mjcmt Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 I have a mint Mac C37 preamp for sale for $850. It has an audiophile sound, with a particularly high quality phono stage, and a crystal clear headphone amp. It is in pristine condition inside and out, is in perfect condition and 100% working. Included on this preamp are balanced outputs, 9 inputs, 4 outputs, 5 band EQ, variable loudness, external processor loop, and many other features. The power supply is shielded with metal to protect it from the preamp circuitry, plus all the switching is on a separate circuit board too. Very clean and isolated design. The chassis and cover are of heavy gauge metal too. For it I also have available their famous L12 slant leg walnut cabinet with panloc hardware for $100 extra. I'm selling it, not because I don't love it, but because I haven't been able to afford a power amp of the same caliber to suit it because of our family finances. I think the best thing to do is sell it and buy something like a Marantz 8004 integrated amp with the proceeds. It won't be in the same league as Mac, but this way I can use it with speakers and not only use a turntable with headphones, which I've been doing for a year. Here is a link to my system. I have plenty of other photos I can send you. http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vstrt&1356553737 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moray james Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 what speakers are you running and what could you spend on an amp today if you found one you liked? Does not seem like much of a plan to me. There are inexpensive amp options that you may not have considered. Fo example I just did an evening demo for a friend with a set of Yulong Amp 1 stereo amps. These amps are small inexpensive stereo amps each with 2x40 watts with a level control. The pair cost under $350.00 including shipping duty the works. They sound excellent and they allow you to vertically biamp and have lots of available power. Trust me these do not sound cheap or compromized in any way and will easily out perform most all integrated amplifiers that I know of for a fraction of the cost. Driven by a quality source and a good preamp (like your Mac) you will have it made in the shade. I hope this provides some food for thought and keeps you from selling your mint Mac. Best regards Moray James. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjcmt Posted January 4, 2013 Author Share Posted January 4, 2013 If you look at my system I only use headphones. At the minimum a Mac MC7100 would be a good choice, with a MC7150 a great choice. I've decided to sell the preamp and use the proceeds to purchase a modern high quality integrated amp, instead of pairing an amp that will take away from the famous Mac sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edroom Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Where are you located? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjcmt Posted January 4, 2013 Author Share Posted January 4, 2013 I'm located in Charlotte, NC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moray james Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Well you know what you want to do and that's good. Please don't take my comment personally, I make it for others who might be in a similar siruation and who would consider to follow your reasoning. I disagree with your rational. A good amp is a good amp regardless of the cost or the maker. The two little stereo amps I mentioned were able to perform well beyond their cost in a bi amp situation where load and bandwidth are limited byr the speaker crossover. For the most part Mac power amps are fairly ordinary in design but use a transformer to couple to the load (your speakers) that feature makes life easier for the amp (any amp). I cannot imagine finding any integrated amp at 4 or 5 time their cost which would perform at this level. That has more to do with the biamping configuration than with the amp but these just happen to be very well designed amps, nor can I imagine you finding an integrated amplifier with a pre amp section of the quality of your Mac for a reasonable price. All the very best to you in you audio journey. Best rergards Moray James. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjcmt Posted January 4, 2013 Author Share Posted January 4, 2013 The quality of Macs autoformers are an important aspect of the sound, not to be sourced anywhere else. Plus Mac products hold their value like no other manufacture and you can still by parts and front glass for products made in the '60s. There is a nothing that compares. I've compared my preamp to even other brands tube preamps and the C37 is better. To go your route still requires an additional $400 for the amps plus speakers, so selling the C37 and using the proceeds for an integrated amp is my only option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moray james Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 I think that you may be taking my coments a bit personally and they were not intended to be. I simply do not agree with you that's all. Top quality transformers can be sourced from a variety of vendors and manufactures many far superior to those which Mac use. The actual circuits which Mack use are not SOTA by any stretch they are just good solid ones they don't lead anyone in that department but they make a very good solid product that lasts and that's great. I am not sure if you know but Mac has been sold to an Itallian concern and could/may very possibly go the way of the dodo bird as is often the case when big names which sell out or are sucked up by rich Chinese corporations. I would hold onto your mack preamp. Have you ever set up to drive your phones via the pre out rather than the internal headphone amp? I imagine that you could do so with little or no trouble. Worth looking into. As for headphone amps and phones Stax have an astoundinly good (world class) in ear electrostatic loudspeaker which you can buy with a direct coupled high voltage amplifier (they even have a portable pocket version) for around 4 - 5 hundred dollars. I actually prefer these phones to the top of the line Stax Omega versions. By the way the portable version of the amp is actually the better of the two in my opinion having owned both. Good luck and I do hope that you enjoy what ever you find to replace your Mac. Very best regards Moray James. