CaptnBob Posted January 23, 2005 Share Posted January 23, 2005 The Macs I'm familiar with have an input sensitivity of .5 to 2.5 volts, depending on the setting of the volume control. That should be plenty of gain for most applications. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodger Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 The sound of the C-20 is like a lot of other Pre-Amps: Tube Brand Dependent. Also you have to go to RIAA for Vinyl to gain the curve. Besides the standard plus minus bass treble controls, you can set bass for 0, 300, 400, RIAA (LP), Tape and treble you have Tape, -5, -10, -12, RIAA LP. Plus you have the bass pots in the back, loudness. It takes just a bit to find the right combination for an amplifier, but for many it can be done. RE; Level: the 2105 as with SS Mac has it's own level controls. Some set them low, thus it seems as if per-amp does not have enough gain. Your ears will be the deciding factor. dodger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cal Blacksmith Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 ---------------- On 1/23/2005 4:13:08 PM Allan Songer wrote: I might consider a modern tube preamp if someone would make one with tone controls (for 78s) and a mono switch. I know there are $10,000 phono preamps with these features, but . . . ---------------- Allan, I am but a complete novice at the audio game, and I have received some outstanding advice on pre-amp selection from this board, but my lowly $0.02 on this subject is why couldnt you add a graphic equalizer between the pre-amp and the amp. It is only a switch to go through when you dont want it (yes I know, more things in the signal path Yadda Yadda Yadda) then you can be specific with your tone adjustments for 78s over the more vague adjustments of tone controls. Just a thought. This would open up a whole range of options that you are not considering now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Landau Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 ---------------- On 1/24/2005 9:02:25 AM Cal Blacksmith wrote: Allan, I am but a complete novice at the audio game, and I have received some outstanding advice on pre-amp selection from this board, but my lowly $0.02 on this subject is why couldnt you add a graphic equalizer between the pre-amp and the amp. It is only a switch to go through when you dont want it (yes I know, more things in the signal path Yadda Yadda Yadda) then you can be specific with your tone adjustments for 78s over the more vague adjustments of tone controls. Just a thought. This would open up a whole range of options that you are not considering now. ---------------- You can also add one of these: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=67807&item=5746529785&rd=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cal Blacksmith Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 Guy, The unit you recomend is just around the corner from me, how will this differ from the graphic EQ I have now? Would this replace it? Sound better? Or is this New school VS old school and there is not much difference? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-MAN Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 Having an MC300 power amp, and having a Conrad-Johnson tube pre, I would say that the assumption that one can run ONLY McIntosh preamps with McIntosh power amps is seriously flawed. I find both my Mc C-40 and CJ tube PV5 to be perfect companions to the power head. DM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 Regarding RIAA, I believ the old 78's and LP's and even 45's simply had different RIAA curves. The standards have changed over time. The RIAA curve was simply (correct me if I'm wrong) a form of "equalization". One should be able to duplicate this fairly well with an equalizer. Something like an Alesis 30 band 1/3 octave unit should work fine. Some models are progamable & you can store different results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben. Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 RIAA standard for LP compensation refers to a very steep (I'd have to check my notes or google, but 30dB/octave rings a bell-could be off there) EQ. In the mastering process, it was applied as a bass rolloff, and is (hopefullly) precisely reversed upon playback. NAB, Ortho, 78 settings (I think RCA had their own, too), would have different slopes and "turnover" frequencies, until the RIAA (and you thought they only fought for royalties) set a somewhat universal standard for the industry. Anyway, it's nothing any EQ I've ever seen could approximate. I did use a couple of graphic EQs as crossovers once to run a (fullrange) stereo PA rig in (bi-amped) mono. Those top boxes were about ready to give up with low Bs through them. It was either cobble it together that way, or turn down and face the wrath of 200 angsty teens. We took 5 and repatched! But I digress... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrot Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 Here's an EQ chart for 78s. http://sound.westhost.com/project91.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodger Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 A partial reason for the RIAA curve was for bass. Bass is the widest groove. It had to be dealt with. Several curves were tried, not all were compatible on playback equipment. Thus the RIAA standard curve was adopted. dodger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptnBob Posted January 25, 2005 Share Posted January 25, 2005 Something else I haven't noticed anyone else mentioning (pardon moi if I just didn't see it) a magnetic phono cartridge has a much lower signal than, say, a cd player. The phono preamp not only provides the eq, but also a considerable amount of gain as well. Before the RIAA standardized things, every record company had their own notions of what the EQ curves should be. Check out the "Dialing Your Discs" section of a 1950's vintage Hi-Fidelity magazine sometime and you'll understand why the McIntosh C-20 had all those different eq curves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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