Tube pre-amp upgrade from Mcintosh C2300

Other top class tube preamps include TRON, LAMM, EAR. I bought a TRON having heard the others.

Just a update. Without being able to audition, I bought a Mac C500T. I almost bought a Shindo Monbrison, then I was told about the quality and reliability problems with some shindo owner. I saw inside pics of brand new Monbrison with bad soldering, cheap parts, different brand of tubes used on both channel and etc..

Maybe ARC ref5 sounds better, but Mac C500T is a safe bet for me without audition them because for sure it have good synergy with my Mac power amps.

Just as other people mentioned, I noticed a big improvement from C2300 to C500T. C2300 leave me unsettled and want more while C500T make me settled. Human voice from C500T is more clean, relax and effortless. You also get bigger soundstage, better image and more weight. Overall, with separate power design and fully balanced, C500T is in a different league than C2300. For Mac, too bad you have to get almost their top of line pre-amp to enjoy the effortless music.

Shindo quality is amazing,I have never heard about cheap anything.That pre has been reviewed with pictures showing the inside with only fantastic opinions of the quality along with the parts used.I have to question if the person didn't try to tube roll.

Tube rolling is an option. It might work on Macs, but not too much on ARC and Shindo. Tube rolling is like trying different cables and I am a little tired of changing cables.
Yxlei (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

Isn't changing preamps the same as changing cables? Each has their own sonic characteristics.

My brother has a Mcintosh C2200 and with stock tubes, it was muffled, veiled, lacking dynamics ... HORRIBLE! After he replaced the cheapo Chinese tubes with Telefunken ribbed plates, we can't believe it was the same animal. Sound was open, dynamic, transparent ...