Pre-Amp for McIntosh MC2205

[mozcho]

Hi everyone! I am new here. I'd like to seek advice:

I have just bought myself a used MC2205, mainly driving a pair of vintage Spendor SP1/2. I also have a Maranzt 1060 amp driving JBL L110 and TDL RTL-2 speakers in my bedroom.

For the MC2205, my main sources are the PC and DAP (Fiio X5iii), and I connected them directly to 2205 without a pre-amp. This setup works fine for some time. Now I am planning to get a turntable (possibly a used Rega), so I will have problem connecting it to 2205 since I don't have a phono stage.

I'd like to ask: if I buy a pre-amp, which pre-amp works well with 2205? I wish to keep the cost as low as possible. Also, would a pre-amp color the sound? If so, I'd like a pre-amp that is as transparent as possible.

I read that Maranzt 1060 can be used as a pre-amp. Should I use the 1060 in this case?

 

[damacman]

C29, C30, C32, C33 would all be fine choices. Also, the MX117 tuner / preamp.

If the 1060 has pre out / main in jumpers, then one could remove them and run the pre out to the MC2205.

 

[mozcho]

C29, C30, C32, C33 would all be fine choices. Also, the MX117 tuner / preamp.

If the 1060 has pre out / main in jumpers, then one could remove them and run the pre out to the MC2205.

Mac gears are very costly in my country. The 2205 has used up a big chunk of my savings, so I don't think I can afford a Mac pre-amp a near term. Other then Macs, would other, much cheaper brands work well with Mac power amps?

 

[c_dk]

McIntosh amps are designed to work with preamps that can easily output 2.5 volts, they compromised that position in many of their amps by adding a .75 volt option. This made it possible to use a Mac amp with most of the midfi preamps back in the 70s and 80s. Few vintage preamps could swing a voltage much above 1 volt when bench tested.

The previous mentioned Mac preamps would easily swing 6-10 volts when bench tested so it is obvious that Mac engineers preferred the 2.5 volt input for best performance.

Because you have a .75 volt capable MC2205 you should be able to join us 1974 era Mac owners who used a non Mac preamp until they too could afford a Mac. I used a dynaco PAT 4 with my first Mac amp (a MC2505) before I finally got a C26.

Make a post in the Mac forum as you explore what is available to you locally. Members there will certainly know of options that worked for them.

 

[BilboBaggins]

If you can find a Sansui 2000x, I was quite impressed by the preamp section of it. Matched beautifully to a Mitsubishi DA-A10DC and a few other amps I had at the time.

 

[mozcho]

C29, C30, C32, C33 would all be fine choices. Also, the MX117 tuner / preamp.

If the 1060 has pre out / main in jumpers, then one could remove them and run the pre out to the MC2205.

Thanks. The 1060 has the jumpers, and I have successfully connected it to act as the pre-amp for 2205, sounds quite alright-of course I have no other setup to compared it to. I will keep to this combo until I can find better stuff.

 

[mozcho]

McIntosh amps are designed to work with preamps that can easily output 2.5 volts, they compromised that position in many of their amps by adding a .75 volt option. This made it possible to use a Mac amp with most of the midfi preamps back in the 70s and 80s. Few vintage preamps could swing a voltage much above 1 volt when bench tested.

The previous mentioned Mac preamps would easily swing 6-10 volts when bench tested so it is obvious that Mac engineers preferred the 2.5 volt input for best performance.

Because you have a .75 volt capable MC2205 you should be able to join us 1974 era Mac owners who used a non Mac preamp until they too could afford a Mac. I used a dynaco PAT 4 with my first Mac amp (a MC2505) before I finally got a C26.

Make a post in the Mac forum as you explore what is available to you locally. Members there will certainly know of options that worked for them.

Does this mean that if I use a 2.5-volt capable pre-amp, I should expect to get much louder output from the speakers?

 

[mozcho]

If you can find a Sansui 2000x, I was quite impressed by the preamp section of it. Matched beautifully to a Mitsubishi DA-A10DC and a few other amps I had at the time.

yeah i read good things about that model. Just wonder how it will fare compared with my Marantz 1060.

 

[c_dk]

Better Signal to Noise ratio.....volume control will be in a different location but ultimately a properly restored or when new MC2205 will only put put 260 watts or so.

Just select the .75 volt input setting, adjust the amp level controls to keep the Marantz volume control between 9:00 and 1:00.....if you use the 2.5 volt setting and clip the preamp into the amp Mac's Power Guard will do you no good...the amp will amplify the clipped Marantz signal and deliver it to you tweeters.

Properly setup the amp will not create more than 1% distortion even when you have the red lights flashing at somewhere plus 260 watts.

 

[fred soop]

You might consider a Harman Kardon Citation 21 preamp. This has an excellent phono preamp and good high level sensitivity. Output is good up to 10 volts, so the 2.5V input would not be a problem. The downside is that they cheaped out on the small electrolytic capacitors, running too many too close to rated voltage. These units will now be close to 30 years old. Recapping is not expensive and can be done in a weekend. When these show up on eBay, they are often priced under the radar.

 

[mozcho]

Hi everyone! I am still using the Marantz 1060 as my pre-amp, so far so good.

I have a new question: if I want to hear some tube sound, would pairing a tube pre-amp to the 2205 work? I have a Rega TT also, this info might be relevant here.

Which is more important in producing the tube sound? The pre-amp, or the power amp?

 

[KentTeffeteller]

C29, C30, C32, C33 would all be fine choices. Also, the MX117 tuner / preamp.

If the 1060 has pre out / main in jumpers, then one could remove them and run the pre out to the MC2205.

An MX 113 would also be a nice choice which is less expensive, and excellent sounding.