it has staggered outputs. Very confusing.
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If yamaha has separate RCA Amp in and HK has pre out. Yes. I use my XR5s no tone controls but the MQ102.
 
You need to visit Roger Russell's Mcintosh website and read about the ML and XR series speakers. Roger used a special critically damped woofer for extended frequency response to 20 hz with superior transient response and low distortion. This type of woofer requires the MQ equalizer to restore optimum performance depending where located in the listening space. You will enjoy the read. There are still very few speakers that can reproduce 20 Hz as faithfully as Mac speakers. And almost none with as small as enclosure.
 
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