Circa November 2007

by gonzo1 on Ever Evolving

Description

This edition will probably stay where it is for a while. The Technics with the KAB spcial MM cart sounds fantastic with the C500 and the ability to adjust the capacitance in 50pf increments allows me to squeeze more sound out of it. A new TT, DAC, or power amp may follow in 2009.
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Components Toggle details

    • McIntosh C500 Tube Preamplifier
    The new McIntosh C500 stereo preamplifier is a no-holds-barred, fully balanced, dual-mono design with separate power supplies. Available with solid-state or tube preamplifier electronics, the C500 preamplifier marries outstanding audio performance with flexible user-programmability in a stunning two-chassis solution.

    Dual R-Core transformers anchor a massive power supply that is the heart of this preamplifier, providing the audio circuits with clean, rock-solid power enough to handle the most demanding musical passages with ease.

    Moving Coil and Moving Magnet phono preamplifiers are supported in both the solid-state and tube designs. Both feature high open-loop gain enabling the use of negative feedback around the compensation amplifiers for very low noise and distortion and markedly improved RIAA performance.

    The C500 volume control is a balanced design with a logic-controlled audio taper. This custom attenuator is accomplished via a 4-stage, digitally controlled analog circuit that operates with 16 bit precision. Exceptional tracking accuracy guarantees that common noise and distortion rejection are maximized. The second stage of this control adjusts the gain of the output amplifier towards unity as the attenuation of the first stage is increased. The result is very low distortion and wide dynamic range.

    Four matched, discrete-component amplifiers comprise the fully balanced line stage, delivering a staggering 25VRMS to the balanced outputs, ten times the level required to drive a McIntosh power amplifier input to full power!
    • McIntosh MC-252
    250 watts per channel.
    • Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor
    Beautiful workmanship.
    • Apple Macintosh Macbook
    Macbook with 2 Western Digital 500G hard Drives for storage and Backup. USB Connection to DL III.
    • PS Audio DigitalLink III
    Digital Link III
    • Technics KABUSA SL1210M5G
    TD1200 FLUID DAMPING SYSTEM PS1200 OUTBOARD POWER SUPPLY SX1200 STROBE LAMP DISABLING CIRCUIT CARDAS TONE ARM RE-WIRE
    • Oppo 980
    Oppo 980 for Video
    • Guerilla Audio Copper RCA and XLR
    Copper RCA and XLR
    • Guerilla Audio The Juice
    The Juice Power Cable

Comments 10

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Gonzol,

How's the C500 sounding with the Cremona? What do you have to say about the Guerriall PC?

Incredible how this preamp brings all the details, depth, and separation of instruments. The decay on cymbals is really live like listening to the cymbals shimmer. Dali Helicons sound very well in this system.

Decided to take the C500 to the next level...changing my fuses and linestage tubes.

Decided on HiFi tuning for fuses and Black Sable Mullard ECC83/12AX7. Looking to take another step with improvements with ultra low microphonics, mids, detail highs, and low extension.

I did some checking and decided to go with Black Sable Mullards based on tubedepot.com testing methods which includes actually listening before final grading of the tubes.

I need to get some power cords next for my tube amps and new longer interconnect cable for CD to Preamp.

Pierre

lapierre

Owner
I won't be touching the tubes for a while at least. I've ordered Guerrilla Audio Power cords for the entire system, so I'll have something to report when they get in.

gonzo1

Did you changes C500 tubes or AC power cords?

lapierre

Owner
I'm in love. It sounds beautiful.

gonzo1

How's that C500 sounding now?

Seriously looking at upgrading my C46.

lapierre

Describe the difference in the C220 vs the C500T

barnes

Owner
System edited: I replaced the McIntosh C220 with C500T.

gonzo1

gonzo1,

This reply is in response to the input you gave me on another posting about computer based music systems.

You have a very nice simple system that is the direction I would like to go (except for the YBA amplification that I like very much - it is very musical).

I have a few questions about your system that I want to implement in mine:

1.) How convenient is the Mac Book for playing and ripping cds?

2.) Can you play DVDs as well with another USB cable from the computer for the picture to the HDTV?

3.) How many cds can be saved on an 80 gig internal drive in lossless?

4.) Is the sound as good as a high end cdp?

mjcmt

Owner
Unfortunately, no. I went whole hog and just ordered it already modded. I did listen without the fluid added for a while and it did sound good, just not as good.

gonzo1

Did you get a chance to listen to the SL-1200 without the damped tonearm first? I have the same table (without all the upgrades) and was considering getting the KAB tonearm damping. I've heard a crapload of good things about it, and I was wondering if the sonic benefits are large enough to leave a before/after impression.

-Dusty

heyitsmedusty

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