Tube pre-amp upgrade from Mcintosh C2300

The Ref 3 and 5 are also great, maybe a little better detail and definition. You will need awesome source material, speakers and amps to benefit from that upgrade. its a high cost vs value upgrade

Idealy, I should go listen to all those good pre-amps and see which one is better for me, but it is hard for me to do it.

Lots of people say Mac C2300+ MC402 is a combo made in heaven. C2300 is a good pre-tube, but I don't feel heaven yet.

Mac C500T is fully balanced design with seperate power supply. A dealer who sells both Mac and ARC perfer the transparency of the ARC. Shindo is a very popular boutique brand and has come across my mind for several years. I never have any Japanese high end audio gear and I always admire their craftsmanship, precision engineer and dedication.

Tube rolling is an option. It might work on Macs, but not too much on ARC and Shindo. Tube rolling is like trying different cables and I am a little tired of changing cables.

Tube rolling - let me save you some time. For the C2300 get some Psvane Treasures from Grant Fidleity (Ian Grant) OR some Gold Lion reissues (Jim McShane). I must have tried 10 different sets of tubes (Amperex, Mullard, Telefunken, Mazda, Sovtek, etc.) and the best have been the two mentioned above. The C2300 is a great preamp and using with your MC402 should lend great results. I use mine with a MC252 and looking fwd to upgrading to the MC402 (if I can find a NIB leftover) or MC452. Don't give up on the Mc. Tubes will require some burn in time - be patient.

You'll have to roll the C500T if you want the best out it. If you don't want to tube roll, and ARC and Shindo don't need it, audition those two brands, choose one, and be done. Sounds like you've pretty much answered your own question.

It is very hard for me to audition the Mac C500, ARC Ref 5 and Shindo Monbrison. That is why I want other people’s input.