cube-tube
Super Member
Hello all, I am new here and just purchased a mint looking C-200 and have been lurking around here via Google searches to find out what I can about this preamp before it arrives on Monday. Through a little reading, I see that Echowars is the man to see about these great old preamps.
The C-200 I am getting is coming with the original user's manual as well as the service manual. I'm assuming and hoping that the service manual and preamp match up properly. As far as the history on this particular preamp is concerned, I have no clue. For all I know, it could already have been totally recapped and everything (boy, wouldn't that be nice) but I highly doubt it. I only say this because it comes with the service manual. Was it normal practice for Accuphase to include these with their gear?
From doing a little research, I see that there are a few different versions of this preamp under the same "C-200" name. The one I'm getting has the normal pair of stereo outputs plus a single mono output. Others I have seen have dual stereo outputs. Also, I have seen some that have the innards rearranged some. I have seen some with the input selector using a long aluminum rod connected to the actual switch which is mounted near the rear of the unit, and others that have the switch mounted right to the front panel. Board and component layout on these are also slightly different which they would need to be for the selector switch to be mounted near the rear of the unit. I'm hoping mine uses the latter with the input selector towards the rear as that would typically promote less noise due to shorter internal wiring from the RCA's to the switch and so on. Obviously, I have yet to see the interior of my C-200.
The Accuphase C-200 will be replacing my loved yet very limited (input wise only) KingRex Pre-Amp. I figure as long as the C-200 sounds at least as good as the KingRex, I'll be happy. Yes, it really is that good sounding of a little preamp. If the C-200 ends up sounding even better, that I'll be that much happier!
The reason for replacing the KingRex is simply due to the fact that it only has two inputs. The problem with that is that I have three turntables that I want to use and no way of playing them at the moment, well, unless I want to unplug and swap them around with my Music Hall mmf-phono pack, but this is a pain in the neck to do.
Since I got back into vinyl after quite a few years without, I jumped in head first this time around and bought not just one TT, but two, a Denon DP-55K and Luxman PD277. I then acquired an old idler wheel ELAC Miracord 40A from my parents.
Before the KingRex was pulled out of the closet, I was using an old Technics SU-8099 which had slews of inputs plus two phono inputs, MM and MC. This worked out fine with the Miracord being connected to the mmf-phono pack and into one of the other inputs on the Technics. All I had to do to listen to another TT was select the proper input. To make a long story short, the Technics died a couple months back, so I haven't used my TT's since. That sucks!
I resurrected an old dead Baldwin 6L6 PP amp that my brother had sitting at his place for the last couple of years. The original 3-section electrolytic caps dried up in it and he just packed it away. So I put all new lytics in it, bought some NOS coin-base Russian 5881's (6N3C-E), a NOS Phillips 5U4G and a mint but used Admiral 5U4G, and a NOS pair of RCA 5751's. I also installed a new heavy duty power toggle switch to replace the cheesy, half melted, tiny toggle switch. It's an excellent sounding amp, easily surpassing just about every amp I've owned or used in the pass! It powers my NHT 2.9's very nicely and can get them quite loud when I twist the noise knob! LOL Living in an apartment, I don't do that as often as I'd like however... :sigh:
At any rate, I have been reading through the various C-200 threads on here to get the scoop on my preamp so I know what needs to be looked at and taken care of when I get it. I'm sure that if I have any questions that I can't seem to find on my own, I'll get some good quality help here. :thmbsp:
The C-200 I am getting is coming with the original user's manual as well as the service manual. I'm assuming and hoping that the service manual and preamp match up properly. As far as the history on this particular preamp is concerned, I have no clue. For all I know, it could already have been totally recapped and everything (boy, wouldn't that be nice) but I highly doubt it. I only say this because it comes with the service manual. Was it normal practice for Accuphase to include these with their gear?
From doing a little research, I see that there are a few different versions of this preamp under the same "C-200" name. The one I'm getting has the normal pair of stereo outputs plus a single mono output. Others I have seen have dual stereo outputs. Also, I have seen some that have the innards rearranged some. I have seen some with the input selector using a long aluminum rod connected to the actual switch which is mounted near the rear of the unit, and others that have the switch mounted right to the front panel. Board and component layout on these are also slightly different which they would need to be for the selector switch to be mounted near the rear of the unit. I'm hoping mine uses the latter with the input selector towards the rear as that would typically promote less noise due to shorter internal wiring from the RCA's to the switch and so on. Obviously, I have yet to see the interior of my C-200.
The Accuphase C-200 will be replacing my loved yet very limited (input wise only) KingRex Pre-Amp. I figure as long as the C-200 sounds at least as good as the KingRex, I'll be happy. Yes, it really is that good sounding of a little preamp. If the C-200 ends up sounding even better, that I'll be that much happier!
The reason for replacing the KingRex is simply due to the fact that it only has two inputs. The problem with that is that I have three turntables that I want to use and no way of playing them at the moment, well, unless I want to unplug and swap them around with my Music Hall mmf-phono pack, but this is a pain in the neck to do.
Since I got back into vinyl after quite a few years without, I jumped in head first this time around and bought not just one TT, but two, a Denon DP-55K and Luxman PD277. I then acquired an old idler wheel ELAC Miracord 40A from my parents.
Before the KingRex was pulled out of the closet, I was using an old Technics SU-8099 which had slews of inputs plus two phono inputs, MM and MC. This worked out fine with the Miracord being connected to the mmf-phono pack and into one of the other inputs on the Technics. All I had to do to listen to another TT was select the proper input. To make a long story short, the Technics died a couple months back, so I haven't used my TT's since. That sucks!
I resurrected an old dead Baldwin 6L6 PP amp that my brother had sitting at his place for the last couple of years. The original 3-section electrolytic caps dried up in it and he just packed it away. So I put all new lytics in it, bought some NOS coin-base Russian 5881's (6N3C-E), a NOS Phillips 5U4G and a mint but used Admiral 5U4G, and a NOS pair of RCA 5751's. I also installed a new heavy duty power toggle switch to replace the cheesy, half melted, tiny toggle switch. It's an excellent sounding amp, easily surpassing just about every amp I've owned or used in the pass! It powers my NHT 2.9's very nicely and can get them quite loud when I twist the noise knob! LOL Living in an apartment, I don't do that as often as I'd like however... :sigh:
At any rate, I have been reading through the various C-200 threads on here to get the scoop on my preamp so I know what needs to be looked at and taken care of when I get it. I'm sure that if I have any questions that I can't seem to find on my own, I'll get some good quality help here. :thmbsp:
