Should I add C22 to my MA8900?

[Key Altos]

Hi.
I would like to add some 3D and some stage depth to my system.
I have the MA8900. It's a great amplifier, I really like it's sound signature but wish to have deeper and more holographic sound stage.
I'm considering to add the c22 preamp and use the MA8900 as the power amp.
What should I expect from such combo?

My system
Ifi neo stream
Teddy pardo linear power supply
Lab 12 DAC1 reference
MA8900
Dynaudio contour 20i
Power cables shunyata theta on the MA8900 and Wireworld silver 7 on the DAC
Speaker cable zen audio hologram 2
Usb cable Cardas high-speed

Thx

 

[twiiii]

Its amazing what you can do the presentation if you boost the octave and a half centered around 350 HZ just a fraction and maybe back down the octave centered around 140 HZ a bit. It allows that room ambience to come through thats overed by the bass and maybe by a bit to much midrange around 1500 HZ. You can't do it with your 8900 but maybe changing to a MA 12000 or adding a MQ 112 might be another option. I did it by re aiming my XRT 28's just a bit and using the tunable filter on my MQ 107 while voicing the speakers for the smoothest response. Line arrays are all about presenting every detail of the performance and some times you don't want them to do so. So for a more ambient sound they stand vertically and for detailed sound they are tipped forward a bit. 1/2 inch of ply wood under the back feet is all that is needed. I tried spinning them off axis a bit but that didn't work. Took a long time to get what I was after. Hearing the cleanest most detailed sound is NOT always what you want.

On New Years Day 2025 PBS broadcast Muti conducting the Vienna Philharmonic New Years concert and the sound was perfect. That glorious hall is known as the best Orchestra concert hall in the world for Orchestra. The next day I tried to listen to the broadcast that was sent to Britain and it was terrible. Then I heard the rebroadcast by PBS over the internet and OH my what a difference. Now I have heard this difference before. ON the TV broadcast some of the dynamics were compressed but there was this beautiful hall ambinent sound in addition to the sound of the Orchestra. Sort of similar to what Telarc using three mics got from the Cincinnati Orchestra with Kunsel Conducting. While the re-broadcast sound was like the Berlin Orchestra Digital broadcasts where all the solo mics and sweetener mics were used and the beautiful hall sound mix had been greatly reduced. I have heard this difference before between what PBS broadcasts to the TV stations and also what I end up hearing on their DVD's of the concert or on their CD's. Thats even with my line arrays perfectly vertical. I dread thinking what the performance would sound like with the line arrays tipped forward a bit.

So good luck with your quest. Maybe you can get a Mac dealer to let you audition a C-22. But it may not be the sound you are looking for. Its really more about the speakers you have chosen and your room acoustics.

 

[BluesWalk]

Try moving your speakers around.

 

[SaturationPt]

I like the recommendation to move the speakers.

I don’t know what the physical arrangement is, but this is likely the biggest change that you can make to produce a better soundstage with the gear that you have. I’m going to guess that you chose smaller speakers because of space or aesthetic limitations, and therefore moving the setup out into the room more might also be impractical?

We (I) like to be enablers here, and pretty much NEVER will discourage someone from upgrading / buying new gear, but I feel that it is unlikely that the C22 will accomplish what you are looking for. Buy it because you want one, but temper your expectation that it will significantly affect your “sound stage” in the manner that you are hoping.

OTOH, if you feel that your power cables made an audible change, ... I can’t predict your perception of what the C22 will bring.

 

[Key Altos]

I can improve the stage depth by moving the speakers, unfortunately it is not practical so the placement varies.
I listened to the contour 30i with aavik 180 and then with the octave V110, its a tube amp. The stage with the Octave V110 was much much better than the aavik 180, but the bass of the Octave V110 was not good enough.
I want to preserve the Mac sound but have better stage like Octave.
This is the thinking behind adding the C22.

 

[Key Altos]

I don’t touch the tone control too much. Only in movies I add bass. The tonal balance is perfect for me on flat.

 

[jayvis]

If you can't move your speakers around a little, I'd consider trying different speakers. I doubt if the C22 alone would make much difference. You could also try adding a good subwoofer to what you have. Many people are amazed at the difference it can make in the overall sound of a system.

 

[62caddy]

Although the manual doesn't give a figure, I can almost guarantee the impedance of the MA8900's main amp inputs is far lower than the 47,000 ohm minimum impedance that the C22 is designed to work into. The MA8900's preamp output is stated as 220 ohm which again is far lower. Aside of that, the 8900 preamp specs for noise, THD etc are far better, not to mention greater tone control flexibility. I'd use it as intended where the internals have been optimized to work together.

 

[Key Altos]

Although the manual doesn't give a figure, I can almost guarantee the impedance of the MA8900's main amp inputs is far lower than the 47,000 ohm minimum impedance that the C22 is designed to work into. The MA8900's preamp output is stated as 220 ohm which again is far lower. Aside of that, the 8900 preamp specs for noise, THD etc are far better, not to mention greater tone control flexibility. I'd use it as intended where the internals have been optimized to work together.

Very useful input! Thank you for that.