To learn more about electronics, build your own "special" test equipment, and take part in an active electronics community, click here: www.patreon.com/MrCarlsonsLab

Paul, you are by far the most meticulous and knowledgeable service/modification technician I have ever encountered -- you've got a superb work ethic and engineering-level expertise way beyond any of the literally dozens of professional bench jockeys I worked with and managed over the years before I retired. Your services would have to cost a small fortune for you to stay in business, but had I the scratch I would hire you in a New York minute -- and considering the value of your time, it's incredibly generous of you to keep posting these highly informative, finely detailed, technically impeccable videos. Thanks so much and please keep up the splendid work!

Happy you're looking at vintage stereo equipment. As for spending 2 hours cleaning controls, would be nice to see a video on how you cleaned one of these controls and how you flushed out the dual controls grease.

I sold audio for many years and McIntosh always made the best result. I sold other high end makes but this one always pleased no end. It does not surprise me that this device just needed cleaning. It is quality in and out. Unlike today's commoditized junk you throw away. McIntosh is for the generations of music lovers out there. It is an investment. Not just a casual acquisition. I didn't sell allot of McIntosh, and that is okay. It is meant for those who appreciate the finer things. I love your videos. Just so in depth and complete. I am just about ready to start my channel so I learn as much as I can from folks such as yourself. Thank you for this video presentation Mr. Carlson.

My buddy from childhood (back in the 70's) older brother purchased a complete McIntosh system. I remember the speakers were taller than I was! (little brother and friend were NOT TO TOUCH ANYTHING!!!) It was extremely loud, and extremely clean sounding!!! I also remember the rep from the place he bought the equipment from spent a couple of days setting up the system and adjusting it for the room it was in. I don't remember how much he paid for the system, but I remember him saying that he could have bought a new car for what he paid for the system ;-) Excellent video as usual Mr Carlson :-)

I had a McIntosh receiver many years ago. It was taken in a burglary. :( The insurance agent said "I don't know how you did this but your stereo appreciated in value." That is how good these things are.

"Man found crushed under piles of electronic test equipment" Runs through my mind every opening sequence :P

Hello Mr. Carlson: I love your video's, from start to finish. Your articulate and savvy with your work on video. I extremely enjoy all aspects of audio / tube equipment you tear into and refurbish new. Please keep up your video's on you tube. It's fun learning with your knowledge. "Thank You"

In those few seconds of silence at the beginning of this segment I made the mistake of turning my volume up. Then when Mr. Carlson, all chipper, came in with, "Hi, everyone!" I just about jumped out of my seat!

Those McIntosh are really top quality equipment... I really wish I could get my hands on one but they are very expensive. I am also a Patreon Supporter and I can never get enough of it. I recommend every one to support and join in on the great stuff that is on there. Thanks Paul for another great video.

I really loved the look of the McIntosh when I was a kid, still do. Great job Paul.

I cleaned my Marantz 2500 controls about 10 years ago. It was a big job. I didn't know about doing a second pass. Sure enough, within a few months noise came back. I haven't gone back in, but this tip gives me inspiration to do a better job next time.

Thanks Paul. Man, I never get tired of looking at the opening shot, wow! That McIntosh Preamp is gorgeous!

You, Mr. Carlson are a very articulate and knowledgeable perfectionist and I enjoy your videos very much.

This sort of issue with controls is pretty common so this is an amazingly helpful/instructional piece on troubleshooting and effecting repair! Cheers heaps Paul!

Thank you for spending your time with all .Your very skilled and I enjoy watching you work. Again, thank you.

You and Applied Science are my favorite KZfaqrs. Keep up the great content.

Every time I watch one of your videos on audio gear and you go through detailed description of what is quality and what special procedures, devices or shielding was used to enhance the quality and it keeps adding Procedures and components To my beginner hobbyist amplifier and preamplifier builds. I caught the never ending perfection bug.

