Upgrade to McIntosh

You cannot go wrong with McIntosh separates. Ignore all the ridiculous naysayers on this site that claim otherwise or who make up rumors they cannot defend. I have a C2700 with the DA2 module feeding into two MC275s for my LaScala speakers. It sounds fantastic for everything I play on my system, and I play almost ever genre of music out there. The bass with the MC275s are great. You do not need a SS amp for good bass. However, if you really desire that deep heavy bass, get a subwoofer to supplement. 

@wolfgangamadeusaudiophiliac and @glennewdick

I swapped out the JJ tubes in my MC275s with Gold Lion and Mullard. Nice improvement all around, but especially in the mids range and bass. I changed the tubes in my C2700 with Telefuken and Mullard. Good improvement on the upper range with the Telefuken tube.

I demoed the MA325 prior to getting the C2700/MC275 combo. It’s a really good hybrid integrated amp. If you pair it with some decent high efficiency speakers you will not regret it unless you want the flexibility of separates. I listened to the MA325 with Cornwalls and it was a great setup.

No right or wrong answer on pairing Tube with SS or Tube with Tube. It all comes down to personal preference. I will say that adding subwoofers will also provide better bass than what you can get out of typical speakers.

@wolfgangamadeusaudiophiliac 

You don't have to replace the stock tubes. They are good stable tubes that will last thousands of hours. I decided to swap mine out after roughly nine months of listening with the JJ tubes. I was curious if a higher grade of tubes would make a difference. I learned that it did make a difference. I purchased mine from Tube Depot and Upscale Audio. Good experience with both stores. 

@steve59 My C2700 came with the DA2 module. I haven’t heard the DA1 and cannot give a comparison, but I have zero complaints about the DA2. I stream quite a bit and use Roon all through that module. It’s been fantastic so far. 

@wolfgangamadeusaudiophiliac I haven't compared that DA2 module to other higher end (above $1000) DACs. I've only owned a couple of the Schiit Audio DACs (Modi and Modius) and the module in the C2700 is certainly better. 

This will certainly be a personal choice and I do understand the dilemma. McIntosh does sell the C22 tube preamp without a DAC if a McIntosh tube preamp is your interest. Then you are not tied to a built in if you want to try out others. I might eventually switch to another DAC, but the DA2 was a big improvement for me over what I currently owned.

@jeffreyw Thanks for posting that comparison. I’ve been curious what level I would need to be looking at if I ever decided to go back to using an external DAC in my system. This eliminates a lot of guessing.