Suggestions on Pre Power pairing

[Stahle]

Originally Posted by FreddieFerric

My bad. Don't know what I was thinking. C22 does support both MM and MC carts. Does not have a tape loop or fixed output. That fact is what shot it down as a candidate for my now delayed arrival MC1502.

My bad, the C22 IV I own has a tape loop and a fixed output. Looks like they got rid of that on the version V. Another reason I’ll never get rid of my C22.

[FreddieFerric]

Originally Posted by Stahle

My bad, the C22 IV I own has a tape loop and a fixed output. Looks like they got rid of that on the version V. Another reason I’ll never get rid of my C22.

It's a real head scratcher why Mc put in 2 outputs but omitted at the very least a fixed output that could be used for recording purposes. For a preamp that's supposed to be a link to the pre's of old that is one strange omission.

[rthomeint]

I am leaning to the MC462 are seeing the opinions here and reading some reviews. I hate the thought of moving this monsters around especially after living with the PS Audio M700s for the past couple of years. I am ready to get back to a class AB amp. I think I am ready to go back to a tube preamp after the last decade of solid state preamps. I am not overly thrilled with the retro look of the C22 I wish it looked like the C70.

[FreddieFerric]

Originally Posted by rthomeint

I am leaning to the MC462 are seeing the opinions here and reading some reviews. I hate the thought of moving this monsters around especially after living with the PS Audio M700s for the past couple of years. I am ready to get back to a class AB amp. I think I am ready to go back to a tube preamp after the last decade of solid state preamps. I am not overly thrilled with the retro look of the C22 I wish it looked like the C70.

There's a C70 listed for sale on that other A site.

[rthomeint]

Since the DAC2 module that is fitted to various preamps in the Mcintosh line,
It optional on the C8.
1. Can the C2700 be purchased with out it?

2. If not can it be removed from the C2700?


I guess my question really is can the C2700 be strictly be an analog preamp?

[Grasshopper]

Find a c2300

[McMan]

Originally Posted by rthomeint

I am leaning to the MC462 are seeing the opinions here and reading some reviews. I hate the thought of moving this monsters around especially after living with the PS Audio M700s for the past couple of years. I am ready to get back to a class AB amp. I think I am ready to go back to a tube preamp after the last decade of solid state preamps. I am not overly thrilled with the retro look of the C22 I wish it looked like the C70.

If you are not thrilled, don’t buy it. Be patient and get a c70, mc462.

[PeterMusic]

Originally Posted by rthomeint

Since the DAC2 module that is fitted to various preamps in the Mcintosh line,
It optional on the C8.
1. Can the C2700 be purchased with out it?

2. If not can it be removed from the C2700?


I guess my question really is can the C2700 be strictly be an analog preamp?

I'm pretty sure a C2700 without DA2 (or meters) is a C22. I chose a C22 because I already had a Yggy

[rthomeint]

I like the look and feature set of the C2700 better than the C22 . I am not going use the DAC in the C2700 so it seems like a waste. I also wonder if the preamp might sound better if it didn't have to power the DAC module.

[80B]

Originally Posted by rthomeint

I like the look and feature set of the C2700 better than the C22 . I am not going use the DAC in the C2700 so it seems like a waste. I also wonder if the preamp might sound better if it didn't have to power the DAC module.

I've got a C2500 in my office system (2 generations before the C2700), and while some purists believe the DAC has an impact on the sound, it's hard to conceive how that would be noticeable. McIntosh does a good job of separating those sections of the preamp, and their heritage drives an ethos that wouldn't let it be any other way. I upgraded a while back to a C1100 in my main system (then put the C2500 in the office), and while I love the C1100, if I did not have upgraditis, the C2500 would have continued to do the job with aplomb.

While the digital side of the C2700 may not be needed, it may be something that could be useful in the future, and something you may want to compare to your current DAC. If you like the looks better, that's another strong reason for the C2700 unless you could hear some significant difference with the C70, which a year from now would not make any difference to you as you're enjoying the music. That said, I'm partial to the black glass design language McIntosh incorporates in their non-retro models.

Since all members here are expert at spending each other's money, if you can swing the 462 for the headroom, it would cure upgraditis from the 312, and probably save some money in the longer run. I've got a 402 in another system and love it. This is all mostly opinion, and while based on experience, it's not experience with all the options you've listed.

If you like that C2700/MC312 combination you can't go wrong with it (or the other ones for that matter). You can only upgrade it sometime in the future, and again, we're more than happy to help you spend your hard earned money, LOL!