Whatever you buy, you should consider the scenario if/when you upgrade your amp. I have an MC2200 McIntosh amp which may or not share the same sonic qualities as your amp and I tried it with a couple of different preamp's - mostly whatever my friends were willing to bring over and try and including my own SS NAD preamp, and the best sound was from an Audible Illusions 3A. We tried it with one of my friend's ARC LS17se and for some reason we couldn't get the volume high enough for a decently loud playback. Not sure why, probably gain mismatch. None of this will probably help with your decision since my speakers are completely different from yours- ML Aerius, and I have a huge listening room, but use the data points for whatever they're worth. All in all, there are a lot of folks out there, particularly on the McIntosh forums, that claim MAC stuff sing best when mated with other MAC components.
Can I Pair Audio Reseach Ref 3 w/ the McIntosh MC2505 Poweramp?
Hey there Brothers in Arms,
I already own a McIntosh MC2505 Solid State Power Amp and I'm trying to match this amp with the best tube Preamp I can get. My budget is $4000. I'm currently considering either a McIntosh C2300/ 2500 or the Audio Research Ref 3. I have a good opportunity to buy the ARC Ref 3, but how would this match up with my McIntosh MC2505? Any thoughts? Should I stick with matching Mac with Mac?
I already own a McIntosh MC2505 Solid State Power Amp and I'm trying to match this amp with the best tube Preamp I can get. My budget is $4000. I'm currently considering either a McIntosh C2300/ 2500 or the Audio Research Ref 3. I have a good opportunity to buy the ARC Ref 3, but how would this match up with my McIntosh MC2505? Any thoughts? Should I stick with matching Mac with Mac?
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- 14 posts total
- 14 posts total