Is Marantz AV8805 good enough pre amp for McIntosh MC8207

@tomiiv30 

For your B&W 683 S2 speakers you can use your Marantz AV8805 and your Mac MC8207 seven-channel amp for both stereo and HT imo until you upgrade your front speakers for stereo listening, then you can start looking for a dedicated stereo preamp with HT bypass feature and a better stereo or monoblock amps for your front speakers. But until then you are good with what you have.

I have always wanted to have a McIntosh gear and when time came to upgrade my HT I looked no further than the MC8207 which was priced perfect for my likings, I am not that much into the blue meters for my HT so that's why I decided to get the $3000 cheaper version of the MC207. As for the preamp I went with Marantz AV8805 blind without hearing it just because I grew up with Marantz gear (wish I still had it) knowing that Marantz sound is up to what I like, plus again I am saving big over the MX122. 
I had to mention that the store I bought the gear from gave me really good discount on the Marantz and some on the Mac amp so that made the deal even sweeter.
I would put the money I saved towards building my dedicated Home Theater Room which I will start construction within a month or so and plan to finish in 3 months tops. It would be in my basement and a size of 12' x 25'ish. Can't wait to see that project finished.

I have the Mac MC452 paired with a Marantz 8805.  Sounds phenomenal, been testing with 2ch and have to say they work well together.  I am using the combo with Martin Logan Impression 11A’s and have to say the sound stage, instrument separation, and clarity are fantastic.  I do like the fact that you can stream Tidal native FLAC from the HEOS app, the sounds quality is amazing.

You can’t go wrong at all with the Marantz and a Mac combo.  Especially at the Marantz price point.  I was planing on picking up a tube pre down the road (probably the C2600) but the 8805 has pushed the need for that out for a long while.

@eziggy7

I am really happy with the Marantz AV8805, this thing is ridiculously good and worth the money, when it comes to processing music in stereo or 4K Blu Ray HDR whatever movies, nothing comes close to the 8805 in its price range. I had an older Onkyo receiver and thought that thing was good but when I hooked up the 8805 to the MC8207 there was a really really big difference in sound and processing and separation, clarity, you name it the 8805 will do it. I was sceptical at first and was thinking that I should've went with the MX122 but man I think IMHO the Marantz outdid the MX122 by far.

I also bought new C52 and a used/demo MC452 and it was phenomenal pairing between both but the MC452 had some problems from the get go and had to return it and bought a brand new MC462.  Still haven't unboxed but I am expecting a better sound comparing the the MC452.

Congrats on the purchases.