mcintosh c45 vs. mx135


Looking to complete my home theater system with OPPO 205 and Krell amp. 
Need an analog 5.1 channel preamp
My choices are mcintosh c45 and mx135
2 channel audio is also very important to me. I intend to go analog from OPPO into macintosh preamp. Using all the processing from oppo. 

1. which of these is a better for both home theater and 2 channel stereo, as well as 5.1 sacd ?
2. I know mx135 can do all this, not sure if C45 can. Not clear if it's a 2 channel or multichannel preamp.
 If it can, would be as good as mx? for HT? for 2ch? 
3. Which is a better value and less likely to break over time? I'm assuming it's a more completed device..

prices for c45 is 2,500 and mx135 2000 (mx seems better value, original msrp 7k)


ei001h

Showing 1 response by g_nakamoto

the c45 is a 2 chanell pre-amp. the mx135 is a home theater pre-amp. i think it's a 5.1. i only listen to music so i was looking for a pre-amp tuner to match my mc602 power amp. the only one's i found were the older models which were not the current style mcintosh units. i found a mx132 which is a home theater pre-amp. it has the tuner module. it's list price was 7k. the mx135 had a higher list price. from mx120 up to mx136 the 132 i find is the cheapest on ebay. i don't know why. some features that the 132 does'nt have is a balance control and a phono input which i don't really need. i think any mcintosh unit has value. they are built to last a lifetime. if you want home theater you should buy the 135 because you can also use it as a 2 chanell setup.