Let’s be real. You can do better than Mac, much better. But if that’s where you have set your bar, then go for it. The Mac will be much better than what you have now and better than what your dealer is trying to dump on you. If you don’t believe it, have him lend you that Marantz AVP and the Mac for a weekend. Listen to each in your system for a day and then make up your own mind.
$7000 preamp vs $700 receiver - Is the difference THAT significant?
Current setup:
Marantz SR5005 (AV Receiver) + Peachtree Amp 500 + BluSound Node 2i + GoldenEar Trition 2+ = Current Setup
I'd like... no, want... no, desire... to add "Blue Meters" to my setup. McIntosh haunts me. For dozens of years.
My quandary:
Acquire a McIntosh C52/53, maybe C2600/2700... vs something like a Marantz AV7705 (or AV7706 appears it was just released). Yes I know I'm comparing brie cheese and cheddar. I'm more concerned with the notion that I can get "as good" sound out of that Marantz preamp, as I can from those McIntosh units... (ignore the multi-channel notions for the moment)
Is my sonic happiness "that much better served" by a McIntosh $7K unit vs a Marantz $2-3K unit? How much difference can I expect?
Marantz SR5005 (AV Receiver) + Peachtree Amp 500 + BluSound Node 2i + GoldenEar Trition 2+ = Current Setup
I'd like... no, want... no, desire... to add "Blue Meters" to my setup. McIntosh haunts me. For dozens of years.
My quandary:
Acquire a McIntosh C52/53, maybe C2600/2700... vs something like a Marantz AV7705 (or AV7706 appears it was just released). Yes I know I'm comparing brie cheese and cheddar. I'm more concerned with the notion that I can get "as good" sound out of that Marantz preamp, as I can from those McIntosh units... (ignore the multi-channel notions for the moment)
Is my sonic happiness "that much better served" by a McIntosh $7K unit vs a Marantz $2-3K unit? How much difference can I expect?