I picked up a brand new C48 and MC302 ten days ago so maybe not broken in yet but the combo sounds terrific already. The C48 is extremely clean, smooth, quiet with nice sound stage width and depth. I have tons of vinyl and the MC phono stage sounds first rate which was a pleasant surprise. I've had tube gear for most of the last 20 years as nothing solid state seemed to measure up, so this was a bit of gamble but I am really pleased with the results. I would also add that the current Mac amp/pre-amp line seems to be a very synergistic match with the Focal Utopia series (I have Mini-Utopias).
Any McIntosh C48 owners out there?
I'm interested in hearing from any McIntosh C48 Audio Preamp owners, who can share their experiences in owning this new preamp. I'm interested in the volume control and how it functions compared to the C42, or C46. Since many of the bells/whistles have been eliminated, is the sound improved over the former preamps. There's no Mac dealer near me, so that's why I'm asking.