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Mcintosh C-2300 first impressions

I bought an C2300 from an authorized mac dealer with return rights minus shipping. I have 11 days to listen to it. My current preamp is the Counterpoint SA-5.1 that has had the line and phono stage upgraded by Mike Elliott (the original designer/engineer of Counterpoint gear). Since I use a low output cartridge, I also use the Counterpoint SA-2 in conjuction with the SA-5.1. My amp is the Jadis Defy 7 MKII. What I was hoping to achieve was to retain all of the sound quality of the SA-2/SA-5.1 combo while lowering the noise floor compared to my current phono section (the line section of the SA-5.1 is very quiet).
My initial impression from my first night of listening is that the C2300 has a refined, polite presentation in a button-upped British sort of way with a sweet top end. However, it sounds thin much like a SS preamp sounds and it doesn't have much in the way of a bottom end which can even be heard on acoustic bass. Forget any type of wowie-zowie bass punch with this preamp. Voices also don't sound as real as my current preamp. And these listening impressions come from listening to LPs, CDs, and 15 ips 2 track tape. I guess if I didn't know any better I could be happy with this preamp, but unless things improve soon it will be going back.
For those of you who own and love the C-2300, I would love to know what preamp it replaced in your system. I love all of the creature comforts this preamp has to offer with 8 inputs, 4 sets of balanced inputs, a cool remote, etc. I do think it is a bit garish looking in person with different shades of green lights as well as blue. If this preamp doesn't start fleshing out more of the music, it will be going back. And please don't tell me that it takes magic Telefunken 12AX7s to make this preamp come alive. I have heard mixed reviews with some owners not liking the Telefunkens at all and actually preferring the Mcintosh selected 12AX7s while others who are hooked on Telefunkens of course swear by the improvement they expected to hear.

Mark
mepearson
breuninger
101 posts
 
I would suggest a step up for your cartridge. The classic is the Verion, Google around. This would greatly lower the noise floor of your LOMC.

Interesting listening notes on the Mc...

My best!

Peter
mepearson OP
100 posts
 
Peter-I have the Counterpoint SA-2 pre-preamp. You really shouldn't need it with the 2300 with my Benz Glider .4 mv cartridge, but the only way I can reclaim some of the magic with LPs is to use the SA-2 into the 2300's MM stage. Straight in to the MC input of the 2300 just doesn't sound good at all.
oscar44
130 posts
 
So, a $6k preamp cannot be expected to sound very good until you replace the supplied tubes with NOS, the supplied power cord with an aftermarket one, and add new footers? Wow! And we wonder why the audio industry has problems gaining a large audience. Mark, if the break in period does not reveal an improvement to you, stick with what you have and work on the phono stage.
davvie's avatar
davvie
81 posts
 
I guess Mr Pearson actually waited to opine until AFTER the break-in period....

C2300 Tube Preamplifier and MC2301 Tube Monoblock Amplifier - Harry Pearson,Senior Editor, The Absolute Sound

" The sound of these units is quite unlike the sound of other major tube-based electronics on the market. It is the quietest sounding combination of preamplifier - yes, it even contains phonostages for both moving-coil and moving-magnet cartridges - and amplifier in my experience with tube units. And I can hear no distortions of any kind, nor detect much in the way of character. ..The McIntoshes do have a kind of liquid sweetness that is consonant with the same quality in live music, sufficient power to encompass with sublime ease any massive recorded peaks, and delicacy at low levels-thanks to the very low distortion- that I have found seductive, but seductive because it is a kind of truth-spoken-here resolution of the quietest pianissimos"

BTW...the C2300 was nominated for a Golden Ear award by Mr Pearson.
tzh21y
1,654 posts
 
The 2300 is an outstanding preamplifier, there is no doubt about it. I have never heard the Counterpoint. If you decide to send it back, when you listen to your preamp and realize that you are missing something, then it might click. The NOS tubes are just the icing on the cake IMHO. If not, no harm done.
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