Hi have now used the C220 for some years and can say I am very satisfied. I have tried many types of tube on the c220 and found that something like the Audio Classic 12ax7a / Ecc83 / 7025 tube is one of the best I have now Tried, bought these on ebay for only a small sum. But MM input I do not use, I have used the Ear 834P instead with 2 RCA 12ax7 + 12au7 which is very good. Wish it was possible and screwed off mm tube .Have tried many preamplifiers, but you get what you pay for.

MVH:Tønnes

Decided to replace my Levinson 23.5 with a Mac 452. Was hoping to be able to use the Levinson ML26 with the 452 but the level mismatch made that impossible. So, I listened to the 220 against the ML26 and was blown away. As good as the ML26 might have been, it seemed smeary and unfocused compared to the 220, with a diminished soundstage. Upon getting the stuff home, hooked to my Thiel 5's, I was again blown away at the difference and how much more life was in my favorite CD's and vinyl. Only weakness is lack of a MC stage, but that was remedied by using a Technics Amorphous stepup transformer. This preamp is dead quiet when it should be, but really lights up the room with music. A really superb piece.

Have owned quite a few preamps in my life time to include tubes. As with any component its a matching game. Don't really know that this piece has a sound I can give to it specifically. But so far it seems to have brought out the best in every piece that I have hooked up to it. If you have a weakness in your system it won't be this piece!! Hook up top notch equipment to it and you will enjoy shear delight. Hook up lesser equipment and you will get lesser sound. More than likely this will be my last preamp purchase, so that pretty much says it all. Now if I can just settle on a CD player and power amp my constant journey of trying to find musical nirvana shall come to an end. Dare i hook up a Mac power amp to it!!

I have owned many pre-amps over the years, including Audio Research, Marantz, Spectral, Krell and Placette passive, but for pure musical enjoyment, this pre-amp paired with my McIntosh MC 402 power amp gives me the most musical, non-fatiguing accurate (IMO) that I have ever had. If anyone doesn't enjoy music with this pre-amp, they have some serious problems with their associated equipment. AN ABSOLUTE WINNER IN ALL RESPECTS.

Too much to say !

Would have liked vu-meters like the C2200 but they can't do everything !

Wonderful preamp for the price.
I use it with a MC275.
Very very natural sounding preamp, high definition, incredible dynamics, very versatile, good phono stage but only MM. Bass goes very deep, tight, and musical.
Better than the C45 in many respects, but you can't add the tuner module to the C220...
Ideal partner to MC275 with XLR connection
If you can afford one, don't think twice !

Similar Products Used:

Linn Kairn
McIntosh C45