McIntosh XR16 (1976–1977)
The XR16 is a three-way, bass-reflex loudspeaker that McIntosh produced during the mid-1970s — one source places it squarely in 1976, another extends production through 1977. It was part of the XR series of speakers from the company, though its exact position relative to siblings in that line isn't well documented. What survives in the record is the basic engineering outline: a 4-ohm nominal impedance, 90 dB/W/m sensitivity, a rated frequency range of 30 Hz to 25 kHz, and 100-watt power handling. The crossover is set at 500 Hz and 3,500 Hz.
Surviving information on this model is otherwise thin — no original price, no cabinet construction details, and no driver sizes or counts have turned up in the period literature. The magazine record from the period is essentially silent on the XR16 itself, with the model appearing in Audio only in classified and dealer advertising rather than in any formal test or review (Audio, January 1989, p.179).
What collector accounts do offer is a consistent picture of the XR16's real-world life decades on. It's regarded as a very well built, good-sounding vintage speaker with a warm tonal balance, though some owners note the midrange can sound recessed compared to modern designs. Two age-related issues are nearly universal by now: the foam surrounds on the woofers have usually deteriorated and need replacing, and the crossover capacitors are often out of spec and benefit from being swapped. Both repairs are straightforward, with foam surrounds and capacitors available from various vintage audio parts suppliers. Current asking prices for working pairs tend to land around $400–$600 depending on condition, with individual listings seen at $375 and $650.
- Type: 3-way, bass-reflex loudspeaker
- Impedance: 4 ohms
- Sensitivity: 90 dB/W/m
- Frequency range: 30 Hz–25 kHz
- Crossover frequencies: 500 Hz, 3,500 Hz
- Power handling: 100 W
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