Mcintosh mc 452 question.


I purchased this amp last week. It should arrive here in a few days. I have been reading the manual online as I wait for the amp to get here. Is it really necassary to unscrew the 4 screws on the back of the unit before you attach your speaker cables. Then put the 4 screws back in afterward. What's the purpose of this?

 For those of you using banana cables, are you all using the dust covers?

A huge thank you in advance to anyone who can straighten me out on this. Have a great day

Regards,

HiFiNewbie

riverboat
I’ve had MC601’s and friends have 452’s. No, it’s not absolutely necessary, in my opinion, to use those dust covers. The screws are used to hold the dust covers in place. Can it be a benefit? I suppose so. My friends and I tend to swap gear around a lot so we never used the plastic covers and just kept them in the box.

If you will be setting up your system as a long term solution, by all means, use the dust covers or don’t, and peek behind the rack on a regular basis with a little dust mop and wipe everything down.

Huge congratulations on the purchase. You will love it. What’s the rest of your system like. I am close to buying one and hope you can post your opinion after it breaks in a little.

Enjoy!
You were lucky to find one :-) This is a REAL McIntosh amp (one worth having) McIntosh makes a lot of products and most are FLUFF. The MC452 is a Beast and a Gazelle, your going to love it for a long time. After having my MC352 for 10 years and have had absolutely no problems (if anything the amp saved my beloved Dynaudios from damage..long story) it IS the rock of my system! Plastic covers...if your cables will let you ...otherwise ditch them in a drawer.


Matt M
Thanks for the replies guys. I should have unit in hand in two days. So Joe, you previously owned the 601 monoblocks? wow, that must have been some set up. What did you replace them with? I have th Mcintosh mx 122 A/V Processor. I use it strictly for 2 channel. The reason I didn’t get a tube pre amp is beacuse 60 percent of my listening is spotify-tidal-itunes. I sort of regret not getting the mc C2500. Thank you for clairifying the screw and dust cover issue for me.
Hi,

I did have the MC601’s but I had them when I owned TAD CR-1 speakers. I never was crazy about those speakers and after trying amp, after amp, gear upon more gear, I finally gave up on them and sold them.

I have Sonus Faber Strads now. I fell in love with the Strads listening to them through a C500T and MC2301s. Ironically I never matched them up with McIntosh. I hope to in the near future. I have Ayre gear now with my Strads. A KXR-20 and MXR-20 monos. I still want/need to hear my Strads with McIntosh, so I am debating what to do/get.

I am like you and stream a lot. My system is playing 12-15 hours a day and a McIntosh tube preamp is not out of the question. The preamp tubes last a long time. I am sure the MX122 sounds great.

Congrats on your MC452. It’s a keeper. Get help moving the 452, it’s a beast.

Happy to help in any way possible.

Check this out for some audio porn.....

http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/mc452-on-the-way.699076/