Need Your Expertise - How Much Difference? C2300, C2500, C500T?
 

As the title notes, I'm hoping for some insight and expertise on the above preamps, and lets also throw in the 2600. And hopefully, some comparisons from those who have owned two or all of the above, or significantly auditioned them.

I want to add a McIntosh preamp to my system, and am, first and foremost, a guy who loves tubes when done right.

I recently read a review in What Hi-Fi of the 2500, and amongst other things, they said:

"It’s huge, spreading the sound stage well beyond the outer edges of our reference ATC SCM 50 speakers.

The preamp has a large scale, authoritative presentation that also demonstrates lovely delicacy when required.

The McIntosh’s overall tone is on the rich side of neutral, but never seems overly rounded at higher frequencies. There’s plenty of bite in the treble but a pleasing refinement too, which stops the preamp getting unnecessarily hard-edged even when the recording is.

Playing alt-J’s Dissolve Me (from our Naim NDS/555ps streamer through the analogue inputs) shows off the McIntosh’s lovely, full-bodied midrange, and its ability to keep the music’s rhythmic elements in place.

the preamp delivers a sound with lots of space, with real sparkle to the cymbals and plenty of punch to the drums. The rhythmic elements are nicely delivered but most of all the slightly rich tonality gives the sound a really appealing solidity.

There’s a pleasant warmth to the presentation and an easy-going attitude that makes the C2500 a very tempting long-term proposition."

That describes the sound I am looking for. If the 2300 will provide me with it, or even more of it, I can drop the 2500 from the list (also, a fair number of comments in this forum would seem to indicate it has some reliability issues).

Lastly though, an extremely knowledgeable audiophile friend who lives on the other side of the country recently told me to skip anything else and get the C500T two piece preamp, that its better than anything short of a C1100. Any thoughts on that too, especially in comparison to the 2300, 2500 and 2600 would be incredibly helpful. Thanks.

Also, I would be using whichever of these I choose with a single ended power amp, will that be an issue, either technically, or in terms of performance loss?

John

John,
I can speak to the differences between the C2300 and C500t because I’ve owned both over a long time.

The differences between the C2300 and C500t were:
The C500t is a quieter preamp.
The C500t has a better MC phono section - quieter and more dynamic.
I thought the bass was better with the C500t.
Image width is about the same - just slightly wider with the C500t, but deeper front to back for sure.

With the C1100 out the prices on the C500 and C1000 continue to drop, making for great values all around.

I sold my first C2300 to get a C500t, which I subsequently traded in on a C1100. I regretted selling the C2300 and bought another one for a second system.

I also just posted a technical review of the C2300. Post is named McIntosh C2300 by the numbers

Tom

I've owned the C2200 and the C500T.

From a non-audiophile perspective, I enjoyed the C2200 more than the C500T, which I found a bit too clinical sounding at the time. The C2200 was rich, warm, and musical and it probably accentuated these qualities.

From an audiophile perspective everything that Tom says, in the post above, was true in my experience, as well, with the C500T.

Had I owned more full range type speakers, maybe I would have appreciated the C500T's qualities, more.

By most reviews, here on AA and elsewhere, the C2300 sounds like an all around winner.

John.......I have owned my second McIntosh C2300 tube preamplifier for six and a half years. This is my brief review of it from August 2011.

McIntosh C2300 Review

I have had 2300, then 2500 and return to 2300.
2500 its very good pre but more clinical than 2300.

the instruments seem to be more real in the 2300

John, I owned a C2300 and then upgraded to a C500T combo (and C1100 twin box) and like Tom (W9TR) mentioned the C500T I found was much quieter & threw a wider and deeper soundstage and is more detailed.

Being a vinyl guy, the phono section in the C500T is quieter and has better low end performance.

I do not use tone controls -- so the loss of that feature going from the C2300 to the C500T combo was a non issue.

Good Luck Sir,

Bob

Same as the other guys in regard to C2300 vs C500T. As I've moved further up the chain I've found less of a desire to reach for the tone or bass/treble controls.

I found the C500T to best the C2300 in most ways but depending upon your system and priorities these may not be relevant.
The C2500 and C2600 avail themselves of newer and quieter design and technology then the C500. The C500 still bests the one chassis McIntosh preamps IMHO but I do not find signal to noise ratio important to my sense of musicality.

Mike S.

I vote c500t as well stone quiet and great stage sound is accurate and has great depth and imaging while imop better dynamics all around and quicker.

Tone controls when you need them sometimes with lower volume listening and certain not so great recordings are reason enough to not give them up. The 2300 is a quiet pre amp, you would have to turn the volume up to 70 and put on a MC source to hear any hash which may be coming from your cartridge . On a digital source turned up volume, mine is dead quiet. C2300 and C500 have no built in DAC. Do you need a DAC? If yes look at a C2600. I would ignore the C2500 and buy the pre amp with the newest DAC or get a C2300 and a external DAC. Several people on this thread sold and repurchased a C2300 , a costly thing to do and yet the action speaks for itself. The C500 is higher up the food chain but you lose tone controls which I more often need with vinyl records which sometimes need more bass at lower volumes. Most people will not notice the difference between these pre amps, sort of nit picking differences so buy what your inner voice is telling you.