McIntosh vintage (C32) vs new (C48) with MC2300

Slewfoot

Member
Hi Guys,

I hope all is well. Long time lurker and first time poster here. I'm posting as I'm putting together a fun system for the basement downstairs and it's juuuust about complete except for the pre-amp. Here's what I have in place thus far:

- McIntosh MC2300 power amp
- Thorens TD MK II 125 turntable with Dynavector cartridge
- Oppo BDP 105 CD player
- JBL 4312 speakers
- Meyer Sound HD-1 powered speakers

I have recently purchased two different McIntosh C32's from a well know and respected dealer / tech shop and both have had issues and needed to go back. Quite frustrating and depressing especially since they do sound incredible when the issues aren't present. I have 3 kids under the age of 5 so reliability is very important to me as I just don't have time to deal with these sorts of things. Seeming like a vintage pre-amp may be off the table for that reason.

Would something like a more modern McIntosh C48 work well with this setup? Or is it that silly? Should I stick it out and hope for a good C32? I'm somewhat set on the C32 / C48 due to all the adjustable tone controls. Just at a bit of a crossroads and curious to hear some opinions.

Thank you in advance!
 
C 32 owner here. No issues to date.

I don't know what went wrong - did they offer to correct the issue(s)?

Newer will be more reliable; that goes without saying but I am guessing the newer unit will be at least 2 - 3x the price of the C32.

I guess it all depends on how much you're willing to spend.

Were I in your shoes, I'd at least give the seller(s)? a second chance to straighten it out - assuming they're willing to do so. It may just be a silver lining anyway since it's obviously better to have the problem during the warranty period than later...

Love the sound of my C32 by the way.

**Welcome to AK :wave:
 
C48 will be a step up in many ways and completely reliable so you can get back to enjoying your music. C48's super high signal to noise ratio will only improve the sound of your amp.

Thanks,
Ron-C
 
C 32 owner here. No issues to date.

I don't know what went wrong - did they offer to correct the issue(s)?

Newer will be more reliable; that goes without saying but I am guessing the newer unit will be at least 2 - 3x the price of the C32.

I guess it all depends on how much you're willing to spend.

Were I in your shoes, I'd at least give the seller(s)? a second chance to straighten it out - assuming they're willing to do so. It may just be a silver lining anyway since it's obviously better to have the problem during the warranty period than later...

Love the sound of my C32 by the way.

**Welcome to AK :wave:

Thanks and they are totally great with accepting the two units back for full refund including shipping. I was actually talking to someone who regularly sells these (a trustworthy reliable company we all know) and he mentioned that the C32's have been so problematic recently that they are tempted to stop carrying them! Glad you have a good one. Just seems like it might be a roll of the dice these days.
 
C48 will be a step up in many ways and completely reliable so you can get back to enjoying your music. C48's super high signal to noise ratio will only improve the sound of your amp.

Thanks,
Ron-C

Yeah, I'm just about resigned to do that. Especially after what I just mentioned in the post above about C32's these days. Alas. Now I'll have to sell a few nice bottles of wine to pay for it!
 
If that's your "fun" system then I'd love to know your "serious" system. Sounds like you have quite the setup there. And while my experience with McIntosh is rather limited I would think a C48 would be the way to go.

Thanks and this is definitely my serious system! Photo attached of when I had it set up with the first C32 before the loud static came into play (I'll probably move the C48 to beneath the Oppo).

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A C48 will definitely be a step up over the C-32. A C-32 limited dynamic range can be an issue with efficient speakers. As you are not dubbing you don''t need the record selector, and you will have a much superior phono stage. The dynamic range of some recording may sneak up on you so I would watch the output power of the 2300, I would hate to see you damage your speakers. You might want to consider updated amps in the future with Power Guard and more closely match the power handling of your speakers.
 
Remember your speakers are only rated at 100 watts for 2 hours, with 20 millisecond peaks of 400 watts up to 5000 HZ. . With only 90 db sensitivity, thats 110 db at 1 meter. Or about 102 db at your listening distance. That short of concert level, but adequate for home listening levels most of the time. Ever thought about 4430's or 4435's. The 35's could handle the power, with much lower distortion in the bass and with 6 db more sensitivity and capable of extending the bass to below 25 Hz. . Almost a perfect match for your 2300. I would like to try the new MC152 with your current speakers. That would almost be the perfect match.
 
