McIntosh C8, Balanced Tube Preamplifier

McIntosh C8, Balanced Tube Preamplifier, New at Ohm-Audio B.V. !

Retail Price : € 6.190,00

--- Ohm-Audio B.V. is an official McIntosh dealer ---

EN.

General : The McIntosh C8 is the entry-level preamplifier from McIntosh. The McIntosh C8 features balanced and unbalanced inputs and a built-in phono preamplifier for MM and MC cartridges. It also includes a high-quality headphone amplifier and offers the option to install a DA2 DAC module so you can access various digital inputs.

Technical : The McIntosh C8 is a very stable and solidly built balanced tube preamplifier. The McIntosh C8 offers 2 pairs of analog RCA inputs and 1 pair of balanced analog XLR inputs, and also has phono inputs for MM and MC cartridges. You also have an extra Pre Output for connecting a subwoofer. On the front of the amplifier you'll find 2 knobs. The right knob is for powering the amplifier on or off and for volume control. With the left knob you can select the input and navigate the menu using the display. In the menu you'll find various options, such as adjusting the balance, turning outputs on or off, adjusting input trim (Gain), turning the meter lights behind the glass plate and under the tube bases on or off, adjusting display brightness, setting the amplifier to function as mono or stereo, and finally: controlling the tone control. The tone control consists of a bass control and a treble control which you can adjust between -12dB and +12dB, 24 steps in total. This allows you to tailor the sound completely to your personal preference and/or room. The McIntosh C8 uses two 12AX7A tubes per channel, so 4 in total.

Appearance : You can almost always recognize a McIntosh device from a kilometer away, as is the case with the McIntosh C8. The McIntosh C8 features the characteristic glass plate on the front where the McIntosh logo glows in green and where 2 analog meters with an illuminated blue background are located. Below that you'll find an LED display that shows the volume and input, and here you can also access the menu. For those who don't like illuminated equipment, the lights behind the analog meters can be switched off and the intensity of the LED screen can be easily dimmed or made brighter. In front of the glass front you'll find a chrome plate with the 12AX7A tubes. The tubes come with a nice individual protective cage with a McIntosh logo. The 12AX7A tubes have LED lights at the tube bases. These glow orange during tube warm-up and light up green when the C8 is ready to use. These LED lights can also be easily turned on or off. And right at the front you'll find 2 large shiny knobs for volume control and menu navigation and input selection. On the side 'McIntosh C8' is written in large letters for extra flair. The McIntosh MA352 is very solidly built. The dimensions are 31.2cm (W) x 19.4cm (H) x 41.3cm (D), the McIntosh C8 weighs 8.2kg.

Sound : The McIntosh C8 has the typical McIntosh character. This means that the C8 sounds beautifully full, detailed and rich. The difference with older McIntosh equipment lies more in the detail and tangibility of the soundstage. The McIntosh C8 will never give too much or too little of anything. The sound is very controlled and balanced, even at higher volumes with heavier music the McIntosh C8 maintains its grip and the sound remains comfortable and you don't need to rush to the volume control to turn it down. This ensures that after hours, days, weeks, months or years you can still enjoy the McIntosh C8. Overall there's a pleasant tube sound, which brings more emotion and involvement with the music. Although the McIntosh C8 sounds calm and refined, it doesn't sound boring or too tame. Because of this very refined character, the McIntosh C8 is suitable for virtually any type of music at virtually any volume on virtually any type of speaker. It's also worth mentioning the excellent service that McIntosh provides on its equipment, so you don't need to worry about the future, because spare parts are in good supply and can simply be manufactured in the future, and this way McIntosh never leaves its customers out in the cold, as it should be.

Ohm-Audio B.V. is an official McIntosh dealer. The McIntosh C8 can be auditioned by appointment without obligation while enjoying a delicious cup of coffee.

Specifications of the McIntosh C8 :

Brand : McIntosh USA

Model : C8

Type : Balanced Tube Preamplifier

Warranty Fine Sounds BeNeLux : 36 Months

Analog Inputs : 2 x Unbalanced RCA, 1 x Balanced XLR

Phono Input : 1 x RCA for MM, 1 x RCA for MC

Digital Inputs : DA2 Module Optional : 2 x SPDIF Coax, 2 x SPDIF Toslink, 1 x USB Audio, 1 x MCT, 1 x HDMI

Analog Outputs : 1 x Balanced XLR, 1 x Unbalanced RCA, 1 x Subwoofer Output RCA

Finish : Black / Chrome

Trade-in : Negotiable