McIntosh C1100 Preamp

350+ views and no responses.  I guess that means people are interested, but no direct experience.  I'm happy to report that after about 50 hours of listening, I can say that it's a phenomenal preamp.  Very, very quiet, projects an excellent sound stage, both deep and wide, and the built-in phono stage is very detailed.  Very happy camper so far!

That's really interesting because I went from an Audia Flight phono (had a CD One M, too) just prior to getting the C1100. It certainly is a world-class phono stage and can understand how you would prefer it to the one built into the Mac. Unfortunately I had an issue with mine and post -sales support was lacking which caused me to go in another direction.  

From what I gathered from the McIntosh guys, the phono stage in the C1100 is a step up from 2300 and 2500.  Out of the box it was definitely lacking, but after 50 hours it has gotten much better and am enjoying it now.

I suspect that it will open up more with another 50 hours, so will wait until then before I pass final judgement, but I do think that it does compare well to other phono stages in the sub-$5k range.

I would be really interested in your thoughts after you try the phono on the C1100 with a couple hundred hours on it.  I was very disappointed with the issues with the Audia Flight, and did have some reservations before buying, but thought that their reputation in Europe would be worth the risk. I don't think it's an inherent issue with their products (the other two I had were flawless), but the lack of support I received here in the US when I did have an issue was very frustrating.

After that experience, I limited my search to more readily serviceable units and the C1100 turned out to be the best match in my system.  You are right that it's dead quiet and, if I hadn't heard the Audia Flight, I could be perfectly happy with the C1100 phono and fully expect it to get even better over time. I'm glad that your experience with Audia Flight has been good so far (knocking on wood) and even happier that there is someone else who can do a direct comparison.

Thank you very much for going through that exercise.  I figured the Audia Flight would be tough to beat head-to-head and I'm sure I am going to miss mine.  Hopefully the C1100 will continue to improve and my memory will fade a bit :)  My system is still in an alcove in my bedroom until I get the study back next year when I youngest heads off to college.  I may re-examine the phono stage next year when I get my dedicated room back.   

Luckily I'm good with power cords and cables, so can focus on listening for a while.  If I had to compare the C1100 phono to something, I would say that it's comparable to the JC3+ I had prior to the AF.  I'm breaking in an MCD550 at the same time, so my use of the phono will be split for the time being, but I'll keep going back to it to see how it goes.

I've also been going back and forth on amps to pair with the C1100, but my trusty old Mark Levinson 23.5 workhorse is turning out to be quite a nice match with the tubes. 

Whoa, I forgot about this thread.  I actually completed my system with an MC275 amp and an Allnic H-3000 phono/HA-3000 headamp.  Stunning combination that has me more than happy.

Oops, I've been away and just saw this.  I am very pleased with the C1100.  I'm sure you are enjoying it, as well, if you decided to move forward with the purchase.  If not, let me know what you bought instead as I'd be curious to know what beat it out.