C33 and C40 are other possibilities. Not to get off topic, but have you considered putting the speakers in front of the lp racks?
 
I don't understand what that has to do with a preamplifier.

Nor can I. :headscrat

S/N ratio of C32 & C48 Phono stages are -80 and -88 dB respectively. While a fairly notable improvement, it's certainly not exactly going to be night & day, and both figures exceed the S/N specs of all but the finest TT/cartridge combinations.

Never heard of a C32 that cannot be repaired and updates exist for the ribbon cables which don't even carry audio signals anyway.

Might consider looking into C30, C33, C34 or maybe even C37 (which has remote) which have specs as good as C48 - plus C Var Loudness which the C48 lacks.
 
Nice collection of gear you got there!

2 questions: do you listen to your system with both speakers in the fireplace like that? If so, then I don't see how you can get a proper stage presentation. I also don't think the overall tonality of the speaks would sound right while tucked into a tight space.

Also, how the hell did you get that MC2300 up on top of that bookcase? That case must be at least 5 feet high.
 
Thanks guys! Appreciate the thoughts. To answer a few questions, the speakers are not jammed too tight into the fireplace, but extend out more than a foot from the back wall and come out more than a foot from the fireplace as well. This is in the basement which is a hard room so I bought a buch of acoustical panels I'm putting in a handful of places to soften things up. The whole system does kind of need to fit in this nook so monster speakers are tough to do.

The MC2300 is the crux of the system seeing as I'm a huge Grateful Dead fan. I figure this cluster of speakers combined with the amp is like my own little Wall of Sound!

The preamp situation has a loooong back story (the rest of the system has been ready to go since January) so I'm just going to move forward with a reliable C48 I think. I play mostly CD's, vinyl and DVD audio discs that contain FLAC files and a trustworthy seller today over the phone mentioned the C48 would be ideal for all that. We'll see!

Oh, and my brother in law and I moved the MC2300 up there a few months ago. Half of it is on the bookcase and half on a ledge behind it to balance the weight. It's a beast!
 
. Now I'll have to sell a few nice bottles of wine to pay for it!

Well,
I see you have a great system and listening room, but now I would LOVE to see your wine cellar.

:tresbon:

I second dmacman's comment on speaker location, though. :yes:
 
I'm wondering if the fireplace opening has been properly sealed to keep debris and rain from coming down on top of your equipment? From the pic it doesn't appear as it has and I wonder if that had anything to do with your 32's problems?
 
Trust me that the stereo system is much more striking than a standard, small wine cellar!

The fireplace is totally sealed and has been for a while. There's just some loose paint in one area. Both C32's were problematic right out of the box unfortunately.
 
Trust me that the stereo system is much more striking than a standard, small wine cellar!

The fireplace is totally sealed and has been for a while. There's just some loose paint in one area. Both C32's were problematic right out of the box unfortunately.

Im sorry but are you nuts? That looks like a 2x4 Expedit you have that amp on!!! And it's on it's side a weaker orientation. I can see the shelves saging from all the record weight and the sides look to be bulging out. Just look at the effects that amp is doing to the left one opposed to the right one.


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A better pre-amp means more dynamic range lower distortion and a tendency to want to listen at higher levels, it allows your Dynavector to strut its stuff. A better pre-amp deserves a better amp. Which deserves better speakers. See the connection! Your speakers will sound better with the C-48, your speakers will sound better and be protected by the newer amps with Power Guard and additional 20 db signal to noise, The system will sound better with updated speakers. Its a process, not just buying a pre-amp. Then items such as MEN 220 should be considered to help optimize the system to the room and your chosen listening position.

If you are happy with your system then I applaud you. I have the same TT you do, had the same arm and Like you have a Dynavector. But I have the itch for a new VPI Prime with the epoxy tone arm, or maybe a Aries IIID. 15 db lower rumble and other noises, 1/2 to 1/3 the wow and flutter than our TT and a better non resonant arm. That's a big step up in the scheme of things. But is vinyl worth the dollars? Obviously from your picture its something to consider for you as I consider for me. Having a C-48 or the C-22 III will improve your phono section. I wish Mac would build a separate phono pre-amp, so I could update my C-34. I can't use the new pre-amps because of the width increase and much deeper depth.
 
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