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I think I want a vintage MC2125/2105 but which preamp?

One small point, the C26 is a second generation solid state preamp with silicon transistors. The C24 with germaniums is McIntosh’s first solid state preamp and I’d consider that to be first generation. The C24 doesn’t get much love, it was between the much loved C22 and the very popular C26.

You might consider a C31V, it’s very reliable and has a multi band equalizer.
 
w3jn said:
One small point, the C26 is a second generation solid state preamp with silicon transistors. The C24 with germaniums is McIntosh’s first solid state preamp and I’d consider that to be first generation. The C24 doesn’t get much love, it was between the much loved C22 and the very popular C26.

You might consider a C31V, it’s very reliable and has a multi band equalizer.
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Yep, my mistake. I totally forgot about the C24.
 
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dangorange said:
Not sure what the opinions on the C504, but I like the compactness of it. I don't need a lot of features as I only play records, and it's in the right 'era'. Will have to research a bit, it's mind boggling trying to narrow down these late 70's early 80's CXX preamplifiers!
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If you like the compact preamps, I’d recommend the C710/C712 (C712 has a remote) instead, quieter and better specs overall, You only get one phono-in (has CD in added instead) but IMO a much MUCH better piece of equipment.

Some tend to post the suggestions to get them at the right price so you can get your money back, I say get the right one and skip the hassle of trying to sell. I hate selling stuff (but love buying!!), it is a lot of added hassle.

As others have said before, newer is almost always better. The C26 and C28 are great preamps for their time (I had both), but technology has changed a lot and McIntosh’s newer generation amps are more reliable / less maintenance, they are much lower distortion, lower noise / better S/N, remote-control, remote-power, electronic switching, sealed pots, eventually LED backlight, etc., etc.

Personally I’ve never bought into the built-in tone controls (the five-band EQ) as it isn’t enough to correct pretty much anything much better than just bass and treble controls, if you want an EQ buy an EQ or better still a DSP that can do it all, having a few fiddly knobs are not enough to do the job right.
 
SaturationPt said:
If you like the compact preamps, I’d recommend the C710/C712 (C712 has a remote) instead, quieter and better specs overall, You only get one phono-in (has CD in added instead) but IMO a much MUCH better piece of equipment.

Some tend to post the suggestions to get them at the right price so you can get your money back, I say get the right one and skip the hassle of trying to sell. I hate selling stuff (but love buying!!), it is a lot of added hassle.

As others have said before, newer is almost always better. The C26 and C28 are great preamps for their time (I had both), but technology has changed a lot and McIntosh’s newer generation amps are more reliable / less maintenance, they are much lower distortion, lower noise / better S/N, remote-control, remote-power, electronic switching, sealed pots, eventually LED backlight, etc., etc.

Personally I’ve never bought into the built-in tone controls (the five-band EQ) as it isn’t enough to correct pretty much anything much better than just bass and treble controls, if you want an EQ buy an EQ or better still a DSP that can do it all, having a few fiddly knobs are not enough to do the job right.
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I'll look into those for sure. The compactness is nice since not only do I just to vinyl but I'll probably keep my phono preamp and bypass the McIntosh phono, I think I would have to since I have a low output MC cart. I also have a sugarcube which would be cool to have the tape loop for, at least that's how it's hooked into my Marantz currently.
 
I think the sweet-spot in used, if you want variable loudness, a tape/processor loop, and great performance specs for the money is the C38 (no 5-band EQ), or C40 (has the EQ), both have remotes for limited functions. However, like the C712, they all have only one Phono-in. The C712 is pretty much a compact C38 and tends to run “under the radar”, the C710 is a C712 without the remote-control. All have excellent specs, and I believe all have unbalanced and balanced outputs (in case your future amplifier(s) have balanced inputs).
 
If you like the vintage look then I suggest you purchase amps and pre amps that are from the same cosmetic lines. May favorite pair ups would be:

2105 with C-26 or C28 in that order. I find the 'tape head' and 'mic' on the C-28 to be unimportant unless you have special needs. I really like the loudness control on the C-26.

2125 with C-32

I do not have experience with all these units but based on years in production, intended functions, and cosmetic matching these are the best pair-ups IMHO for a vintage system with the amps in your heading.

A good resource to check specs, production dates and cosmetics is the legacy page that McIntosh just added.

www.mcintoshlabs.com

McIntosh Legacy Products

A comprehensive listing of all legacy McIntosh home audio products ever made including brief details and manuals.
www.mcintoshlabs.com www.mcintoshlabs.com
 
Refugee said:
If you like the vintage look then I suggest you purchase amps and pre amps that are from the same cosmetic lines. May favorite pair ups would be:

2105 with C-26 or C28 in that order. I find the 'tape head' and 'mic' on the C-28 to be unimportant unless you have special needs. I really like the loudness control on the C-26.

2125 with C-32

I do not have experience with all these units but based on years in production, intended functions, and cosmetic matching these are the best pair-ups IMHO for a vintage system with the amps in your heading.

A good resource to check specs, production dates and cosmetics is the legacy page that McIntosh just added.

www.mcintoshlabs.com

McIntosh Legacy Products

A comprehensive listing of all legacy McIntosh home audio products ever made including brief details and manuals.
www.mcintoshlabs.com www.mcintoshlabs.com
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Thanks for the info and link. Definitely starting to think this way more. I keep looking at that small C504 as I really like the simplicity of it.
 
dangorange said:
Thanks for the info and link. Definitely starting to think this way more. I keep looking at that small C504 as I really like the simplicity of it.
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Do check it out. I have the MX117 which is essentially a C504 preamp plus an MR75 tuner. And it's a delightful piece of equipment, to my ears nearly identical to the C33. Both sound neutral and transparent to the sources. The C33 of course has far more flexibility but if a smaller/simpler Mc preamp of the same era meets your needs, I'd say you are sacrificing nothing sonically.
 
dangorange said:
Thanks for the info and link. Definitely starting to think this way more. I keep looking at that small C504 as I really like the simplicity of it.
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I love the way the 2120/2125 sounds, and the 2200/2205 are just higher power versions of that, so I'd imagine they sound pretty much the same. All of those give you larger, more modern looking meters. Whereas the earlier meter models have smaller meters and are more basic in terms of showing only very simple dB markers.

I had a 2120 and now use a 2255 (generation after the 2125/2205) as my main amp.

As far as preamps, in addition to the C32, I think you could also consider the C27 or C29 as era-correct. I have a C27, but it's a backup at the moment. My main preamp is a C35, which is a generation or two more recent than the 2255, but it still works for me.

As far as cosmetics, how important that is is really up to you. If it personally doesn't bother you, it could be an opportunity to get below market pricing on gear. But it does matter to most people, so it's very true that if selling them is in your future, subpar condition McIntosh will affect your market and value.
 
captouch said:
As far as cosmetics, how important that is is really up to you. If it personally doesn't bother you, it could be an opportunity to get below market pricing on gear. But it does matter to most people, so it's very true that if selling them is in your future, subpar condition McIntosh will affect your market and value.
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I think I'm going to hold the cosmetics as a priority, especially after hearing some great points from different perspectives. The money is not so much an issue because these models, even in pristine condition are not huge ticket items. Also, I'm finding the divide in price I see between lesser and better condition items is not as wide as it should be. At least the ones I've seen advertised as of late.
 
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