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Mcintosh A/V Multizone System?


Maximus89

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I just bought a McIntosh CR16 not having any clue what it really is. I know that It can be used as a 2ch pre amp with 4 separate preamp built in, but I'm curious if theres a way to use it along with an extra channel on an AVR.
 
My Marantz SR7007 center built in amp AND pre out have very faint/low volume output and or very scratchy. I got it to work for a bit after using deoxit but the issues are back and as we know- center speaker is most important for movies/tv.
 
So I'm curious if I can use my 3ch power amp plugged into the CR16, 1 zone as my mains and another zone as a center only- the rear of the CR16 has zone aux in and balanced and unbalanced outputs.
 
How would I accomplish what I'm looking to do? Left and right power amp rca to zone 1 unbalanced outputs and then left and right aux in CR16 into the Marantz pre out? or multi channel input?? Same process for the single center speaker?
 
Another important question:
I'm all PC based so if I'm HDMI via PC GPU to the Marantz, I wouldn't be getting the benefits of the CR16 pre amp? Or In that case, the marantz only becomes the DAC?? Or would I need to get a separate USB dac plugged into the CR16 aux in audio input to get the full benefit of the mcintosh pre amp for music and then switch back to the marantz hdmi for movies??
 
Appreciate any incoming help!
 
Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
 
 

 

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Well since no one replied and one day maybe someone inexperienced like myself with such a device comes along, I figured it out:

So if you have a multizone system with it's own preamps(the McIntosh CR16 has 4 separate pre amps)- you just connect your speakers to your power amp and then power amp to UNBAL L/R OUT on preamp. (I haven't figure out what kind of old balanced cable input that is and why only 1, but my McIntosh power amp doesn't have balanced so I used RCA unbalanced).   Connect your devices to the AUDIO INPUTS ie: PC DAC to any of the AUDIO INPUTS you see EXCEPT AUX if you're going to combine 2ch with an AVR.   If you want to use the device as a 2ch preamp with "Home Theater Passthrough" or "Home Theater Bypass" like many stereo integrated devices are now coming with to combine best of both worlds-simply take your rca or coaxial cable from ZONE AUX IN L/R into your Audio Video Receivers PRE OUTS for L/R. Then, if your AVR has a data input like other McIntosh, connect 3.5mm from ZONE AUX IN data to AVR data, but if it doesn't have data input, simply stick one end of your 3.5mm jack only half way or to the "ring" part of the tip which creates a tip to ring short and now you can use the AUX input on the front panel with your AVR-which is why you needed the AUDIO AUX INPUT free to be used.  That's it.  Now you've got your 2ch separate from your surround sound.
Photo example of tip to ring-stick the end into the DATA jack to the "ring" and leave the "Sleeve" sticking out.
Image result for 3.5mm tip to ring


Have yet to figure out if I can use my Center channel in ZONE 2 yet, but I don't see why not since you can play all 4 separate pre amps on same input. I'll need to buy an rca mono adapter first then out to center pre out.
 

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