dmorgan

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 2 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $150.00

Summary:
Come on people, ease up on this unit. Admittedly this preamp has a lot of crosstalk between inputs, and lacks the type of inner detailing which could be described as analytical, but what a HUGE soundstage. Very warm. Looks cool. Worthwhile if found for cheap, and approached with realistic expectations - entertaining vintage equipment which might be entertaining in your system. Contemporary comparison doesn't apply.

Strengths:
Cool looking, will last, monster soundstage, warm and forward sounding.

Weaknesses:
Ridiculous used asking prices.

Similar Products Used:
Adcom GFP565

Price Paid:  $450.00 from Myer-emco

Summary:
Come on people. I owned one of these turkeys when they were new. Within a couple years, I replaced it with a better preamp costing less than 1/2 as much, and I'm now 6 preamps beyond that one, each an improvement. Mac was great in tubes, but only mediocre in solid state for years. Great now, but not tthe C26. For $50 I might buy one just to see what it is t like compared to my more recent McIntosh preamps, but the prices people get on eBay for this are just silly.

Strengths:
reliability
cool look, like all Macs
variable loudness contour

Weaknesses:
everthing else. It has no "life".

Similar Products Used:
Apt Holman
McIntosh C31
McIntosh 4165
Tandberg 4100
Berning 950
Adcom 850
Marantz PM 94
Tandberg 8100

Price Paid:  $350.00 from QAudio/Cambridge

Summary:
First piece of Mac equipment that I used. Absolutely stunning given the cost and performance. I then decided to pitch the Parasound and Adcom amps and buy a used Mac 2125. No regrets. I haven't tried the phono stage. N.B. When I first got it, the soundstage and distortion was noticable. They replaced the output-stage transitors, so it's a dead-quiet amp and runs like new. If you have an old one, it might benefit from a tune-up, done at any Mac shop.

Strengths:
Build quality, soundstage, variable loundness contour.

Weaknesses:
None. Although 2 phono inputs could be put to better use these days.

Similar Products Used:
Adcom, Parasound.

Summary:
This decent but far from outstading preamp is not worth the price it commands on ebay. I replaced mine long ago with a kit that cost 1/4 the price of the Mac and had better sound. It has one outstanding feature, found on almost all Mac pceamps, a loudness contour [varaible bass boost depending on vol level]. The preamp section in McIntosh's current integrated amps is top drawer, being exceptionally musical.

Strengths:
Solid construction, lasts a long time

Weaknesses:
dulls the music

Similar Products Used:
Berning TF-10; McIntosh C31; McIntosh 4580; Adcom 880; Apt-Holman; Haffler 101

Summary:
Got this pre amp because of a package deal with a mac amp. Did not think I was going to ever use it. My Marantz pre amp is broken so I got the C26 out of the shelve. It sounds great with a lot of power. It does not add anything to the amp. Sound very transparent. Listening to this pre amp is hard to believe that they have improved their newer models. If you find one of this jewels and if you need a second amp do not hesitate

Strengths:
Clear sound Model year in this review is probably 1973-4

Weaknesses:
no remote,pre amp from 1973?

Similar Products Used:
Similar? I don't think I was born then