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Old 18th Nov 2020, 9:57 am   #1
McMurdo
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Default McIntosh valve amplifier manufacture.

This appeared in my youtube recommended list the other day. The 'how its made' style programme all about McIntosh valve amps which are still made:

https://youtu.be/2HgS6gvokEI
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Old 18th Nov 2020, 10:18 am   #2
Craig Sawyers
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Default Re: McIntosh valve amplifier manufacture.

McIntosh are a major audio electronics manufacturing company, and have been going since Adam was a lad. Beautifully built and with a characteristic appearance. And some of it is punishingly new-car level expensive.

Thanks for the YouTube link! The unit they are building, the 275, is a mere price baby at £7k.

Craig

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Old 18th Nov 2020, 12:10 pm   #3
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Default Re: McIntosh valve amplifier manufacture.

I see that they have simplified the manufacture and reduced the complexity of the 275 output transformer when compared with the MC240 type which I was asked to rewind a couple of years ago. Also it is no longer on C-Cores.

I would rather have the MC240 with no circuit boards!!!

Mike...
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Old 18th Nov 2020, 2:38 pm   #4
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Default Re: McIntosh valve amplifier manufacture.

Interesting video, well made, the LEDs are not blue and I enjoyed the transformer laminating machine. £7k though? At least the IEC connector is the right way up (ground down). I do wonder if the meter is real watts or volts assuming a resistive load.
 
Old 18th Nov 2020, 7:17 pm   #5
Radio Wrangler
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Default Re: McIntosh valve amplifier manufacture.

Ooh, wow. How do they do the special heaters in the valves which make them glow green?

All mine are just the old-school reddy-orange.

The speaker terminals are in a non-magnetic material "which is important because magnetic ones would react to the current and cause distortion"

I suppose non-magnetic materials for the transformers would price them out of the market ?

Sorry, but the twaddle factor is too high to watch further.

David
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Old 18th Nov 2020, 7:17 pm   #6
Craig Sawyers
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Default Re: McIntosh valve amplifier manufacture.

There are amps in the McIntosh range that make £7k look cheap.

For example this beast https://www.dbhifi.co.uk/product/mcintosh-mc2kw/ . Note the £49,500 is for one channel - so the thick end of £100k for a stereo amp.

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Old 18th Nov 2020, 8:42 pm   #7
chriswood1900
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Default Re: McIntosh valve amplifier manufacture.

Slightly surprised on a corporate video at the wonky tube near the start followed by a panel covered in fingerprints, interesting seeing how they are made but best with the sound turned down.
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Old 18th Nov 2020, 11:47 pm   #8
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Default Re: McIntosh valve amplifier manufacture.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Radio Wrangler View Post
Ooh, wow. How do they do the special heaters in the valves which make them glow green?

All mine are just the old-school reddy-orange.

The speaker terminals are in a non-magnetic material "which is important because magnetic ones would react to the current and cause distortion"

I suppose non-magnetic materials for the transformers would price them out of the market ?

Sorry, but the twaddle factor is too high to watch further.

David
The way to beat the problem of magnetic speaker terminals David, is to make the output transformers DC. A steady fixed flux!!

Joe
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Old 20th Nov 2020, 2:39 pm   #9
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Default Re: McIntosh valve amplifier manufacture.

I guess the non-magnetic speaker connectors also allow the pre-amp 'tubes' to be placed right next to the power output ones. I have to agree with the dislike of using a PCB for a valve amplifier and particularly for the power output valves, still, it is good to see some manufacturing that is not in the far east.
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