McIntosh MX 113 on the Fritz in Milwaukee. . .I Need a OEM Volume Control!

[tidmack]

Fellas,

I've been having channel cutouts in my system over the past 6 months or so. The left channel would cut in and out from time to time and then it'd work well for weeks or months. It happened whether I ran my MC 2100 or 2105, so I'm guessing it's my MX 113 preamp/tuner. Today, the left channel quit altogether. Now I have an excuse to spend some money I guess. . .

I know the 113 is known as just an "average" or even below average preamp, but I don't have mega-bucks to stick into a C26 (I think that's the SS unit most around here recommend) and a tuner. I still listen to the radio a fair amount of time, so a tuner is necessary. Soooo, the million dollar question is: does anyone know of a good Mac shop in the Milwaukee area that could refresh/fix my 113? What kind of dollars are fair to pay?

In the long run, am I better off looking for a C26 (or other preamp) and a tuner anyways? The 2105 and 2100 amps have been good to me and I like the ease of a SS rig. This is a two channel setup that gets used almost daily. Any help or suggestions are always appreciated.

Jeff

[ByteWrangler]

It can't be fixed. Pack it very carefully and send it to me for disposal. No charge! Send the 2105, too. []

Seriously, Sorry to hear your problems. Before giving up and sending it to a shop, you may want to try cleaning all the switches and pots using a good contact cleaner.

I have no idea about Milwaukee, but Audio Classics in Vestal, NY (near Binghamton) and

Terry DeWick near Knoxville, TN specialize in repair/refurb of classic Mc units units like these. It's probably worth shipping it to them. Both are highly regarded by the Audio Karma McIntosh community. Haven't used their repair services myself, directly, though, so no first-hand experience, but I did buy a refurbished MR73 from AudioClassics earlier this year and it works great. They say it meets original specs; I have no way to verify that, but have no real reason to doubt it (AM sensitivity seems a bit low, but don't have an antenna other than the built-in rod in amongst all the old iron and cables, either). Either shop will give you instructions how to pack. If you still have the factory double-wall box, use that to ship it.

If you don't, it may be worth ordering a replacement from the factory

(not cheap, but...), or maybe you could borrow one. It's easy for the front glass to get broken in shipping if not packed well.

Best of luck!

[HarryO]

I've used Terry Dewick a couple of times lately on Mac stuff and I'll have to give him a high recommendation for service, price, and promptness. I usually work on my own gear and usually don't recommend anyone but Terry D. treated me great and his work is excellent in my case.

Harry

[tidmack]

Harry and Wrangler,

Thanks for the quick responses. I would like to try cleaning the pots first, but I've never done anything like that. I'll do a quick search, as I'm sure this has been covered before, but is there a brand of cleaner you'd recommend? Should I remove the glass first? This is a really nice looking unit and I don't want to goof anything up. Again, thanks for your quick assistance. Have an excellent wekeend.

Jeff

[NOSValves]

Caig DeoXit first then apply Caig Fader lube. You can buy them both at www.partsexpress.com

[tidmack]

Thanks for the help, guys. I ended up taking my unit into Flanner's Audio and Video today. The main tech there has been working on Macs for about 30 years and he came with a good recommendation locally. I'll be on a "field trip" to NYC with my students over teacher's convention this week, so I figured it's a great time to get the 113 looked over.

Next time we have a Milwaukee area get together, would someone be willing to demonstrate how to properly clean pots? (JacksonBart: insert pun here) I would have tried this myself, but this unit is soooooooo clean, I didn't want to risk goofing anything up. Besides, at least now I know it's been bench tested, etc, and ready for another 20 years of use!

Quick aside: Flanner's has a pair of LaScala II's in one of their listening rooms. One of my former co-workers from American TV now works for Flanner's and E-man gave me quite a demo. . .let's just say I think my tax returns will be spent on new speaks. I've owned 4 pairs of LaScalas over the years, with my current pair being stock 1979's. After reading other people's reviews, I had a hard time believing the LS II's could be THAT much better. Wow, I am convinced now too! They are amazing sounding speakers. Most noticeably, the bass is deeper and the "shrill" I've experienced with all my pairs at high volumes is non existent on the LS II's.

Jeff

[boomac]

Jeff,

I've known that tech for over 30 years and his knowledge and service are as good as it gets.

[tidmack]

Scott,

I was hoping you or John M. would chime in! Although Flanner's came highly recommended from a couple local audio nuts, I value your opinion too. Thanks for putting my mind at ease. If I recall, I think you're a Cornwall guy, but were you as impressed with the LS II's as I was? Have a good one-

Jeff

[boomac]

Jeff,

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The last time I was at Flanner Audio I saw the La Scalas but did not have a listen. I might try to do so this week tho.

I recall visiting the back room at the old Flanner & Hafsoos (sp) when they were at <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Mayfair. The room had Klipsch & McIntosh all over the place but unfortunately, it was far out of a recently married college kids budget. The head tech that you speak of was on board at that time, knew his stuff then and has since brought many a Macs up to or over factory spec. Not only is he a great tech & great guy, but he was a pretty good infielder that I played softball with and against for many years. The MX 113 is in good hands.

[tidmack]

I could use some advice this morning. A bad volume control is the culprit on my MX 113. Mac sells a replacement, but not an original. Does anyone on the board have experience with replacement volume controls? Will it hold up like my original or should I hunt around to see if someone has a NOS control? Any input is always appreciated.

Jeff

[tidmack]

Quick update: It looks like the replacement volume controls for the 113's aren't the best. The gentleman who's fixing my unit is checking around to see if an original might be available through his resources. In the meantime, I thought I'd check here to see if any Mac guys might have some parts. Again, I'm on the prowl for a volume control for a MX 113. Thanks.

Jeff

[tidmack]

Checked with Terry DeWick. Very nice guy, I'm always amazed that people are willing to give complete strangers 5 minutes of their time and expertise.

Terry says to go with the replacement control, as "I'll need something to control the volume!" He wasn't too thrilled about the replacements though either. Sooooo, if anyone may have a good OEM volume control in their box 'o parts, toss me an email please. Take care,

Jeff

[boomac]

Jeff,

Gary at Flanner probably already has but just in case, I would give Audio Classics a call. 800-321-2834

Also, you might try Audio Ventures in Waukesha. (262) 896-9000

[tidmack]

Thanks Scott. I'll try Audio Ventures. . .as you thought, Gary was going to give Classics a call this afternoon. It's Bill over at Audio Ventures, right?

Jeff

[boomac]

Yeah! Bill Waara is the guy to talk to.

[djk]

"The C26 preamp left and right channel circuit boards were also used in the MX112, MX113, MX114 and MX115 tuner-preamps."

"The power switch was part of the volume control."

"(C27) One improvement was the addition of a better tracking volume control that was not available for the original C26 design.(power switch on chassis) ."

Replace the volume control with something better and run an external power switch (power strip, line conditioner, etc).

[tidmack]

I'm gathering that a C26 volume control will work on my MX 113?

[djk]

I doubt you will find one anywhere.

McIntosh hand selected them from CTS, and sent most to surplus sales for poor tracking. The UL requirement on the switch didn't help the design either.