Tube preamp top clearance--McIntosh or in general

If you remove the top/any covers(not the bottom plate) from the pre-amp: it'll stay cooler. I've always done that with tubed gear. Never have had a problem with tube longevity, even though my gear has always resided in an enclosed, rack type cabinet(not the power amps). Pearl Tube Coolers also will help. Page 16 in this catalog: (http://www.percyaudio.com/Catalog.pdf) If the pieces are very close together RFI/EMI shielding is a good idea(See page 14 for Texas Instruments shielding). There's a sheet of it somewhere, between every piece of my equipment.

You can put a fan behind it.

Thanks for the ideas.
Tricon_dave,
any comments on the C2300 sonics for linestage use (not phono)? Does it have that nice (to my ears) warm, liquid, relaxed Mac flavor but still definitive with no part of the spectrum exaggerated or supressed? (Even though it's not the last word in dynamics or slam.) This is my take on the C46 preamp I now own.

Keep in mind that the style of rack matters a lot. If you have a rack that's open on all sides, I do, then top clearance isn't as crucial. If the rack is enclosed or partially enclosed then it' very important. As someone said you can use a fan, and as always a little common sense goes a long way. Happy listening!

Go over to Audiokarma and do a search on the McIntosh Discussion Forum. You will find a lot of (mostly) useful information on the C2300 including comparisons with other McIntosh preamps.

Here is one link to a review by TonePub:

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=150183&highlight=c2300+review

I listen to vinyl 90%+ of the time, but the line stage seems good on its own and most of my CD's are very listenable through it. I can't compare to your C46 because I have never heard it.

Dave