Jeff Matthews Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 I was just given an MC-250. Very nice condition. Cosmetically a 9.5 out of 10. Getting ready to hook it up for a test drive. Need help w/speaker connections. On the back, there a banks of screws for left and right. Each bank has 6 connections. I will describe one bank. The other channel is the same. The top connection is not labeled. The next one down is 16. Then, 8. Then, 4. Then "COM." Then, blank. I gather the 4, 8 and 16 are ohms. I don't know the resistance of KHorns and need to know that. I also gather than one of the speaker wires goes to the proper resistance (don't know which wire). I also gather the other speaker wire goes to one of the blanks or "COM." "COM" might stand for "Common." Anybody know for sure? Don't want to burn this beauty. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesboy Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 I used to have a Mac 2505 which has the same speaker hook ups as the 250. For K-horns the + lead from the speaker goes to the 8 omn tap. The - goes to common. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Matthews Posted June 14, 2009 Author Share Posted June 14, 2009 Ok. Thanks for the quick reply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 The negative terminal is the "COM" - your negative speaker wire goes here. As for the 4 or 8, this is where the positive speaker cable goes. You can choose either - I would start with 8 ohm, and try 4 for a while during a later session or two just to see what you like. I usually end up on the 8 ohm tap. Make sure the stereo/mono switch is set to stereo as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Matthews Posted June 14, 2009 Author Share Posted June 14, 2009 Where's the power "on" and "off?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cody_Mack Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 Jeff - there is no on/off switch. Go figure??? I have the same amp; it has a very nice, neutral sound. Almost tube quality. Enjoy! Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Matthews Posted June 14, 2009 Author Share Posted June 14, 2009 Thanks, Rick. My initial review after listening to some very high-quality recordings. "Sweet Freedom" by Michael McDonald and "Let the Children Play/Jugando" by Santana off the Moonflower album. It sounds pretty much the same as my Crown Microtech 1200. It is possible - only possible - there might some some slight nuiances. I'd have to be able to A/B pretty quick to be able to confirm. So, each amp holds its own to the other. No real noticeable difference. If anything, maybe the Mac loses in the "pretty" category. That's one ugly amp. Just the same, as I am kidding around, I am impressed. It is a good amp. Can't say I feel, as some have commented, that it is in another league compared to my "PA" amp. It clearly is not. The amp seriously jams, and I do recommend it. The great part is I got it for free, and I now have a separate amp for my Cornwalls. Not sure which I will use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenderbender Posted June 14, 2009 Share Posted June 14, 2009 Hey Jeff, I was running a mc2505 with corns, and it was a very competent setup! I really loved the way that older 60's - 70's rock sounded.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Matthews Posted June 14, 2009 Author Share Posted June 14, 2009 Yeah. The MC250 is very good. It will definitely go to earbleed levels cleanly and with authority. I have nothing bad to say about it, other than it is ugly. But, to some, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For me, it doesn't matter much what it looks like, as long as it is tolerable and sounds very good. It definitely meets my criteria. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesV Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Wow, great pick up and for FREE..... [H] I have to say that I picked up a 2105 and have it hooked up to Cornwalls and it really cranks and I have yet to have the volume over half way. Well do tell us how you like it connected to your Cornwalls. James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Matthews Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 I'm not using the Corns right now. But there is no doubt it will go very well with them. I've had the Corns with Crown amp since the late 1980's. About 4 years ago or so, I bought the KHorns. So, I am very, very familiar with the Corns, and this MC250 will do for them every bit of what the Crown amp did. I have to restore the grills on the Corns and fix a bad tweet. No big hurry right now because of so many other projects and it being only a second system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kuisis Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Jeff I really like me MC250's. What are you using as a pre? I have to disagree with you on the looks 100%. I think they are one of the cooler looking amps out there. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindman Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Where's the power "on" and "off?" This amplifier was intended to have the power cord plugged into a McIntosh PREAMPLIFIER (and not directly into a household electrical outlet). The PREAMPLIFIER: 1) has the ON/OFF switch and 2) is plugged into the household electrical outlet Therefore, when the PREAMPLIFER is powered ON, the power AMPLIFIER would be powered ON, too. Likewise, when the PREAMPLIFIER is powered OFF, the power AMPLIFIER would be powered OFF, too. This arrangement is very common not only for McIntosh PREAMPLIFIER/AMPLIFIER combinations, but other manufacturers included POWERED outlets on the back of their PREAMPLIFIERS as well. Some had several of these outlets so that you could do the same with your tuner or turntable and have it turn ON/OFF with the PREAMPLIFIER. If you've always had an all-in-one RECEIVER instead of separate components such as a separate AMPLIFIER, PREAMPLIFIER, and TUNER you may have never run into powered and unpowered outlets on the back of the components before. (Some of the outlets remained powered all-the-time regardless of whether or not if the main device is on/off, and other outlets had power ONLY when the main device was turned ON.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksonbart Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Jeff Let me first put this out there, I love you man, but are you deaf? Sorry just had to ask. BTW don't forget who you're dealing with, I picked out Irene Ryan from a very rare photo you posted of her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Matthews Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 Bart, I assure you that if I gave you a blind test, you couldn't pick which was which. Also, I did figure out the on/off issue and plugged it in to the "switched" outlet on the back of my pre-amp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Matthews Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 Granny! That still cracks me up! Uncanny, man! Uncanny! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1stcav Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Years ago I had a mint MC250 driving my '79 Cornwalls with a CD player as my only source (no preamp or any other components since I had just lost my job back in '03 and sold virtually everything I owned...a sad time indeed). That fantastic-looking McIntosh was one of the best power amps I ever owned, then and now! The MC250 may be the earliest SS amp Mac built back in the day, but I feel its tube-quality sound may come from its Autoformers and how they were initially designed for their earlier tube amps. All I know is my beautiful MC250 made my Cornwalls sing superbly, and never made my ears bleed from any form of shrilly harshness! Maybe someday I'll come across another gorgeous MC250...with updated caps, there's no reason why these awesome Mac power amps couldn't last another 30 to 50 years (or more)![Y] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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