The C49 is a brilliant preamp. I find B&W speaker a bit forward and Chord DACs tend to be forward so for me, I would be biased toward slightly warmer preamps that Mc SS. This is my bias. You may find it an acceptable sound profile.
This is why from Mc, I am suggesting the C22 rather than the C49
Each of the units I suggested is a tube unit. mtmug may be right. I personally have had good experiences with ARC preamps and Mc but that is my perception.
If you do want to move away from Mc (not saying you should), AVM might be a better option given that it offers a variable output and it would help facilitate matching with the Mc amp.
Each of the units I suggested is a tube unit. mtmug may be right. I personally have had good experiences with ARC preamps and Mc but that is my perception.
If you do want to move away from Mc (not saying you should), AVM might be a better option given that it offers a variable output and it would help facilitate matching with the Mc amp.