Conrad Johnson vs. McIntosh Tube Gear

Is there one brand whose current gear's house sound is considered the most warm?

Are you running CD's or vinyl. With 96db speakers any noise or excess gain in the pre and power is going to come out, expecially with CD as the source.

I think that the cj prem 16 is one of the true great pre amps. better in most ways compared to the Mac C2200 which has poor bass drive and slightly lean upper mids and lower treble. However if you mate the prem16 with a cj power amp, you might have too much gain in the system and cj power amps can be a little noisy with 96db speakers.

Mac amps on the other hand are very quiet and you could afford either the MC275 or the MC2101.

OTOH, Quicksliver don't really have a reputation of being analytical thou.

I used to own an MC 275 and loved it (with a Cary preamp--maybe not the best pairing). Unfortunately it was stolen. I replaced it with a CJ 17LS/Premier 140 combination which is also excellent. My speakers are Joseph Audios (25si)so not that efficient, but either amp could drive inefficient speakers in medium sized rooms. Differences? The CJs have a better sense of space, depth especially and sound more classically tube-like. THe Mac had a wonderful sense of presence almost like an SET and better PRAT. Both amps have beautiful midranges though I'd opt for the Macs overall, especialy on voices, maybe just my opinion If you want a lusher sound maybe the CJ. Both are excellent amps. Overall the MC 275 is my favorite amp that I could ever actually afford. I miss it and hope the person who stole it rots...

Thanks for your advice Downunder. I listen primarily to itunes through a Wavelength Cosecant and secondarily to a Rega Saturn CD player; never vinyl (after growing up in the '60s I have no desire to deal with cartridges/tonearms/platters/suspensions/etc). Are vintage Mac tube amps (MC40s, MC60s, MC75s) noticeably warmer and more liquid than modern Macs (MC275)? Are there headaches/reliability issues with gear made in the '60s (fully 40 years ago)?

I have a vintage (but rebuilt) MC240 with a C42. I have heard the MC275 with a C46. The C42 and C46 are basically the same. The speakers in both cases were B&W N804 but the rooms were different.

Comparing both, I think I can safely say the MC240 is warmer and lusher than the MC275. However, changing tubes can change that result. I have had tubes in my MC240 that made it sound very "hifi" - perhaps moreso than the 275 with stock tubes. But you can do that with the 275 as well.

I sounds to me like you really want to try a McIntosh amp. My suggestion would be for you to try a MC275 and then do some tube rolling to find the right combo. Those amps have such good output transformers that you will be able to make the amp sound just the way you want it with tube swaps. There are many vintage tubes that can make a 275 be warm and lush, no problem.

Arthur