Preamp advice

Guys he's running LaScala's he doesn't need more gain he's already got 65wpc more than he needs. he need a good quality preamp that's not hi gain and that's very quiet. 

If you have the funds look at the matching Mac preamps, they are dead quiet even the tube ones and have many features that are quite handy. The volume control will give you a good range of use with your hi efficiency speakers as well. 

Also the MC275 is a balanced amp and runs balanced, the single ended input is immediately converted to balanced so your better to run it balanced, one less tube in the circuit. If your running it balanced the first tube closest to the inputs is not critical as its only used in the heater circuit. It's for converting the single ended signal to balanced for the amp. 

I have a C2700-MC275 and the paring is excellent. I will say though get the JJ tubes out of the amps/preamps and find something better sounding that's the limiting factor in the new mac tube gear the factory tubes are not the best but they are reliable. 

I used a McIntosh C50, then a C52 pre-amp with my MC275 MK VI. Both worked perfectly for me and look very good. See the system here:

@p05129   +1

Totally agree. 

I have used several McIntosh preamps with my MC240 but I didn't like any of them as much as my Kora Crescendo or Tom Evans Vibe.  The ARC Ref 3 is awesome too, but it eats tubes like crazy. 

The lower the power amp gain, the higher the preamp voltage required for a given output. The higher the preamp voltage, the farther it is above the noise floor, and that equals improved signal to noise ratio for the system overall. This is called gain-staging, and is something many high-end separate systems of ’blended parentage’ get wrong - they are improperly gain staged and are noisy as a result. This is especially helpful with high-sensitivity speakers like La Scalas. This is not a failure of the amp or the preamp, this is a failure of the owner to properly set up the system.

That said, there are many great vacuum tube preamps out there, ARC, Mcintosh, VAC, BAT, Cary, amongst them. They all have their fans and detractors, but they all are in actuality very nice pieces. Just don’t plug them in without some understanding of their gain structure and expect great results.