There are as many choices as pre-amps. This maybe considered heresy, but if you feel the upper midrange and lower highs are a little recessed with your combination with a MC 30, try a Marantz Model 7C. A C-20 will be more neutral, buT they like other early tube pre-amps have noisy phono sections unless the phono stage is up dated. If you really want to clean up a 30, 60, 75, a C-29, C-30 or C-33 are great choices. I never really like C-32's when new they were still noisy when being used with efficient speakers. I could say the same thing about C-26's, too. If you want a smoother sound warmer sounding phono section a C-28 is a good choice. A C-34 is similar to the sound of a 28 with improvements and those lovely tone controls and like the C-33 can sound like any preamp if you are willing to use the graphic tone controls. If you want Flexibility the 32, 33, 34 and 40 are the ones to choose. Love the record selector and the ability to move the graphic controls to the record out circuits. My experience with the 41 thru the 47 is almost nil. I have spent time with the 48, 50, 52, 2200, 2300, 2500, but only brief periods with the 2600. I have heard the C1000, ss and T, but for the money I would choose the 500T. I haven't spent anytime with the later C-22's. I was so glad to get my C-28 to replace the C-22. C-22 is not bad but the phono section of the 28 is so much better. Am I in love with my C-34, it does so many things well, routing signals, modifying signals, etc. But it wasn't until I got a MP 100 front end that I was truly happy. The MP 100 is dry no doubt about it, like my C-29, but when used with Dynavectors makes a great combination and having the digital output to feed the MX 151 to use with digital trickery can make some analog recordings in 7 channel mode sound really special. I will always question why Mac never put a MC section in the C-40, making it the ideal pre-amp. Todays C-22 III is an attempt in the right direction, but is not a winner, not having graphic tone controls or the record selector switch.
Todays tube pre-amps are not tube pre-amps, they are mostly hybrids, so if you want that old romantic sound, you want a C-11 20 and maybe an original C-22. The C-2200 would be my choice. I know it has a colored phono stage, but thats because of the tubes and thats what you are after that color. Every thing we own and everything in the recording process is about color. Some hues are very very pastel adding almost no color. Coloring can be thought of two ways adding or subtracting from a very faint hue to a down right glare. Like an artist you have to make your choices. Some of us who are on the techie side of things add numbers to quantify the hues. But numbers can't tell the whole story. They are a place to start. Each of us has our own learning experience about sound. I would recommend going to live un-amplified concerts and recitals to get a feel what true sound is all about. No-mistking a live concert can be colored. too. depending on the venue. But its place to start. But being a want a be professional starting at the age of 9 and finally taking another road at the age 25 means I have some basis to build on when listening.