Thank you ever so much Paul for this restoration. It is so cool seeing what I feel, one of the best of the best pieces of sound reproduction being serviced. When I was 21, I was lucky enough to hear the most beautiful sound reproduction in my life for the first time. For those who have never heard just how amazing music can sound, you need to hear a McIntosh system. It is utterly breath taking. It is like hearing music for the very first time. I must warn you, you will then dream of owning one if not you do not just buy one. McIntosh replicates music so pure. The systems brand new can be very very expensive. I was able to find 2 good MC2105 amps (circa 1965) that I paid only a few hundred dollars for, then serviced, that I will convert to mono blocks. I wanted a good tube pre amp. So I bought a new C222 (which is a tube preamp) which can handle moving coil and moving magnet carts. The sound is pristine. Component systems took a real beating and are still considered by many as non essential in the music listening world today. Thankfully, there are still companies as McIntosh striving to maintain excellence. McIntosh is an investment. It will never be worth less than you paid for it. A clean, well maintained MC250 is worth several times what it cost in the 1960s. It was re- introduced a few years ago for the 50th anniversary costing well over $7000. Many would cringe to pay that for a stereo amp. But it will never go down in value. Finding high end matched tubes for that amp could cost another two thousand. But it will be a piece of usable music reproduction that ones great great grandchildren can enjoy. Parts are quite available; they even offer new glass fronts for the units as many of the older units get damaged. Pure quality end to end.

8 minutes+ to get the lid off. You sir, are a born suspense builder. I enjoy your knowledgeable rants about every single part and component. I would like to see you do some work, like the cleaning and soldering, and not just be shown the before and after.

Oh YEAH DR. CARLSON. Goin' right to the "favorites" for later! Thx!

Fantastic video Mr Carlson! Love seeing high end audio gear of the past!

Another great video Paul! You must be remarkably busy with this and your patreon efforts. I just don't know how you do it. But I sure am grateful for everything that you do for us and can't thank you enough.

I just revisited this one after originally watching it when you first released it. I thought I'd gleaned all the goodness the first time around, but I was wrong, I've now gained even more great Mr Carlson knowledge! Paul, your videos are so professionally made, but I'm sure there have to be some bloopers in there somewhere. We've been locked down, socially distanced, and had to run to get the last toilet role on sale. Come on now Paul, let's be seeing some of those out takes!

Thanks for making these videos Mr. Carlson. Always learn something new I never thought about after all these years of working on electronics! Do more videos on Mcintosh gear, bought my first Mc amp a MC275 a few months ago! :)

I lusted after McIntosh equipment when I was a teenager, back in the 1970s. My wet dream was a McIntosh preamp, Phase Linear power amp, Garrard linear-tracking turntable, and a pair of Altec-Lansing Voice of the Theatre speakers. Couldn't afford it then; can't afford it now. Sigh...

Great video as always! I'm particularly happy to see McIntosh gear on your bench. Not only are they amazing, they operate here in the city I live in; Binghamton, NY -- it's pretty awesome seeing it on a nameplate in your video. I wish they were a bit more affordable so I could support local business, but I suppose they probably don't need much help at their prices!

Some very good advice there. My old Technics amplifier, bought in the early 80'ies, had some scratching on the volume control (motor driven by remote) and input selector. I gave it a good clean. And it worked for a couple of months. I thought it was a lost case I have lived with the scratching for quite a few years now. But after this video I will give it another go and do it the proper way this time. Thanks for yet another well made and enjoyable video.

Why in the world are there any dislikes? This man does this for a living and then spends the time record, edit, and upload these videos. Well I can say I liked it in many ways. And yes McIntosh equipment is very nice. I've been associated with a few pieces of their car audio equipment. When the owner of "Black Betty" decided on the amps when for the highest score ever set record for Sound Quality, he picked the McIntosh MCC602TM.....times four!

Good morning Mister Another pure gem of science !!! with you Mister i understand many things .... Thanks for all and sorry for my langage i'm living in France and at 62 Years old .... God bless you and your familly Eric

Its a pleasure watching the appreciation and repair of a product whose designers had the likes of you in mind. Its so tragic the same cannot be said for most modern consumer products.

My life has found peace. Mr. carlson put out a new video :-)

I am literally salivating over that McIntosh. Thanks lad.

Love the old McIntosh gear Paul. Best quality from that time. Thanks for sharing with us.

Nice video mr Paul as usual, and surprising a good quality preamp neat and solid design. I know that there is a lot trick and Technic that you wouldn't show in this video, but I Encourage all the viewers to join ongoing course on patreon and you'll fine what you're looking for. Thanks so much again sir.

McIntosh and Mr Carlson’s Lab....I clicked so fast! Can’t go wrong! Beautiful piece of gear and a superb cleaning/checking of the gear. Love it.

Ohh my... This is a real jewel, looks brand new...SWEEEET!! this is the stereo equipment I'm used to getting wrapped up into..... I'm so jelly ;)

Absolutely love vintage McIntosh amps and pre-amp. Proud owner of the C26 preamp and MC2505 Power Amp. I just had them serviced alongside the EQ 101. Music bliss.

Great work Paul and what a classy unit that is.

