I'll probably take a lot of heat for this. So please, just take it as my opinion and what had happened when I made the change. I had a C-46 pre and a MC-402 amp in my system for about 10 years. Just for a whim, I substituted a Rogue Audio Pharaoh hybrid integrated amp. This combination literally blew The Mac pre and power away. It totally amazed me at how a $3500 integrated could embarrass a 12k Mac system.....