MEASUREMENTS

I tested the McIntosh MAC7200 with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 “As We See It”¹). I looked first at its behavior via its balanced and single-ended line inputs, mostly with the volume control set to its maximum, “100%,” then at lower settings. I performed a complete set of tests from the receiver’s 8 ohm output transformer tap, then repeated several tests from the 4 ohm and 2 ohm taps. I preconditioned the receiver by following the CEA’s recommendation of operating it at one-eighth the specified power into 8 ohms for 30 minutes. At the end of that time, the heatsinks were very hot, at 151.8°F (66.6°C). After letting the MAC7200 cool down, I continued the testing.

For the balanced input, the maximum gain at the loudspeaker outputs into 8 ohms was 38.25dB from the 8 ohm tap, 34.7dB from the 4 ohm tap, and 32.2dB from the 2 ohm tap. The maximum gains from the unbalanced inputs were all 6dB higher. With the jumpers that connect the preamplifier outputs to the power