Thank you Paul for sharing your incredible knowledge and experience with us. Unbelievable how much we've learned in the last 18 months in your course. I can't thank your enough for helping me to to get access to this great electronics hobby!

Your just conformed my reasoning for preferring the Macintosh brand over all others, I first built my audio system back in the day (mid-sixties) while still in collage (University of Texas). At present I now have the time to set back and truly enjoy my audio system which remains as I first built it way back when. Later!

Lovely piece of equipment. Top quality stuff and I'm jealous that it's yours not mine :)😀 thanks for sharing, keep them coming!

One of my favorite of your videos. Nice job Paul.

This is a beautiful preamp! My best friend from childhood inherited his fathers McIntosh setup and it's beautiful! Heavily used, but loved and truly awesome to behold! I don't know what model(s) they are but it's the whole setup, amp, preamp, tuner, eq... Etc, a whole system.

What a wonderful piece of knowledge and history. I think all americans should get back into this type of learning. Thanks Paul.

Very nice it's a wonder they command such high prices excellent quality. Thanks

Nothing like Mc. Built with longevity as well as service-ability in mind. Many times Mc gear is passed down father to son//daughter, it becomes a generational thing that the child grows up hearing and loving as much as the parent. I have the C-32, also a C-28 and some others, The 28 and 32 were inherited, along with some early Marantz gear, which is another manufacturer that built beloved audio gear, both tube and solid state. Often times this era of gear needs next to nothing to keep going, at the most some caps like to fail if it wasn't abused. The low leakage caps in the tone controls hold up well, the power supply caps may need replacement at this age. I see the 10v variety essentially fall apart and unroll, going open. Changing failing or weak power supply caps and drifting resistors will typically improve the unit's sound quality by providing it with more stable and cleaner power supply. The mistakes begin with people who use the wrong caps, go overkill with 105c flavored whammy-jammy boutique cryo treated components, increasing many times the original capacitance and/or voltage used. The ratings which the factory engineers spec'd work the best. If it ain't broke don't fix it. Thanks for taking this one in and giving everyone here a look inside a true time capsule. I love to watch guys who enjoy working on both Mc and Marantz stuff, as well as Sansui, Pioneer, Audio Research, Kenwood/Trio, etc. Golden age of audio is what I call this stuff.. Cheers!

Awesome!! I personally like the C28 more since it has the center channel output and volume control. I'm a big fan 3 channel stereo, especially if your system is also your tv speakers the center really helps with dialogue making it sound more like its coming from the tv. It really anchors drums and the stage too in music.These older Macs are amazing with vintage Klipsch's too.

Very interesting! Clearly you love what you do. Thank You.

I can only say that I have had my McIntosh 1201 Mono Block amps for a long time now and they sound great. .... no issues. .... So,... I think everything you said was right on about quality. McIntosh is HARD to beat! .... Thanks Paul.

Proud owner of 2 pieces of McIntosh gear. I consider them as "lifetime plus" investments... something to be handed down along with the guns.

Thanks for your time and attention to detail. Very useful information

About 10 years ago, I was lucky enough to own a complete McIntosh set from the late '70s including a C29 preamp. I regret selling them....would have been great candidates for thorough servicing and years of enjoyment. They are really fantastic gear - but priced accordingly.

Mr. Carlson takes some mighty hefty breaths.

Thanks for showing me where to look on my C29 for flaws. Is there a video showing how to clean the VR? In the day, McIntosh was known to dissect electronic components to ensure that even if they met electronic specifications they also met specified construction specifications. Obtaining classical McIntosh equipment that was produced while Frank McIntosh still owned the company is rather like purchasing a Ferrari while Enzo was the owner.

Very good, easy to understand explanations. Thanks.

great vid sir i am always in awe of macs engineering-thanx for the excellent vid------ps knowing history of unit is really good thanx

Nice video. Mcintosh made great equipment. The front panels are glass with lettering on back side. They never are touched so they don't wear out. I was a McIntosh repairman in the 70's. The equipment was usually shipped with the service manual and schematics. They are readily available. I have done restoration on old MAC power amps and the electrolytics in the signal paths usually had to be replaced.

Excellent as always!!

You cant go wrong with McIntosh gear....top shelf all the way Another great video Paul....keep em coming 73 Jeff de WD8JM

This episode is near and dear to me, I live just across the river in Binghamton, NY where that pre-amp was built.

Thanks for an interesting video. We have McIntosh audio equipment and appreciate the quality. You are very accomplished. 👍😎. Cheers from Australia

Great Video and info. Thank you.

