preamp for MC452 Mcintosh amp


I am awaiting delivery on my new Mcintosh 452 power amp. Does anybody have one of these, and if so, what are you using for a preamp?
dethklok

Showing 1 response by smatsui

I've had my MC452 for about 5 months. It replaced a McIntosh MC275 v5 tube amp. The MC452 is a great amp but it takes a long time to fully burn-in. 200hrs is the minimum time IMO for it to start sounding good and its not fully burned in until about 500-600 hrs. I'm using a balanced vacuum tube preamp by Ray Samuels Audio called the A-10 Thunderbolt. It also is serves as my electrostatic headphone amp for my Stax SR-009 headphones.

The RSA A-10 is a great preamp and looks great too. It's not cheap at $6500 but I think it is comparable to preamps well over $10,000. It replaced a Convergent Audio Technology SL-1 Ultimate preamp and I haven't had any regrets. The A-10 is transparent, dynamic, and produces great imagining and soundstaging. I considered the C2300 but I'm glad I opted for the A-10. See my system for pictures.