The New C1100

[MCenthusiast]

I know a few of you have already brought a C1100 home and was curious whether it is living up to the specs I see online which are quite impressive. Unfortunately, none of my local dealers have one in stock for an audition. I'm particularly interested in your impressions of the the MC phono stage. Please let me know if you think it was a major step forward from your previous preamp and which one you had before. I currently have a C500P which I suspect may be too close in performance to justify the cost of an upgrade unless the trade up program produces a deal I can't pass up but I'd like to hear what people think.

[djwhog]

I would not move from my c500 rig to the 1100, I do not see how it could be that much of a leap, or if it is better at all

[o0OBillO0o]

You're asking if a tube* pre amp with a Moving Coil Phono stage, while listening to Vinyl, is going to sound different than a solid state preamp (while doing the same process)?

Next, do you think the level of specs your are comparing are discernible by ear?

The rest is subjective; I think the C1100 looks awesome!

Get the C1100 in your house and compare side by side, then you'll have a good idea what you like.

[jdandy]

I owned the McIntosh C1000C/T tube preamplifier and the C1000C/P solid state preamplifier at the same time. I had ample opportunity to make comparisons of both preamplifiers in two separate sound systems as well as head to head. Although the moving coil phono stage in the C1000C/T was very good and responded well to premium NOS Telefunken tubes in the moving coil phono stage, the C1000C/P solid state preamplifier's moving coil phono stage outperformed the C1000C/T, particularly in signal to noise ratio and background silence at all volume levels. Ultimately I decided to sell the C1000C/T, replacing it with a C2300 preamplifier that is in the living room system. I still own the C1000C/P solid state preamplifier driving a pair of MC2301 tube power amplifiers in the studio sound system. It is wonderful combination in every way. Would I consider trading the C1000C/P for a C1100? Absolutely not.

[MCenthusiast]

Thanks for the feedback guys, I'm inclined to agree with the consensus.

In answer to Bill's question, I have sampled and found significant differences between preamps whether comparing those of solid state or tube design. I have a Shindo preamp which is a tube design with a very low noise floor that i really enjoy listening to. Some others I tried in my system did not offer a comparable balance between detail and musicality.

I don't get carried away with specs but they are there for a reason and somewhat more compelling when they come from the same manufacturer comparing their own equipment. I mentioned the specs of the new product because the S/N ratio is significantly better than anything else they've built including the C500P/C1000P. Nonetheless, I fully agree that what you hear is far more important.

Dan's findings ring true to me as I was also originally swayed to purchase the C500P over the C500T because of the quietness of the MC phono stage. Still, I know others here who prefer the richness of the C500T.

The synergy is quite good with my current system, it has all of the features I need and I'll probably stay put. Frankly, the upgrade is far less interesting now that I understand the fine print behind the trade up program.

[damacman]

Hard to disagree. After owning and restoring a wide variety of vintage tube gear from McIntosh, Marantz, and others, I personally no longer see the allure of tubes that I did then. [OK, I haven't owned a pair of MC3500s or MC2301s ... at least not yet ... ]

I'm sure that when you bought the C500P, you likely thought it was the last preamp you'd ever need to buy. How much better can it get? Heck, I own a C200 and a C100A and can't imagine much better performance from a Mc preamp and that stuff is old now.

It does indeed look like the C1100 offers an excellent compromise of performance to cost in the world of McIntosh.

[W9TR]

Just so you know, the MC phono section in the C1000T and C500T is a solid state/tube hybrid design. The cartridge sees a very low noise discrete transistor SS input stage followed by a tube amplification and equalization stage. Don't know about the C1100, but I'm guessing it is the same topology as I don't see how they could get the noise specs they are getting otherwise. Tom

[PMCH]

I think my C1100 bests my old C2300 in every way except for the MC phono stage. I prefer my separate SS Audia Flight phono stage over both of the McIntosh pre amps. When I purchased the C1100 I thought I could eliminate the Audia Flight but after comparing I have to keep the Audia Flight as it sounds much better to me.

[MCenthusiast]

I didn't know that about the C500T/C1000T topology. I did notice that the 1100 has more tubes than the previous generation but your assumption is probably not too far off the mark. It appears there are a lot of similarities but some refinements as well.

My vinyl collection is my primary source so an external phono stage like the Audia could be worth considering as an alternative or maybe a less expensive step up for some of my lower output cartridges. I have some that I think could use a bit more gain but the C1100 wouldn't help there. It does sound like the headphone support has been improved though. How would you compare the Audia to the phono stage in the C1100?

[PMCH]

For me the Audia Flight phono stage is clearly superior to the C11000 phono stage. Records sound more detailed and musical, bass and trail offs sound better to me also. The Audia Flight is not inexpensive as it costs more than my C2300 did. For me it matches up perfectly with the C1100 as a preamp. When I purchased the C1100 I was hoping to eliminate the Audia Flight but after my comparison I will only be using the Audia Flight for a phono preamp. The only problem I have heard about the Audia Flight is that it is difficult to get serviced. Hope I never need that.