Please recommend a preamp/ phono stage for Mcintosh MC30 amps

McIntosh MX 110 Z chassis or a C-20 for my choice. Keep it in the family. McLover's choice. The first also has an excellent tuner thrown in.

 

The MC30s are good enough to reach outside the Mac family too, if you like. I think they'll mate well with a more neutral "modern" tube preamp, and I've also heard good results with the lowly Dynaco PAS2/PAS3.

 

I think your original idea of an SP-6 or SP-9 was really a good one....

Another really good budget used preamp would be an audible illusions 2D.
You can usually pick them up for about $450 and they are quite good.

 

The Conrad Johnson PV6 may be a good alternative too and within your budget.

 

PV6 and PV10 will be slightly warmer sounding than the ARC SP-9, probably fairly close in sound to the SP-6...

Both had decent phono stages and both can still be repaired at the factory.

 

Yes. Completely Happy. But then I've never compared it to anything else except the C 28. Just never felt the need.

 

I use a pair of Mcintosh MC75s and I have tried several preamps with them. I have used a C11, C26, C28, C46, C22, C220, MX110, CJ PV5, CJ PV12, Advent 300, and a Audible Illusions Modulus 3A. I ended up keeping the C11 with the CJ PV5 as a backup. The C11 with telefunken smooth plate tubes fits my system like none of the others. It has midrange qualities that give me goosebumps. The CJ PV5 has a great phono stage and its over all performance is a little more forward and spacial. The CJ PV5 in combination with my new backup CJ MV75A1 amp is very nice combination as well.

 

Many thanks to everyone for the expert advice! It sounds like there are a lot of excellent options.


I'm gonna audition a C20 tomorrow. At $1650, it's a bit out of my budget. It will be interesting to how the "old school" phono stage performs...


I also have a line a on a CJ PV5 (much less expensive)

 

There are 3 variants of the C20 and basically are as follows:

Three Versions
1- Brass bar down center of Plastic front panel (not glass).
2- Gold McIntosh logo and model painted on the front of the glass where the brass bar was in the first version .
3-All lettering is on the back side of the glass, is 5/16 inch taller than versions 1 and 2, has 2 sets of main outputs, most will have the potted transformer.

Please note, the serial numbers listed go hand in hand with the 3 variants.

1. 1L001 to 5L817
2. 6L001 to 8L379
3. 100A1 to 329A2


Bob

 

Prior to black screenprinting the glass I might add.

Bob

 

And then there's the C11 which I almost bought once, never seen another one, and that was years ago. A nice looking preamp which McIntosh did not make for long.

 

Wow! Thanks for the info. Possibly the C20 I have been looking at is one of the later editions.

...Must check tomorrow

 

I would think a C-22 would be a great option for that setup, but then again your looking at around $2500-3000 for a good used one.

Here's mine and every time I think about selling, I feel like I'm getting rid of a trusting friend who has done nothing wrong to me. So I keep it around for another year.

 

I wish...

Unfortunately, I'm pretty certain that the C20 I looked at locally does not have the center brass bar on the front and hence is a later version, not the one SH recommended. It is very clean cosmetically, and has the wood cabinet. I have not heard it yet.

Should I even consider it at all, or just hold out for the earliest version (like you have)?

 

Not a great picture but here is the C11. It cost $1,000 plus $750 for refurbishment and telefunken tubes.

 

Here is the PV5. Cost $600 plus $220 for nos tubes.

 

Auditioning the C20 right now--

Took a long time to warm up and give that magical sound.

Wow, it sounds good now. Not surprisingly the old Capitol recordings sound just right. At first, I thought there was no bass, but there are numerous tone controls. I flipped the. "RECORD COMPENSATOR BASS" switch over to "TAPE", and there's lots of nice bass, but is this an OK setting?

This particular one is not the model Steve Hoffman recommended--it's serial #259 AS, so it's the third variation. Seems to function OK, with no hums or pops, and there's a McIntosh "Performance Certified" sticker dated 1981.

I like the sound and I'm tempted to get it. But, is the first version really so much better that it would be wise to hold out for one???

 

Still auditioning the C20... The phone stage is light years beyond my old HH Scott. It also compares favorably to a solid state phone stage designed for the Linn, which is more "modern" with tight bass, but has less magic.

Zep II RL sounds pretty good, but stuff like Herb Alpert and late 50s jazz sounds fantastic thru the C20.

 

...

 

The C20 is an excellent choice and that's a decent price...

 

Audio Research SP-6A

I just won an Audio Research SP-6A on the 'bay.

Thanks for all the great advice!



I was finally encouraged to go in that direction after auditioning a new Audio Research SP-17. The SP-17 is awesome IMO, and I was told that it was a reasonable example of the Audio Research sonic signature. It's tough, because in a perfect world, it would be great to own both modern and vintage sounding high-end preamps. The McIntosh C20 sounded beautiful, especially on the older recordings, imparting everything with buttery tubey goodness. It was very easy on the ear. However, the ARC sound won since it seems a bit more versatile, and had a tighter bass, and a bit more detail. Also, the SP6 I bought is a lot less expensive than the McIntosh. Maybe if another C20 (especially the first series) pops up at a great deal, I might succumb.


On problem, though. It appears my Linn Adikt MM cartridge, with its hot 6.5mv output, is not an ideal match for any of the units that have been recommended in this thread. The tube gear is a bit forgiving, but I'm starting to recognize the clipping sound. I talked to a tech at Audio Research today, and he recommended a moving magnet cartridge with an output between 2 to 4mv. I won't really know if the Linn Adikt works well with the SP6 until trying it.


So, another can of worms--what cartridge with a 2 to 4mv output will sound great and mate with my Linn Ittock tonearm???