preamps with tone controls.


ive been upgrading my rig again & im pretty much starting from scratch,i kept my speakers(never sell)but that was it,i replaced all my amps with a pair of mcintosh mc1201 monoblocks & i replaced the mac c2200 tube preamp with a mac c39 pre,the c39 does a fine job but i want more from a pre so im on the hunt for a pre that will make me feel the way my speakers & amps do,completely satisfied.

ive tried just about everything in sight from the mcintosh line & i would really like to try other brand preamps but a HUGE problem im having is finding quality preamps with tone controls,tone controls are a must for me due to the many different types of music i listen to plus i listen at different volume settings that range from obscenely loud to whisper soft & without tone controls its pretty hard to get a rig to respond the way i want.

my experience with pre's that do not have tone controls is limited but when i did try out a highly acclaimed preamp that did not have tone controls i hated every last thing about it & i knew that for my tastes these controls will be a must.

if anybody knows of a killer preamp that has tone controls please list it,it would also be a huge plus if the pre has a loudness control but that isnt a must,i also do not have a preference between tube & solid state i just want to try some different preamps other than mcintosh before i commit to another mac c2200.

thanks.

mike.
128x128bigjoe
Audio by Van Alstine offers two that look identical. The Omegastar EC; and the Ultra EC.

The new versions mentioned above are not on the website yet but you can read about them on the AVA forum @ Audiocircle.
Your MC1201 amps are stellar and telegraph your sonic preferences, so what's wrong with a C2200? If you want something a little more incisive than the 2200, a C46. The 8 band EQ in the C46 is comprised of the most benign tone controls I've heard on a consumer preamp.

Phil
big joe.....i've been a mac guy also, but recently i came accross an accuphase C200(cherry) and jeez its a great, 'beyond full feature' pre. have both a c22 ll and a marantz 7, and could never find anything ia enjoyed more until this. the newer accuphase stuff matches well with mac, but this thing is a friggin classic. absolutely neutral unless you want some action taken to enhance those vintage recordings.