McIntosh C2500 Built In DAC

[stereo_5]

I have had my C2500 preamp since January and it continues to impress me. Would anyone know what dac is in my preamp? Is it a Burr Brown or ESS or something else? I have been using it off/on when playing cd's. The built in dac in my Esoteric SACD player is a Burr Brown pcm1704 which is a R to R ladder dac. Just wondering about the one in my C2500. I would appreciate it if anybody could shed a little light on this for me?

If it is a decent dac, I was thinking of purchasing a better coax cable for it. Presently I am using a Wireworld starlite7(red cable) and was thinking of moving up to the Wireworld Gold or Silver. I like the fact that I can get 2 different perspectives of the sound with 2 different dac's.

[Cohibaman]

It’s a Texas Instruments PCM1795.

Here’s the service manual for the C2500. See page 28, U6.

http://www.berners.ch/McIntosh/Downloads/C2500_ser.pdf

[Bob Bubeck]

Originally Posted by stereo_5

I have had my C2500 preamp since January and it continues to impress me. Would anyone know what dac is in my preamp? Is it a Burr Brown or ESS or something else? I have been using it off/on when playing cd's. The built in dac in my Esoteric SACD player is a Burr Brown pcm1704 which is a R to R ladder dac. Just wondering about the one in my C2500. I would appreciate it if anybody could shed a little light on this for me?

If it is a decent dac, I was thinking of purchasing a better coax cable for it. Presently I am using a Wireworld starlite7(red cable) and was thinking of moving up to the Wireworld Gold or Silver. I like the fact that I can get 2 different perspectives of the sound with 2 different dac's.

I have done what you are contemplating. The DAC in my C2500 is a very good sounding one but a bit more forward than the DAC in my MCD550. I use a "Premium 75" Transparent digital coax to obtain an alternate presentation of RBCD's. For example, some Concord Jazz CDs sound more alive with the C2500 DAC. I feel that the DAC in the MCD550 is the better one, overall, but I encourage you to give it a try. Having choices never hurts.

[o0OBillO0o]

Originally Posted by Cohibaman

It’s a Texas Instruments PCM1795.

Here’s the service manual for the C2500. See page 28, U6.

http://www.berners.ch/McIntosh/Downloads/C2500_ser.pdf

he’s right!

I think Ivan’s got the drop on some Wireworld.

It’s a great DAC!

[ejr1953]

When I started to learn more about digital audio, it seemed to me that it is the portion of the audio business that is now changing and improving at the fastest rate.

I bought one of the first PS Audio DirectStream DACs, over three years ago, and haven't looked back. With the design of the DAC, PS Audio publishes firmware updates once or twice a year, and I've applied each and every one of them, finding them to be like getting a (somewhat) new DAC!

I too really enjoy my C2500, have no plans to change preamps. One thing I did change was to upgrade to the Genalex Gold Lion 12AX7's and found a small but certainly noticeable improvement in the "musicality" of acoustic instruments and voices.

[stereo_5]

Thank you for the tip on the Genelex tubes. I was thinking of trying them and after what you said, I most certainly will!

[Audiophilehi]

Originally Posted by stereo_5

Thank you for the tip on the Genelex tubes. I was thinking of trying them and after what you said, I most certainly will!

+1 on trying the Genelex tubes. I have them in my c2500 and the stock tubes will never go back.