2. amps-preamps
  3. 135118-100099

Will McIntosh C2600 tube preamp solve my problem?

I'm a newby, having resurfaced to hifi after 35 years of raising a family and all the expenses associated with that.  I recently purchased B&W 802 D3 speakers because I loved their clarify and crisp high-end sound.  Soon after, my 35 year-old Adcom amp died so I replaced it with the Rotel RB-1590 that I have paired with my 35 year-old Rotel preamp.  The sound is very good, but I'm looking to warm it up a bit.  My weak link is my preamp and a local McIntosh dealer recommended the C2600.  Due to my lack of knowledge, I'm clueless of tubes versus solid state and even more uninformed of how the C2600 would pair with my Rotel amp.  Any advise would be helpful.  And please, keep it as simple as possible.
rickbyrd

Showing 3 responses by rhljazz

rhljazz
1,255 posts
 
I don’t think a tube integrated is a good match for 802D3’s, and especially for someone who purchased said speakers for their crisp highs.

The C2600 is $7K.  The review from Enjoythemusic.com noted that the C2600 was limited at both frequency extremes.  So, probably not the right tool for what you want to do. However, if the dealer will let you try before you buy, why not!

Do you really need a dac included?  That’s part of the price of the C2600.

Do you only want new, or open to purchasing used?  How about other features such as a remote, phono stage, true balanced outputs?

What are your listening levels and music preferences?  With a lot more information, I and others may be able to assist.


rhljazz
1,255 posts
 
A dac is a digital to analog converter.  If records are your only or primary source you likely don’t need to pay for that feature.  However, if you are using an old CD player and it has a digital output you may find a modern dac offers an improvement.

Your Rotel RB 1590 is 350 Watts per channel which is more than enough power for a large speaker like your 802 D3’s.

 The RB 1590 is not specified as a dual differential amp so the XLR inputs are likely just a convenience. So a preamp with RCA inputs and outputs will work.  However, there is one problem.  The input impedance via RCA is a very low 12k ohms while the XLR is 100K.  Most tube preamps will be compromised seeing 12K ohms.  So that means a preamp with XLR output connections would likely offer the best performance.  Preamps so configured are more expensive plus you will need a quality set of XLR cables to connect to your RB 1590.

Does this help or add to the confusion?
rhljazz
1,255 posts
 
“Source” is analog like a record player, or digital like a CD player.

RCA connectors are what you are familiar with like what is on your old preamp, just one hole in the middle with a barrel for the cable to grip on the outside.

XLR’s have three pin holes and appear completely different than an RCA connection.  The connecting cables are completely different in appearance.

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