I am trying to decide whther or not to sell my Mac 712 and get the 41/42.But in any case an entry level (now C15) Mac pre will give you great harmonics and the flexiblity you crave.Not the the last word in alpine clear resolution but very musical.I had a Krell and a Mac and kept the McIntosh at a signfifcantly lower price.
Decent preamp WITH tone controls
I recently replaced an ADCOM GFP1A, after almost two decades of service, with a CJ Sonographe SC-26. While I do appreciate the finer detail of the new pre, the lack of tone controls (bass eq in particular) is a major dissapointment. This is because I own Magnepan SMGa's and Celestion SL12si's (I switch them periodically) and while the bass that is there is fast and tight, both sound MUCH more satisfying with a bit of bass eq dialed in.
I don't really want to debate the merits of tone controls, as we did that a few months back in another thread, and I have tried all of the recommended tweaks (good stands and biwiring the Celestions, different cables for the Magnepans) with only modestly positive results. Both a subwoofer and experimentation with placement are out of the question --- audio augments my lifestyle, it doesn't consume it.
Thus, can anyone recommend a good quality preamp WITH TONE CONTROLS in the $500-$1,000 range used? Mil gracias for your help.
I don't really want to debate the merits of tone controls, as we did that a few months back in another thread, and I have tried all of the recommended tweaks (good stands and biwiring the Celestions, different cables for the Magnepans) with only modestly positive results. Both a subwoofer and experimentation with placement are out of the question --- audio augments my lifestyle, it doesn't consume it.
Thus, can anyone recommend a good quality preamp WITH TONE CONTROLS in the $500-$1,000 range used? Mil gracias for your help.