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

[crazykiwi]

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.

That does sound like a good read. Thanks for the tip!

 

[c_dk]

I also posted a McIntosh white paper in Mac tech sticky. Remember the MQ104/107 EQ concepts were introduced in the mid 70s.......using the power of digital measuring devices and EQ system mush has advanced in the last 40 years.

RR also posts about the in house mid dome development and the United Speaker patent.

 

[Guest113]

I use 2105 amps and the 101 EQ's for mine. They do fill a large room very well. My main room is 18 x 30. Velocity is correct, piano or female vocals will help you hear the mids. It will also tell you if the mids are bad which are a common problem with the XR-5's.

 

[Bill Sohne]

HI EVERYONE....

Sorry for the delay..... We were moving into our new offices.... I finally got all 4 speakers in my new office... Right now I have set up one in each of the 4 corners of the room and the right and left channels are diagonally across from each other...

I did this just to test out the " new pair " that I got so I dusted off my Marantz 2325..... see photos below , I acutally got my first pair and the 2325 as a "system" from a clock guy I know.... he had it for 20 plus years , and he also got them as a "system".

It turns out one of the 036-035 mid domes is starting to buzz.... so I was in the process of where can I find a replacement driver... when a bunch of salvaged bits from an XR14 was posted on the bay... But the 036035 looked different from the ones posted on RRsite! , for 65 $ i took a chance anyway....

Can anyone ID it below? is it a later replacement build with the same mcintosh part number? weird? right ?

IMG_4657

• Bill Sohne
• Feb 20, 2017

as found on the sawhorse !







I installed it in the speaker seems to be ok... but I really would like to get alittle more light on this... and in the meantime I am looking for someone who could rebuild my original one ( actually it was a rebuild as it has a andio classics sticker on the side of it ).



Now back to the system...


So I am using a Marantz 2325 for now i have the speakers layed out in the 4 courners of the room ..... one set is on "main" and the second set "remote" speaker terminals...

I already found the bad middome.... I also using a MQ-104 for the low end EQ,.,,, keeping the four band passive EQ , in the "OFF" position... I just want to adjust the low end eq like a MQ-102.

So you see one set on side where my desk and amp is ..... mirror opposit wall ( apporx 20 feet away )... are the other set...

once I get the mid dome straighten out.... I will then think about stacking them....

best

bill

 

[c_dk]

That sir is a contrived fake, a 036-035 imposter using a tweeter dome of some type to deceive the buyer.

The fiberglass is from a real 035, the sticker must have been steamed off and reapplied to the fake.

A real Mac mid dome always had a strap type magnet frame, a paper dome and a half roll suspension.

New York speaker works in Syracuse bought all the Mac replacement parts and jigs. I believe the rebuild them for $150.00

 

[Freq-E-Drive]

They are out of business. I need on for my XR14's.

 

[c_dk]

I am actually working on something.....it ill take a few weeks.

 

[Freq-E-Drive]

As am I. Built fixtures to remove and reassemble. Considering winding my own coil. I was at the McIntosh plant meeting with an engineer 2 weeks ago who is trying to get me a print possibly.

 

[Freq-E-Drive]

Also just dropped $110 for the only one I've seen on EBay in 5 months. Not thrilled to have that much into this project.

 

[Freq-E-Drive]

Veneered new walnut tops and banded to replace the pinky rotten particle board.

 

[c_dk]

I plan on using a sweep generator and a distortion analyzer and compare the results with RR published responses from his web site and the two good ones I still have in stock. But that is just me.......

 

[maxchau]

Realizing this is an older post...I like to respond to the original question "
What do I need to drive them?" I drove my xr5s with 1.5 W 45 SET amp and it was "room filled" in my 20 x 20 room with a very balanced presentation especially low to mid bass. Mid and high are a given for 45 tubes. Just FYI.