Which is the better McIntosh preamp to mate with a pair of MC30 power amps and Khorn speakers? I am considering the MC20 and MC11; the 22 is out of my price range. Or, should I look for something newer like the Audible Illusions 3a?
All 3 preamps you've mentioned are excellent choices. I would also consider a Cary slp 90,94, or older 98 to fit your budget. The vintage mcintosh preamps were a little to soft and lacked resolution, the Cary gave my MC30's a little more bite and were a great mix. Was using Klipsh Forte and Heresy at the time and was able to do an A B comparison with the c20 and Cary slp90. Also had an MX110 at the time and the Cary won hands down for me.
The C11 is identical to the C22 only without certain features which aren't critical. If you play 78's the C20 is a good preamp. There are 2 versions of the C20 but both are circuitwise identical.
I don't know the MC30's but I've had MC225 and still have a MC240. I liked the C20 with the MC240, but I preferred a more modern preamp with the MC225. The phono stage was not so great in my C20. I did use an Audible Illusions Modulus 3A with the MC225 and it was extremely nice. If phono is important to you, I think you can do better than the C11 or C20. Later pre's are quieter too.
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