McIntosh MSD 4 Owners Manual

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2 Thank You, Please Take A Moment, Customer Service and Table of Contents Thank You .......................................................................... 2 Please Take a Moment ....................................................... 2 Customer Service ............................................................... 2 Table of Contents ............................................................... 2 Safety Instructions ............................................................. 3 Introduction ....................................................................... 4 Performance Features ........................................................ 4 Installation ......................................................................... 6 Rear Panel Switches and Connections .............................. 7 How to Connect with a C39/MX130 ................................. 8 How to Connect in a Stand Alone System ......................... 9 Front Panel Controls, Push-Buttons, Switches and Displays ..................................................... 10 Delay Calibration for Center and Surround Channels .......................................................... 11 How to Operate with a C39/MX130 ............................... 12 System Level Calibration ................................................ 14 How to Operate in a Stand Alone System ....................... 16 Specifications .................................................................. 18 Packing Instruction .......................................................... 19 NOTES: 1. The MSD4 can be operated with a McIntosh C39 or MX130 Control Center. It may also be operated with a McIntosh MVS-3 Audio/Video Selector and a MC7205 Power Amplifier. There are instructions to cover both possibilities. Please refer to the following listing as a guide: For use with a McIntosh C39 or MX130 How to Connect with a C39/MX130 ................................. 8 Delay Calibration for Center and Surround Channels .......................................................... 11 How to Operate with a C39/MX130 ............................... 12 For use with a McIntosh MVS-3 and MC7205 How to Connect in a Stand Alone System ......................... 9 Delay Calibration for Center and Surround Channels .......................................................... 11 System Level Calibration ................................................ 14 How to Operate in a Stand Alone System ....................... 15 2. Connecting Cables are available from the McIntosh Parts Department: Data and Power Control Cable Part No. 170-202 Six foot, shielded 2 conductor, with 1/8 inch stereo mini phone plugs on each end. 3. For additional connection information, refer to the owners manual(s) for any component(s) connected to the MSD4 Surround Decoder. Please Take A Moment The serial number, purchase date and McIntosh dealer name are important to you for possible insurance claim or future service. The serial number is located on the rear panel of the equipment. The spaces below have been pro- vided for you to record that information: Serial Number: Purchase Date: Dealer Name: If at any time you have questions about your McIntosh MSD4 Surround Decoder, contact your McIntosh dealer. Your dealer is familiar with your McIntosh equipment as well as other brands that may be included in your system and is best qualified to help you. If it is determined that your MSD4 is in need of repair, you can return it to your dealer or you can return it to McIntosh Laboratory. Contact the McIntosh Repair Department for assistance at, McIntosh Laboratory, Inc. 2 Chambers Street Binghamton, New York 13903 Phone: 607-723-3512 FAX: 607-724-0549 Copyright 1998 ã by McIntosh Laboratory, Inc. Customer Service Thank You For your decision to own this McIntosh MSD4 Surround Decoder ranks you at the very top among discriminating music listeners. You now have The Best. The McIntosh dedication to Quality, is assurance that you will receive many years of musical enjoyment from this unit. Please take a short time to read the information in this manual. We want you to be as familiar as possible with all the features and functions of your new McIntosh MSD4. This will ensure that you receive all the performance ben- efits this equipment can offer you, and that it will become a highly valued part of your home entertainment system. Table of Contents

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3 Safety Instructions General: 1. Read all the safety and operating instructions, con- tained in this owners manual, before operating this equipment. 2. Retain this owners manual for future reference about safety and operating instructions. 3. Adhere to all warnings and operating instructions. 4. Follow all operating and use instructions. 5. Warning: To reduce risk of fire or electrical shock, do not expose this equipment to rain or moisture. This unit is capable of producing high sound pres- sure levels. Continued exposure to high sound pres- sure levels can cause permanent hearing impair- ment or loss. User caution is advised and ear protec- tion is recommended when playing at high volumes. 6. Caution: to prevent electrical shock do not use this (polarized) plug with an extension cord, receptacle or other outlet unless the blades can be fully in- serted to prevent blade exposure. IMPOR TANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS! PLEASE READ THEM BEFORE OPERATING THIS EQUIPMENT. Attention: pour pevenir les chocs elecriques pas utiliser cette fiche polarisee avec un prolongateur, une prise de courant ou un autre sortie de courant, sauf si les lames peuvent etre inserees afond ans en laisser aucune partie a decouvert. 7. For added protection for this product during a lightning storm, or when it is left unattended and unused for long periods of time, unplug it from the wall outlet and dis- connect the antenna or cable system. This will prevent damage to the product due to lightning or power line surges. 8. Do not use attachments not recommended in this owners manual as they may cause hazards. Installation: 9. Locate the equipment for proper ventilation. For ex- ample, the equipment should not be placed on a bed, sofa, rug, or similar surface that may block ventilation openings; or, placed in a built-in installation, such as a bookcase or cabinet, that may impede the flow of air through the ventilation openings. 10. Locate the equipment away from heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other appliance (in- cluding amplifiers) that produce heat. 11. Mount the equipment in a wall or cabinet only as de- scribed in this owners manual 12. Do not use this equipment near water; for example, near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, laundry tub, in a wet basement or near a swimming pool, etc. 13. Do not place this product on an unstable cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table. The equipment may fall, caus- ing serious injury to a person, and serious damage to the product. Connection: 14. Connect this equipment only to the type of AC power source as marked on the unit. 15. Route AC power cords so that they are not likely to be walked on or pinched by items placed upon or against them, paying particular attention to cords at plugs, con- venience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the instrument. 16. Do not defeat the inherent design features of the polar- ized plug. Non-polarized line cord adapters will defeat the safety provided by the polarized AC plug. If the plug should fail to fit, contact your electrician to re- place your obsolete outlet. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the grounding-type plug. WARNING SHOCK HAZARD - DO NOT OPEN. The lightning flash with arrowhead, within an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage within the products enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to consti- tute a risk of electric shock to persons . AVIS RISQUE DE CHOC - NE PAS OUVRIR. The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance. NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL To prevent the risk of electric shock, do not remove cover (or back). No user serviceable parts inside. Refer servicing to qualified personnel.

