2. amps-preamps
  3. 136143-1060

McIntosh (MC601) amplifier overheating problem

Hello everyone - A buddy of mine has MC601s that have recently started overheating.  Each amp went into protection mode after emitting a burning smell, and both had to have an output transistor replaced (at different times).  

My internet digging has revealed that ThermalTrak transistors are not very reliable, or at least the early batches were not.  Ayre has also reported overheated MX-R amps with the same problem.  They apparently can fail after years of use, which is not good news for owners!

I'm trying to get a feel for how widespread this problem may be (at this point in time)?  Each transistor replacement is $400, and there's an awful lot of output transistors in MC601s...!!  I convinced my brother to also get MC601s so I'm starting to get really worried his will fail too in the near future.

So far, McIntosh's response to my inquiry has been vague and reticent, unlike Ayre who apparently went to great lengths to remedy this issue for their owners.  Has anyone out there had this problem with McIntosh or Ayre?  

aball
aball OP
2,016 posts
 
Emails between me and McIntosh are obviously still ongoing. Now please go away, again.

The point of the post was to ask if anyone else has had an overheating problem yet. Thanks to any who can offer relevant input.
clearthink
1,421 posts
 
aball"Emails between me and McIntosh are obviously still ongoing. Now please go away, again."

I am not going to go away bullys like you are common on any kind of forum and that includes those dedicated to Music Reproduction Systems and on top of that you seem to be confused or perhaps intoxicated how can it possibly be obvious that "obviously" you are still in touch with McIntosh when just before that you wrote -

"McIntosh has gone silent in my attempts to get them to help!"

You have attempted hear to portray McIntosh in a very unfavorable light and have tried to make the case that these amplifiers and their specially selected transisters are somehow defective when I think if you have a McIntosh amplifier(s) at all you have had it improperly repaired previously or another possibility is that you bought it used and the previous owner(s) had it improperly repaired or abused it in some way.

I think you are a winkly dinkler and if you still want me to go away that is going to be your problem I have every right to be here even though I am not a US citizen.
aball OP
2,016 posts
 
Clearthink - your input is still not relevant.

Any McIntosh owners out there with overheating amplifiers?  Thanks
Post removed 
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,736 posts
 
the only MC amp i have at moment runs 6L6 output devices.... however i can attest that Ayre did handle failures with grace  - I had a VX-R that the thermal tracs failed in one channel, lucked nto help with Twenty series upgrade at that time which use different output devices....
good luck
hope MC helps you i still run a bit of kit from them...
More to discover