Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Got this one on line and couldn't wait to get it...Beautiful piece out of the box. My eager anticipation of how it would sound in my system (Sunfire Signature amp, Virgo 2 speaks, Ah Njoe Tjoeb CD) were quickly dashed. It was awful! Really Bad! Called Audio Classics having done business with them before and knowing them to be MacHeads. They sent me some ElectroHarmonic Gold pin tubes. Recranking my system I was MACBAMMED! WOW! Incredible extension with lush deep bass..same for the highs..mids lacked a bit tho. The EH tubes are a cheap upgrade (current production russian 12AT7's and 12AX7's) and sound great!. Asking my wife what she thought..she had a big grin on her face and raised up and extended her arms.....meaning WIDE DEEP LUSH soundstage..Music was coming from all over the room and nicely layered..EG. Cellos behind Violins etc. Liked the sound so much I retubed my Sunfire Classic tube Preamp with the EH's Don't know why Bob Carver put HoHum Sovteks in this design. Now my Sunfire sounded exactly the same as my MAC. For some reason, I later retubed my Sunfire with Amperex Bugleboys and did it SMOKE! Better than the EH's by far with no loss of mids. Now to get to my point of arriving at MAC nirvana. I stumbled on a site that all tube lovers should go to: Chimera Labs (was wanting Bugleboys for the Mac).....Anyway, This guy is the Obewan...the Guru...of tubes / specs/ tonal musicallity etcetcetc.....He said he thought there were tubes better than the Bugle boys....My thinking was "How could that be"? He sent me some Telefunken and Tungsol Tubes....Popped them in......Well...Obewan was right....For the previous reviewers...I hope they return and retube.....they won't believe their ears.......The one commenter was critical of the 2200....and he is absolutely right..why did Mac put lousy factory tubes in? Retubing is an inexpensive upgrade that that turns this Macdaddy into a smokin hot unit. The EH's are under 20bucks a pop tho the NOS tubes are more expensive...Thank you Chimera labs for making my MAC sing so beautifully...Getting some of their interconnects too......Can't wait......Hope this helps

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I'll keep it short......
Bought this one off the net used.....wow! out of the box..Its beautiful....yes..and versitile.......did I say..QUIET!
Having drooled over it, I jacked it into my system (Sunfire Amp, Virgo 2 speaks, AH Njoe Tjoeb cd).
I think I cried ... having paid a pretty for it......IT sounded awful!! Really awful. Called my buddies at audio classics (having got great gear from them off the net and knowing them to be Mac junkies). They zipped me off Some Electro Harmonic Gold pin tubes. two 12AX7's and two 12AT7's ( an inexpensive upgrade in that they are current production Soviet tubes you can find anywhere on the net). WHOOEY! McBAM! I had a lump in my throat with the sheer musicality of my newfound love. I queried my wife as to what she thought now of the sound. With a huge grin...she raised and then spread out her arms...Translated meaning...wide open, lush, music emanating way beyond the speaker field (soundstage), deep...hearing cellists to the right and behind violinists that sounded like they were way off to th right of the speakers...I liked the new sound so much that I threw some Electroharmonics into my Sunfire classic tube Preamp (can't believe Bob threw in Sovtek 6922's into his tube pre design). Now my Sunfire has the same sound as my Mac C2200. These inexpensive tubes really extended deeply, Bass notes... lush and richly so.....same holds tru for the highes. Lost were some mid detail. Tho truly musical. The short of it....having later dropped into my Sunfire, Amperex Bugleboys, My Sunfire was smokin Hot. Looking for the same tubes for my Mac, I stumbled onto a site called "CHIMERA LABS". This guy Knows more about tubes and how they sound etc...than Thomas Edison...He is the ObeWan of Tube gear. He steered me to some Telefunken and Tungsol Tubes...Now my mac....well let me just say that ....it would be a steal at 10K with these tubes! Everything said is true bout this piece...I hope previous reviewers recheck this site...they won't believe their ears with these tubes. Mac tube junkies....go to www.Chimera Labs. com...you'll be glad you did.

Price Paid:  $3500.00 from Dealer

Summary:
I never review a product unless I have used it for a comsiderable length of time.
That is why I have waited about three years before evaluating this product.
I purchased this preamp about three years ago from a friend that also deals in Mac gear, hence the great price. I was replaceing an SS pre amp by BAT. It was a great pre amp, but I wanted to try tubes again. Since my amp is a Mac MC-300, I decided to audition Mac as well as ARC, BAT, CJ, and several others. I wanted a smooth, liquid sound that also displayed enough detail and Bass "slam." I auditioned all the units at home. My decision was down to the Mac and the ARC. I choose the Mac for one main reason, versitility. This Mac does it all, and does it all WELL! Smooth, liquid, lush yet detailed. It lets the music just flow! Moreover, it comes with a great built in phono stage. Finally, the piece is built like a tank. And it looks beautiful. I still swap gear in and out of my system all the time, can't help it! However, the Mac has earned it's place as my referance. Highly recommended!

Strengths:
The most important, Musical! Great tube sound with the reliability and detail of a SS pre amp! Looks great too,

Weaknesses:
There is one thing that I think Mac should change. The remote, although full function, looks like crap! Plastic more suitable for a Denon! Oh well, they do share corp. parents!

Similar Products Used:
ARC, BAT CJ, Levinson and others

Price Paid:  $4500.00 from local audio store

Summary:
This is the best sounding pre amp that i
have had in my system. It is very open
very smooth mids tight bass. This unit
sounds much better than all units i have
listed below

Strengths:
very user friendly lots of ins and outs
home theater pass through

Weaknesses:
none

Similar Products Used:
Proceed avp2 audio research sp16 ps audio
ps2 Cary 2002

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