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5 · Automatic Mode Switching The MSD4 automatically switches operating modes be- tween Dolby Digital, Pro Logic or DTS, according to the input signals. · LED Channel Status Indicators The MSD4 includes seven LEDs on the front panel to in- dicate what type of operating signals are being received. · Front Panel Mode Nomenclature Dolby Digital, Pro Logic or DTS nomenclature illuminates to show which decoding mode is in use. · Adjustable Channel Time Delays Signals to the Center channel and Surround channels can be time delayed. This feature can be used to correct for dif- ferent listening distances from the center speaker and sur- round speakers relative to the front speakers. · Precision Tracking Volume Control An electronic Volume Control adjusts all six channels with tracking accuracy better than 0.5dB. · LED Delay/Volume Indicator The front panel two digit LED reads Volume in percent. It also indicates time delay in milliseconds during time delay calibration, and channel level in dB during surround level calibration. · Built-In System Level Calibration Generator A built-in test signal generator can be switched manually or automatically through all system channels for surround level calibration. The levels can be adjusted plus or minus 12dB. · Re-EQ + TM Re-Equalization-„¢ filter and Timbre Matching-„¢ modify the sound tracks created for a large theater so they are more enjoyable in the smaller listening room of a home theater. · Late Night Dynamic Audio Compression With select encoded Dolby Digital sound tracks, a dynamic volume level compressor can be switched in to reduce the wide dynamic range of music and sound effects. This fea- ture can be very useful for late night listening or when you have close neighbors. Performance Features cont · Automatic Input Level Control The Analog Input includes a special circuit which protects against accidental input signal overdrive. · IR Remote Control When used in a simplified system with the MVS-3 and MC7106, the MSD4 can be controlled directly with an op- tional Remote Control (HR34/HR39/HR130) through its front panel IR (Infra Red) sensor. · Speaker Settings for Bass Management The MSD4 processing circuits allow you to change the bass cutoff frequency fed to the front, center and surround channels to 80Hz, when using a subwoofer. · Automatic Power On-Off The MSD4 AC power can be turned on or off with a Power Control signal from a McIntosh Control Center or other McIntosh accessory component.

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15 Calibration Channel Default Setting New Setting Left Front 0 Center Front 0 Right Front 0 Right Surround 0 Left Surround 0 Subwoofer 0 bers, and if decreased shows minus numbers. Calibra- tion levels can be adjusted over a range of plus or mi- nus 12dB. 6. When the test signal switches to succeeding channels, repeat the level calibration process until the test signal volume levels of all the channels are the same. 7. The calibration channel cycling mode can be repeated as often as necessary until you are satisfied that the volume levels of the test signal are the same from all channels. 8. Exit the System Calibration mode by pressing the SYS CAL push-button a second time. NOTE: All System Level Calibrations are retained in permanent memory and will change only if calibration is performed again. The factory default setting for the volume control is 75. Manual System Calibration 1. Set the rear panel SYSTEM CALI- BRATE switch to MAN. 2. Adjust the MSD4 volume control until the display reads at least 70, an initial ref- erence setting to ensure that the test signals will be ad- equately loud to perform the level calibration. 3. Press the SYS CAL push-button once to start Manual System Calibration. The first time the SYS CAL push- button is pressed, the test signal will switch to the Left Front channel and will stay in that channel until the SYS CAL push-button is pressed again, followed by the Center, Right Front, Right Surround, Left Surround and Subwoofer. The MSD4 DELAY/VOLUME display will read 0 for each channel before any adjustments are performed. NOTE: The front panel CHANNEL STATUS LEDs will light to indicate which channel is reproducing the test signal. A more convenient method of manually switching the test signal is to use the SP push-button on the optionalHR34/HR39/HR130 Remote Control which performs the same functions as the SYS CAL push-button. 4. While seated in the listening area, note the volume levels of the test signal from each of the channels. If you determine that the test signal volume is louder or softer in any of the channels, the levels should be adjusted so you hear essentially the same test signal volume from all of the channels. The left front channel volume level can serve as a reference. 5. Exit the Manual System Calibration mode by pressing the SYS CAL push-button after calibrating the Subwoofer channel. NOTE: All System Level Calibrations are retained in permanent memory and will change only if calibration is performed again. The following table may be used to record your Delay Calibrations Settings. System Level Calibration cont Figure 5