The one thing that I found with the Mac Preamp is that it is very neutral. I have the C220. I used to have an ARC LS 16 which had a more tubey sound. I like the C220 much better than the ARC unit. The teles make a huge difference period. You will not know until you try. The stock tubes are not very good. Unfortunately, the stock tubes can give you the wrong idea regarding what the preamp is capable of. If you don't like it then maybe it is not for you. I had a similar experience with the Marantz KI Pearl SACD player. It seemed as though it went back in the box as fast as I took it out. It sounded lifeless in my system. Maybe it was not broken in but it did not have what I was looking for.
Mcintosh C-2300 first impressions
I bought an C2300 from an authorized mac dealer with return rights minus shipping. I have 11 days to listen to it. My current preamp is the Counterpoint SA-5.1 that has had the line and phono stage upgraded by Mike Elliott (the original designer/engineer of Counterpoint gear). Since I use a low output cartridge, I also use the Counterpoint SA-2 in conjuction with the SA-5.1. My amp is the Jadis Defy 7 MKII. What I was hoping to achieve was to retain all of the sound quality of the SA-2/SA-5.1 combo while lowering the noise floor compared to my current phono section (the line section of the SA-5.1 is very quiet).
My initial impression from my first night of listening is that the C2300 has a refined, polite presentation in a button-upped British sort of way with a sweet top end. However, it sounds thin much like a SS preamp sounds and it doesn't have much in the way of a bottom end which can even be heard on acoustic bass. Forget any type of wowie-zowie bass punch with this preamp. Voices also don't sound as real as my current preamp. And these listening impressions come from listening to LPs, CDs, and 15 ips 2 track tape. I guess if I didn't know any better I could be happy with this preamp, but unless things improve soon it will be going back.
For those of you who own and love the C-2300, I would love to know what preamp it replaced in your system. I love all of the creature comforts this preamp has to offer with 8 inputs, 4 sets of balanced inputs, a cool remote, etc. I do think it is a bit garish looking in person with different shades of green lights as well as blue. If this preamp doesn't start fleshing out more of the music, it will be going back. And please don't tell me that it takes magic Telefunken 12AX7s to make this preamp come alive. I have heard mixed reviews with some owners not liking the Telefunkens at all and actually preferring the Mcintosh selected 12AX7s while others who are hooked on Telefunkens of course swear by the improvement they expected to hear.
Mark
My initial impression from my first night of listening is that the C2300 has a refined, polite presentation in a button-upped British sort of way with a sweet top end. However, it sounds thin much like a SS preamp sounds and it doesn't have much in the way of a bottom end which can even be heard on acoustic bass. Forget any type of wowie-zowie bass punch with this preamp. Voices also don't sound as real as my current preamp. And these listening impressions come from listening to LPs, CDs, and 15 ips 2 track tape. I guess if I didn't know any better I could be happy with this preamp, but unless things improve soon it will be going back.
For those of you who own and love the C-2300, I would love to know what preamp it replaced in your system. I love all of the creature comforts this preamp has to offer with 8 inputs, 4 sets of balanced inputs, a cool remote, etc. I do think it is a bit garish looking in person with different shades of green lights as well as blue. If this preamp doesn't start fleshing out more of the music, it will be going back. And please don't tell me that it takes magic Telefunken 12AX7s to make this preamp come alive. I have heard mixed reviews with some owners not liking the Telefunkens at all and actually preferring the Mcintosh selected 12AX7s while others who are hooked on Telefunkens of course swear by the improvement they expected to hear.
Mark
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- 34 posts total
- 34 posts total