Direct or preamp - what do you do?

[audiohippo]

Just listened to a few tracks back to back. Direct, the sound is definitely more forward, but the separation in the music is great. With the pre it's more laid back and smoothed out between the layers.

[jdandy]

audiohippo.......No offense intended, but the C220 is keeping your system from delivering its true potential. It is a decent McIntosh entry level preamplifier but leaves much on the table. I encouraged another member here (1KW) several years ago to move away from his C220 to a C2300. It took him nearly six months before he decided to make the move. He was thrilled with the performance boost the C2300 delivers over the C220 and would not return to the C220 for any reason. I think your C220 is not helping you with trying to determine the scenario of a direct connection or through a preamp. It might be time for you to get everything out of the MC501's they have to deliver with a C2300 in place of the C220. It will be a whole new game then.

[audiohippo]

No offence taken. I actually looked at the C2300 before I purchased the C220, I was advised by two dealers and through various forum posts that if I didn't need phono, than the C220 is the best option.

They also pointed out that both units only use two tubes for the High Level/line stage.

Looking at the manuals now I can see that the C2300 has a better Signal to Noise Ratio is 90db vs. 93db and a minor difference in the input impedance.

[2fastdriving]

Originally Posted by audiohippo

No offence take. I actually looked at the C2300 before I purchased the C220, I was advised by two dealers and through various forum posts that if I didn't need phono, than the C220 is the best option.

They also pointed out that both units only use two tubes for the High Level/line stage.

Looking at the manuals now I can see that the C2300 has a better Signal to Noise Ratio is 90db vs. 93db and a minor difference in the input impedance.

Listen to Dan.

[audiohippo]

Originally Posted by 2fastdriving

Listen to Dan.

Absolutely. I do see some paper benefits such as better SNR and the additional outputs are XLR.

I'll give the shop a call on Tuesday post the long weekend to organise a unit.

[1KW]

Sorry for the long post but I may be able to help as someone who has owned both the C220 and C2300 (purchased brand new) , both connected to the same pair of MC501's . I changed the stock C220 tubes to various other and finally settled with telefunken tubes . The C2300 had new gold lion tubes placed and that was it. The bottom line in my opinion, the C 2300 is a much better sounding pre amp hands down than the C220 and offers numerous uprades in functionality which I think Dan covers in one of his C2300 reviews. I did not realize what I was missing with the C220 until I tried using my MCD500 built in pre amp. direct fully balanced to the Mc501's. The sound without the C220 in the chain was sharper, cleaner, brighter, imaging was better; everthing sounded more transparent. I am speaking about pure digital with the C 220 now. As for the phono stage, the C220 only has a MM phono pre amp. which I found to be full of hash noise when the volume control was turned up to 45 or above and I could hear it on quiet passages . I tried changing to different tubes in the C220 and for a while I was known as "2uberoller" on this forum. The telefunken tubes were by far the quietest I tried but it was still not great. I had the C220 for a few years . I started to think about getting a new pre amp. after listening to the MCD500 direct to the MC501's for several months . I became more aware that I would only listen to certain "audiophile" type recordings like Patricia Barber etc. and rarely my favorites like: the Rolling Stones, Led Zepplen and other rock groups due to listener fatigue. In fact I noticed my listening sessions were not as long period, listening to my stereo without a pre amp. . While the music MCD500 direct to the 501's was more transparent, I missed the midrange sound of tubes in the chain. I was considering biting the bullet and buying a C500 or a used C1000, but I was not sure about not having tone controls and I had a space constraint in my built in wall unit that would not accomadate a 2 box pre amp . Dan told me if he had to do it over again he would have kept his C2300 and never bought a C1000T . That was quite a comment since to me the C1000T was and still is one of the best pre amps. on the market. I finally took Dan's advice and have been very happy with the C2300 both for digital and vinyl( using the quieter MC phono pre amp .) . I now listen mostly to rock music agian and have been buying a lot more vinyl than digital music and listen about 60 % vinyl to 40 % digital now.

[Cohibaman]

I'm running Telefunken and Mullard in a C2300 and love it! The C2300 - even with stock tubes - is a fantastic preamp. I will never "upgrade" preamps.

[audiohippo]

Very nice. I called every McIntosh Dealer and mainstream audio shop today coast-coast in Australia and no luck on finding a C2300.

Is there an alternative or do I just wait? Not interested in the C2500 with DAC.

[Mike1998]

Originally Posted by audiohippo

Very nice. I called every McIntosh Dealer and mainstream audio shop today coast-coast in Australia and no luck on finding a C2300. Is there an alternative or do I just wait? Not interested in the C2500 with DAC.

I would just order one of these:

http://www.mcintoshlabs.com/us/Produ...roductId=C1100

[audiohippo]

Many options at that price point.

ARC REF5se
Sim Audio Moon 850p
Esoteric C02x