I own the C15 preamp and am very happy with it. I've owned many Mac pre's, including the C48, but the C15 is still my choice because of it's simplicity and looks, and sounds great to my old ears. Paid $800 for it many years ago. My amp is the MC7200, a non autoformer amp 200 wpc. That amp is my favorite of all the Mac amps I've owned, the last of the Gordon Gow era before he passed away. BTW, the C15 was the preamp that Roger Russell had in his own system, which should tell you something. If you buy one at the right price, you can always sell it and get your money back if it's not to your liking. @oddiofyl gave some good thoughts to consider!
Mcintosh C15 - Your Impressions and Matching Power Amp
Dear All
I would very much appreciate your advise. I have been looking for C15 reviews but I could not find much on the net, so hope to get your opinions here.
I have been offered an irresistible deal for a Mcintosh vintage C15 preamp in very good condition and recently serviced. I understand the amp has smooth delivery, a good grip on bass and pretty detailed with the usual Mcintosh house holographic or tube like sound from the few reviews I have read that were available. I intend to replace my current Schiit Freya preamp with the C15.
Being new to Mcintosh, I hope those who know about this C15 amp or own it could give your impressions of its sound quality which would be helpful. Always wanted to own one hearing so much about various models of Mcintosh amps.
I am also looking at a matching power amp and would appreciate suggestions. Currently I own a class D - XTZ A2 300, 150 watt per channel power amp. Would this be a good match with the C15? Or should I be looking at something else. My speakers are Klipsch RP 6000f which are not really bright as most might think. More clean sounding.
I welcome your thoughts.
Showing 4 responses by sid42
@oddiofyl your comment about the C15 being overpriced is in my opinion typical of used prices for all Mac products. Having owned many Mac items, and being a fan since 1978, I knew what they cost at the time. Used prices today are insidious, costing way more than they originally were sold for. Being retired, I would never purchase Mac's new stuff either, especially their amps. ram18, the MC7100 is also a good choice, similar in design to my MC7200, but without the meters. Both those amps might be considered "simple" compared to having autoformers which Mac loves ( I don't like them) but they sound great to me. Good luck! |
ram18 I purchased my current one in 2012. Prior to that I had a C48 for awhile, and prior to that a C15 also. In my opinion, the C15 sounded as good as the C48, so I went back to my current C15. I have had no issues with any of these pre's. I did change out the lights last year, not because I needed to, but I changed the lights on my MC7200 and thought I might as well do the C15 at the same time. It is very easy to change the lights out; all you need is a flat blade screwdriver. I also had purchased led's for the C15 but they didn't fit quite right, so I stayed with the originals. You can probably stack the amp on top of the C15, but I personally never do that. The C15 doesn't get hot at all, it is slightly warm to the touch. Like I said previously, if you buy it and aren't happy with it, you can sell it easily. In fact, should you want to sell it, contact me first. |