Mccormack preamps

Thanks for the help!

Hello, I have owned many McCormack products over the years including DNA 0.5 Deluxe amps, TLC and TLC Deluxe with EPS (External power supply) preamps, and an ALD preamp with the SMc Audio B+ upgrade. I have also owned the DAC1 Deluxe and SST-1 CD transport. Ok, I am an admitted fan. I think the equipment is not only an exceptional value, it is also great equipment regardless of price. Steve McCormack really knows his stuff and has been very helpful whenever I have needed to contact either Steve or his coworkers. Professional and courteous. All of the preamps are very good, very even handed and open. My personal favorite of the above mentioned models was the ALD with the SMC Audio upgrade. Virtually holographic, dynamic, with very real sound. I can still remember listening to Lenny Kravitz 5 and having it sound live in the room. The impact and depth of the kick drum comes to mind. I have used these preamps with Vandersteens, NHT 3.3's, Mission Cyrus speakers, and Klipschorns, all with great success. McCormack gear and Vandersteen speakers seem synergistic. Good Luck!

Hello Rrekstad -

The 3 preamps are quite different. The TLC-1 (Transparent Line Control) is a passive design with no gain. It includes both pure passive and buffered outputs, and the Tape Outputs are buffered. Although the passive system will operate without power, the TLC-1 should be plugged-in for proper operation. There was a late model named the TLC-1R that included remote control volume and mute. The TLC-1 was available in both standard and "Deluxe" models, the deluxe including an improved parts set.

The ALD-1 (Active Line Drive)was designed for fully active operation with gain. It is a fine preamplifier that incorporates a number of advanced features. It is one of the very few preamplifiers that include a high-impedance buffer circuit on the input side, thus improving the dynamics and clarity of most input sources. It also includes a “direct bypass” input path for those exceptional source components that don’t benefit from the input buffer.

Other design features include:
- High-impedance J-FET input buffer for main and tape inputs
- Zero-feedback amplifier design with high-current MOSFET output
- Six independent power supply regulator stages
- Balanced and unbalanced output
-True Passive (unbalanced) output
-Two Buffered Tape Monitor / Processor Loops with disconnect option
-Bi-directional tape dubbing
-A “hard” mute circuit (grounded outputs, which ensure true silence)
-Optional plug-in phono preamp

The RLD-1 is a newer piece that was designed for fully remote-controlled operation. It has a very high-resolution volume control system that moves in .5dB increments over a range of -98.5dB up to +20dB. There is also a home theater bypass mode useful for integration with a separate surround processor.

There is a lot more to say about these preamps, but this is not the place. Check out www.McCormackAudio.com or contact me directly if you like.

Best regards,

Steve McCormack
www.SMcAudio.com

With their own amps I'd suggest going for their passive preamps.

I have owned an ADL for a while,and for what I paid it is pretty good. Has remote which are good for us lazy types. I use it with another bargan: White Audio Labs amp.--- No I haven't compaired this combo to anything in it's class, but as they say "works for me". and the price were good.

Any recommendations to mate with a dna-1 or 0.5?

Don't freak out seing them often here for sale,
they're just realy popular preamps at low price and literally giant killers passive or active models depending on your poweramp.