This is a great preamp for much more than simply "casual listening." Granted, not all will or can appreciate McIntosh's classic tone color, which has returned to the line after a period of lackluster performance. Those that are Mac followers buy for more than just the excellent sound quality. I refer to these units' impeccable construction, timeless styling and character, as well as the satisfaction in becoming a member of the McIntosh family of owners.
As for this particular unit, it is intended to fit a particular need, and to a lesser extent, price catogory. I can only say that it excels in each of these. I personally use only a CD player with this unit, so the fact that it has one tape input is of no consequence. Moreover, being unable to stand the sound quality of any casette tape, I can't understand why anyone would spend the money on this unit only to supply it with such awful input. Its 1/8" headphone jack is actually quite thoughtful for those of us that own Sennheiser headphones, which come with 1/8" plugs, and supply an extra adapter to convert to 1/4". I don't imagine that Sennheiser headphone owners are any small group, and the need for one less connection is a definite plus. The sound quality is classic McIntosh; smooth, clear, and detailed, to which one could listen for hours. Bass and Treble controls are not particularly useful; however, since McIntosh circuitry is electrically neutral, they don't detract from sound quality.

All in all, this is a completely characteristic McIntosh piece, at a rather uncharacteristic price. Another in the long line of quality components from one of the all time great manufacturers. Well done McIntosh.

Incredible build quality, very transparent sound, yet warm.

None as far as the unit is concerned. I, however, do feel the remote is not even close to the quality of the unit itself. Moreover, the remote has to many "bunched" together buttons.

I have always had a soft spot for Mac gear. May be it was my exposure to that Mac "sound" and big blue maters back in the late 70's when growing up. But as time passed, I ventured away from Mac gear and began turning my attention towards ARC, CJ, Krell and more recently McCormick, BAT and others. Every time I brought Mac up with fellow music lovers they would dismiss Mac gear as out dated or simply not as good as the other high end out today. So when I was in the market for a new preamp, I really had not intended on auditioning Mac at all. I'am lucky I did. The C-15 is a fantastic pre-amp. The build quality is second to none, including ARC. It offers all the features one would want in a stereo pre-amp, incl a very high quality phono stage. It is very clear with extremly high definition, yet it still manages to be warm, almost tube like. And although it does have that slightly warm sound, it IS neutral! And of course, it has excellant left to right definition. Finally, any one in the market for high end gear should consider the following as well, if you are going to spend thousands on your equipment does it not make sense to buy from a company that is going to give great customer service and be around for another 50 years or so? So before you buy another pre-amp in the 1500 to 2500 price range, give the C-15 a listen, you will not be disappointed. Highly recommended.

Similar Products Used:

ARC LS8 Mk II; McCormick; Rogue 66 & 99, and several others.

Beautiful fit n' finish. Womderful sounding preamp.

None.

I have my C15 mated to a MC122 via Kimber Silver Streak and find the combination to provide an extraordinary presentation for the music---especially at its price. On listening to this combo makes it easy to question spending a whole lot more on this type of equipment. There are a lot of the "audiophile" darlings out there that can't hold a candle to the sound and overall quality of these Macs.
The C15 has a great built-in moving magnet phono preamp and provides good flexibility for a modest system. All inputs yield a very quiet background and the sound is clear, balanced and lively, with liquid highs; quick, tight and deep bass, and a killer midrange that brings female vocalists right into the room.
If you're in the market foa a new setup, check them out. It may be the last time you ever have to look!

Detail, smoothness, unfatiguing

Unknown

I purchased this unit to go with my MC-300 (which I could not be more pleased with). I have B&W matrix 802 series 3 speakers. When I bought the amp I had an Audio Research LS-3, unbalanced version, which I thought was a pretty darmned good preamp. (As a side note, AR replaced the LS-3 with the LS-9, for a bit more money, and you have to wonder if a company feels the need to replace an older model with a newer one simply to keep consumers happy, and if so, how much better can they really make it; but even still, when you mention a product like the LS-3 people who know the AR line seem to automatically assume that it's antiquated and replaceable - why is that?).
At any rate, I brought the C-15 home to try out against the LS-3, wondering if it would be as good. As a typical consumer jaded by reviews and pricing I presumed that the C-15 was just an attempt by Mac to get into a lower (price wise) market niche, and wondered if there would be some compromises in sound quality given that Mac produces much more expensive preamps (how much better is the C-100?). Still, the optimistic side of me believed the salesman and user's manual, which stated that the C-15 was simply an audiophile preamp with very little amenities (i.e. tape loops, etc). The user manual also stated that this unit was suited for any of their amps.
Anyway, when I got it home, I could find very little difference in sound quality between the AR and the Mac, except that the AR was just a bit more scratchy on the top end. On the better side the C-15 comes with a remote, and is compatible via auto-turn on with the MC-300. While I still wonder if any of the more expensive Mac preamps sound any better than this one, I can not help but feel like I got a great sounding piece of gear for a lot less money, simply because it lacks features the others have that I would not use anyway!
I am very satisfied, and I can not give this unit less than 5 stars because I have not heard anything better. How much should you have to pay for great sound? I think 1500 is enough. And as always Mac build is great, and looks are distinguished, if that matters. I will not be buying anything else soon. Great piece to carry on the Mac name!

Similar Products Used:

AR LS-3

This is a wonderful pre-amp. It is very, very neutral and transparent, with great presence and musicality. It is detailed and well articulated without being cold or clinical because it has great (almost tube-like) warmth. And it has that classic McIntosh look and incredible build quality. When i first bought it I was (as was Mike below) disappointed that it only had one tape loop. I have 2 tape decks (Nakamichi CR-7A and CR-5A). But the truth is that I rarely record music or share tapes with friends anymore, and,in the 5 months that I've had the C15, I haven't turned either tape deck on once. This is a fabulous product, the best I've heard at even double the price, and I highly recommend it.