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Can you use a McIntosh C12000ST preamp with a McIntosh C500 controller?

My goal is to become the proud owner of a McIntosh C12000 dual cabinet preamp/controller which I intend to use with my McIntosh MC1502 amp.  However, because I can not swing the $16,000 cost of purchasing them new, I went ahead and paid $4,000 for a used McIntosh C12000ST (preamp) unit hoping that some day I would be able to pick up a used McIntosh C12000C (controller) unit at a similar discount.  Although the search is now in its 7th month and I have yet to find anyone selling just the controller module for the C12000, I recently came across a McIntosh C500 controller for sale.  So, the question is....can one use a McIntosh C12000ST preamp module with a McIntosh C500 controller module?    

deafanddumb

Showing 1 response by 1bitsoul

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1bitsoul
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Short answer:
No, you cannot directly use a McIntosh C12000ST preamp module with a McIntosh C500 controller. They are not electronically or mechanically compatible with each other, even though they look superficially similar and follow a similar "dual-chassis" concept.

Various reasons which include, different internal architectures, proprietary interconnects, firmware/software incompatibility etc etc. Unfortunately there's no safe or practical workaround.

A possible solution might be to try and source a demo controller from a dealer? I'd think that most people would buy the complete stack together, which would make sourcing the controller seperately quite challenging.

 

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