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjcmt Posted January 4, 2013 Author Share Posted January 4, 2013 Nothing personal taken at all. You kind-of hi-jacked my posting trying to sell my preamp for an integrated. You may not have heard Mac amps or if you have, you have not made a direct comparison with your little $350 amp to a McIntosh multi-thousand dollar amp to say it competes. When I did have disposable income I've had Pass Lab amps and AES (Cary) tube amps. Mac just sounds musical to my ears, that I know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moray james Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Pardon me for being concerned and for taking the time to point out a possible option for you. I am not selling little amps I don't own those little amps. I mentioned them so you might have an idea of a possible option(s). I have heard a fair number of Mac amps over the years and as I said they are good solid amps (they don't happen to be my cup of tea) in the same vein as Bryston or Classe that quality and product price range. Mac's transformer coupling of SS amps is a good idea and it works very well making them for the most part more compatable with more loudspeakers than amps without transformer coupling. It's good stuff but it is not sota gear as far as circuitry goes. I have listend to and have enough access to good quality amplifiers to know that the little amps I spoke about in a bi amp configutration are easily worthy of being compared to just about any amp you want to at way past their cost and easly as good or better than most integrated amps you might choose to look atin the price range I spoke of. Instead you want to ***** and argue that your Mac amps are musical. Why in the name of god do you feel so threateded? Just so you are clear I am not a buying fan of MacIntosh nor of Nelson Pass's amps But I do respect both. I have liked the Cary product I have heard but don't see the value at their retail price point. The point here is you probably care as much about my likes and dislikes as I do about yours. I am never the lessI am truly glad that you do enjoy your gear gearand as I said Mac gear is good and worth keeping and the company may not continue on the same path. So take from this what you will leave what you will and put me on your ignore list I won't be hurt. I don't think anyone here who might be interested in buying your Mac preamp will be much concerned by my intrussion. If I have sent some running away from your sale I apologize. Next time I will send a pm, but not to you I promise. Best regards Moray James. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RagingBullWinkle Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 Love the stereo / library table, good luck with the sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjcmt Posted January 4, 2013 Author Share Posted January 4, 2013 Very nice photo of your stereo. That is what I was intending of doing. That is the same table I have preamp and turntable on. I'm from Chicago so that 1920? 'occasional table' may be from the same supplier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RagingBullWinkle Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 It was my grandma's and she moved to Chicago from Alaska in 1908 so yes Chicago is my best guess also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RagingBullWinkle Posted January 4, 2013 Share Posted January 4, 2013 My mom and grandma always refereed to it as a library table? I call it a rocking good time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdt1971 Posted January 5, 2013 Share Posted January 5, 2013 Nice Preamp GLWS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waverly Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 You still have this? I have a Juicy Music Peach preamp, mint condition[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjcmt Posted January 10, 2013 Author Share Posted January 10, 2013 Looks nice. Does it have phono input? I'm really thinking of downsizing to an integrated amp w/ phono, but I'm open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftwinger57 Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Mr. James. I do not think I have ever heard anyone put down McIntosh as a brand as a whole in the way you have ever.You mean your not in love w/ their blue meters and all.I always coveted a Mac 2105 w/ a C-28 a Dual 1229 tt and at the time ESS Heil AMT I were the big deal.They do hold their value to prices that to me are far and away to much ,but as the saying goes you get what you pay for. I'm not a tube guy so you have me there and no where close in electronics training and can't and will not argue the virtues of either of the choices given.Yes you did suggest a few ideas to the guy who just isn't buying what your selling and I think it should be left at that.You get a Mac and want to toss it send it my way and I'll pass on forward my Adcomgfa555. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxx Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Excellent photo and setup... The C-28 is an excellent unit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormin Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 Does it come with the remote? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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