Mac was never one for a short signal path. The only thing of theirs I ever owned was a C8 preamp which had the capability of running the power output to the speakers THROUGH IT. Muddy was not the word for the sound. Mac has always walked their own path and has had their own fans, most of whom were not "audiophiles" It does not surprise me that the older unit sounds better. Mac has never been in the forefront of transistor design [LOL]. I was at a Mac clinic in the 60s when a graduate student from Cal Tech came in with his homebuilt transistor amp, which was labeled "Feng's Folly" on the side. After putting it through the measurements the Mac representative ask him if he would like work in upstate New York, he was only half joking. A fix of a temporary nature for the volume control would be to get a Creek remote volume control. I use one on my video system and it does not seem to be too bad; it would probably pass unnoticed considering the complexity of the rest of the circuitry. You could then address the volume control if and when you did a major modification on the circuit.
Mcintosh C28 VS C712 Modern Vs Classic
I currently have both amps in my possession, McIntosh C28 and C712. I have done a little but of maintenance on both units and I can gladly report that after a small tuneup they are functioning incredibly well.
The new mac:
I have noticed that the newer mac sounds shrill, etched, feels cheap, light, flimsy, and has a sounds that I can only describe as hallow. It is like it is missing something. Not your typical list of audiophile adjectives, but I think some of you might know what I mean. Both amps are far from neutral, but I was thoroughly unimpressed with the C712, especially with regard to its phono section.
The old mac:
The C28 is a beauty. At first I only purchased it because the offer was so good that I simply could not turn it down. The amp is in near mint condition. Initially I never considered it since it has no remote and I absolutely despise the push buttons on the front of the unit. This was foolish on my part! The old Mac is immaculate. I suppose that some may claim that it is a matter of preference, but I simply do not see how anyone could possibly like the phono reproduction better on the newer unit. I have to say, Mac has overcomplicated the C28 and added a lot of nonsense features to it. I would ultimately like to have cut them out of the signal path at some point. The sound of this amp is very tubey, mellow, laid back, rich, and full. It makes me want to listen to music more and for longer time periods. Is there some terminology for the opposite of listener fatigue? well if not there should be, and it should be synonymous with c28. I have completely fallen in love with this gem despite my initial prejudgments. I was expecting the bass to be a little flabby, not even, tight and precise. I found this to be unusual and the results differed vastly from my expectations. The build of the unit is impeccable. It is built like a tank and is made to last and blast. To me this seems to be an extremely undervalued gem. I have grown up on mac gear, as a kid and listened to my fathers mac kit. I suppose I have been chasing that type of sound since I started this hobby, seems like I got a little taste of it now.
Questions:
I am curious if anyone else has had a similar experience.
Am I crazy or is this little preamp truly an undervalued treasure?
I am also curious how the other 2x or 3x series preamps perform relative to the c28.
Can anyone offer some tips on refurbishing the wood cabinet?
I have a volume control that I cleaned with a contact spray. This has cured the crackling sound that it had a first, when the dial was turned. The unit is old and the volume pot squeeks when I turn it, is it safe to grease part of it to fix this problem? If so how do I do it?
Is it worth it to replace the volume pot, and would this part even be available? I have thought about desoldeering and putting it in an ultrasonic bath, is this safe or will this damage?
Lastly, I am sure I am not the only one who has a strong dislike for the push buttons on the front of the unit. I recall seeing a mode some time ago wherein the picture illustrated a mod of some sort where they were removed and replaced by something. It looked great, I wish I would have emailed the owner. Any ideas as to how I can 1.remove the push buttons and replace them with something that doesn't look too bad and 2. should I remove some of the unnecessary components fro mthe signal path? By this I mean the loudness feature, mono stereo features, or any of the push button functions (filters etc.), or top of box dials.
I am already planning my next mac purchase, this stuff is incredibly addictive. I am looking into some tube power amps, but I am not sure what direction I am going to follow yet. I am also planning on getting a cd player and tuner. The new mac gear seems to be well outside of my budget but I am so thrilled and taken aback by the vintage gear that I am very excited about building a vintage kit. Note: I am not using the c712 as a measuring stick for all newer mac gear, that would simply be foolish.
Well, I hope to hear from you guys. Thanks guys!
The new mac:
I have noticed that the newer mac sounds shrill, etched, feels cheap, light, flimsy, and has a sounds that I can only describe as hallow. It is like it is missing something. Not your typical list of audiophile adjectives, but I think some of you might know what I mean. Both amps are far from neutral, but I was thoroughly unimpressed with the C712, especially with regard to its phono section.
The old mac:
The C28 is a beauty. At first I only purchased it because the offer was so good that I simply could not turn it down. The amp is in near mint condition. Initially I never considered it since it has no remote and I absolutely despise the push buttons on the front of the unit. This was foolish on my part! The old Mac is immaculate. I suppose that some may claim that it is a matter of preference, but I simply do not see how anyone could possibly like the phono reproduction better on the newer unit. I have to say, Mac has overcomplicated the C28 and added a lot of nonsense features to it. I would ultimately like to have cut them out of the signal path at some point. The sound of this amp is very tubey, mellow, laid back, rich, and full. It makes me want to listen to music more and for longer time periods. Is there some terminology for the opposite of listener fatigue? well if not there should be, and it should be synonymous with c28. I have completely fallen in love with this gem despite my initial prejudgments. I was expecting the bass to be a little flabby, not even, tight and precise. I found this to be unusual and the results differed vastly from my expectations. The build of the unit is impeccable. It is built like a tank and is made to last and blast. To me this seems to be an extremely undervalued gem. I have grown up on mac gear, as a kid and listened to my fathers mac kit. I suppose I have been chasing that type of sound since I started this hobby, seems like I got a little taste of it now.
Questions:
I am curious if anyone else has had a similar experience.
Am I crazy or is this little preamp truly an undervalued treasure?
I am also curious how the other 2x or 3x series preamps perform relative to the c28.
Can anyone offer some tips on refurbishing the wood cabinet?
I have a volume control that I cleaned with a contact spray. This has cured the crackling sound that it had a first, when the dial was turned. The unit is old and the volume pot squeeks when I turn it, is it safe to grease part of it to fix this problem? If so how do I do it?
Is it worth it to replace the volume pot, and would this part even be available? I have thought about desoldeering and putting it in an ultrasonic bath, is this safe or will this damage?
Lastly, I am sure I am not the only one who has a strong dislike for the push buttons on the front of the unit. I recall seeing a mode some time ago wherein the picture illustrated a mod of some sort where they were removed and replaced by something. It looked great, I wish I would have emailed the owner. Any ideas as to how I can 1.remove the push buttons and replace them with something that doesn't look too bad and 2. should I remove some of the unnecessary components fro mthe signal path? By this I mean the loudness feature, mono stereo features, or any of the push button functions (filters etc.), or top of box dials.
I am already planning my next mac purchase, this stuff is incredibly addictive. I am looking into some tube power amps, but I am not sure what direction I am going to follow yet. I am also planning on getting a cd player and tuner. The new mac gear seems to be well outside of my budget but I am so thrilled and taken aback by the vintage gear that I am very excited about building a vintage kit. Note: I am not using the c712 as a measuring stick for all newer mac gear, that would simply be foolish.
Well, I hope to hear from you guys. Thanks guys!