C-28 vs C-26

I currently have a C-26 but just wondering if a C-28 would be a noticeable upgrade all things being equal?

Using MC-2505 amp.

edit. misread post, sorry.

I'd at least go to a C29 or even a C30.

I have a c33 I used to have a c 28, the c 33 deserves its rep. a c30 would be great, but they are hard to find.

C30s are rare because we could not give them away......every Mac customer wanted remote control to go with their new MCDxxxx. Many years ago my accommodation MC2205 sat in it's box for a week, so great was the improvent of
my new C32 over my C26. As all have said skip a generation for your new preamp.

damacman said:

I'd at least go to a C29 or even a C30.

Click to expand...

I agree with you. A C29 or after.

Maybe I'm wrong but I always assumed a C28 was just a C26 with more bells and whistles. My subliminal rule is I won't buy a piece of equipment with twist prong caps although my two tuners have them.

C-28 is the last Mcintosh pre-amp to have discrete components in the phono section at that time. The C-29 the first to use IC's at that time. With all the talk about TIM distortion IC's were thought to be a compromise. Well ,he C-29 proved that to be a myth. I will say the C-28 had a warmer sound than the C-29 for the phono section, but I learned to love the C-29 sound, which was closer the C-22. C-28 proved to have a quieter phono section than a C-26, and as others have said the rest was mostly bells and whistles which I enjoyed. The C-28 had control issues, from selector switches to bad trim pots to that nasty Volume control which never tracked correctly. Issues I never had with my C-29 or 34. I thought C-32's were noisy compared to the C-29 and and 30. I do'nt have that issue with the C-34. The C-37 was the most advanced of the 16" wide components. I would love to have a C-40, but it won't fit in my cabinet.