Mr. Carlson, I have found that when it comes to rubber like materials (say, I dunno, buna-n) a very light oil sparingly applied and wiped off of any excess really does help with the longevity of them. It's like feeding leather, almost. Yes, yes before people jump in, some rubbers especially natural rubbers are adversely affected by oil.

it's amazing how such a trained technician with so much equipment doesn't have a microphone capable of handling his S's :)

Excellent video. I’m seeing the same issues with my Yamaha mid-90s amplifier. Could you do a demonstration video of how exactly you go about cleaning these controls?

I haven't even had a chance to watch this yet, but I know it will be great! Paul + McIntosh = Awesomeness!

i dream to own a mcintosh amplifier. Id love a MC275. fantastic video

Thank you for the video. I was a little disappointed that you didn't show som clips from the cleaning, what kind of cleaner, ways if applying it correctly, etc. But hopefully you will make a follow up video about that. BR, Per (Denmark)

Thank you for uploading, I'd learn a lot of it. cu Toni

I have a pair of MC-60 amps and matching tube-type preamp (stereo), tuner (monaural), and phono cartridge compensator. My grandfather bought them from Picar in Detroit, back in the 1950s. I used to use them, but I haven't fired them up for 30 or 40 years, and now I'm afraid to just plug them in. I need something like your current-limited Variac setup. (I do have a 15 amp Variac, but not the rest of your setup.) I modified a stereo add-on kit to work with the tuner (without modifying the tuner), so I could receive FM stations in stereo.

What a piece of beauty!

McIntosh is expensive as heck, but you get a really well made piece of electronics for your money, as you see :)) would be proud to own one of their amps. Btw... I love your lab. Looks like a mad scientists hideout, who does his thing. Love it

Beautiful video, thank you! Wish you would have showed how you flush the vr‘s...for me it’s always the little and sometimes the most obvious things were I learn the most.

one of my most favorite preamps when mac was good

Every now and then I come across a low time but old electronic device and the electrolytic caps test fine. I'm always surprised. BTW - I'm a Patreon supporter and I can't recommend it enough. There's a lot of great info there.

Nice equipment fix.

Why did it Hum so bad ..... it didn't know the words lol Thank you for the content you provide ,I like your joking around :)

Do you open up the VR's, or just shoot contact cleaner inside without opening them ?

Build quality is second to none

Great repair.

haha, While you mentioned how easy it is to get into you just brought back a memory from the late 90's of trying to get into a late 70's/early 80's Bang and Olufsen Beomaster, (pegs and wedges,who thought that was a good idea?),It was like an IQ and lateral thinking test in 1 and if you couldn't pass it without breaking something you shouldn't really be trying to fix it lol. Another good, well explained vid. thank you.All the best.

It would be very helpful if you could show us how you clean VR and switch components. Thank you. Fantastic video as usual.

Well this customer certainly brought their Preamp to the right place!

"Who's been in there before you?" That is the always the question.

I remember reading article about audiophiles and how some of them swear that sound is better if you remove top lead from CD player or some other piece of equipment... But hey, audiophiles just have that magical ability to break the laws of physics :P

Great video. Very nice equipment. When cleaning vr's; sometimes they are pretty well sealed. If you get the opportunity, with another cleaning, show how you address cleaning vr's that are very well sealed. Thanks.

Nice video, thank you.

This is where the motivation to DIY comes from, for many people. A product with this price tag, with about 10 bucks worth of components for the preamp (as far as I can see, power supply excluded). Yes, transformer, switches and case is where the money is spent. Still, a product with this price tag, with a $10 preamp. I think that is funny somehow.

great vid thanks Paul

It seems you clearly have a lot of audio equipment knowledge as well, any chance we could get an audio setup tour?

I don't have a clue what you're talking about but it's fun to watch.

Very cool...I grew up in a McIntosh/Klipsch houuse with Lascalas/Khorns!

Wow, I like the torsionally-rigid anti-backlash coupling on the input selector shaft. If the rest of the thing is that overbuilt... where do I get one? :D Thanks for another great video!

Would like to know what you use for cleaning the controls. Decades ago when working on TV on the bench, Used a product called quietrol. It worked great.

Your awesome...nice work!!!

Amazing program!

Hello Paul, Outstanding video as usual, both in content and production. I'm a little fuzzy on how you applied the input signal since I only saw one scope trace. Was it on a per channel basis? Keep up the great work.

ooooooooooohhhhhhhhh. working on a McIntosh.Nice.