Words and photos by Rafe Arnott. Photo above: The McIntosh C28 with its black/glass fascia and green back-lit control stencilling is impossibly cool, instantly recognizable and has influenced high-fidelity design for decades.
Vintage McIntosh preamplifiers and amps – I’m talking ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s – are imbued of a rarified authenticity for high fidelites akin to the original Grateful Dead lineup of Garcia, Weir, McKernan, Lesh and Kreutzmann with Deadheads: No matter how phenomenal or mediocre their performance, fans worshipping their sound will not be silenced. And while vintage McIntosh designs are closer to my sonic aesthetic than the Dead, both carry unique weight with me. Like Art Taylor’s coveted voice on the ride cymbal, there seems to be something about McIntosh amplification powering the beat.
"While ‘60s and ‘70s acoustic, folk, pop, rock and early metal all seemed to smoulder appropriately with alternating delicacy and thunder [through the C28], so too, did ambient, classical, electronic, jazz, punk, shoegaze and trip hop..."
-Rafe Arnott
While much has been made of the marque’s valve components over the years, particularly amplification designs like the MC30, the MC225 and the C22 preamplifier, the company’s solid state designs have developed a loyal following, especially as the valve gear continues to price itself out of the hands of music lovers and into the collections of fetishists. The C26 and C28 seem to be thought of as the solid state preamps of choice, usually paired with MC2505 (50w/channel) or MC2105 (105w/channel) solid state power amps of the same vintage. If you want to own any of these you might want to move quickly as prices on the used market continue to follow their valve brethren.
I had what appeared to be a NOS C28 in the original box land at my place courtesy of Clint Moroz, owner of the curated vintage hub Spacelab. According to Moroz, the C28 was a garage sale score and came to me without so much as even being plugged in previously. Moroz had placed a ’63 McIntosh MA230 valve/solid state hybrid integrated amplifier in my care several months ago which I enjoyed, so I was intrigued to hear what the C28 was going to bring to the game I had going with a mix of vintage Altec gear and valve designs from Audio Note UK.
Photo below: Vintage, reconditioned, early '60s Empire 398 turntable with Audio Technica AT155-LC.
The C28, considered a fist generation McIntosh solid state preamp, was manufactured between 1970 and 1978 with approximately 22,000 units produced. It is equipped with a dedicated 20w headphone amplifier, four low-level inputs (two phono, tape head, microphone), four high-level inputs (aux, tuner, tape1/tape2), line outputs, two tape outputs, main outputs to drive either mono blocs or a stereo amplifier, several switched and unswitched AC receptacles, and a connection for the McIntosh SCR-2 controller which allows the C28 to run two sets of loudspeakers. It also enables outboard AC outlets controlled via relays instead of the on/off switch, this allows high-current amplifiers to run from the preamplifier on/off.
It is designed to have an optional wooden case (search eBay or hi-fi related sites, about $200~$350 USD) with McIntosh Panloc mounts which slide the unit out, permitting access to top-mounted controls including bass trim, input/output levels, centre channel outputs, headphone output, etc. Fit and finish is on par with the finest hi-fi gear I’ve experienced, and its industrial design aesthetic is timeless – eliciting appreciative whistles from everyone who saw it. Much has been written about McIntosh looks, so I’ll forego metaphors, suffice to say it was hard to take one’s eyes off the design. The black/glass fascia with its green back-lit stencilling is impossibly cool, instantly recognizable and has influenced high-fidelity design for decades.
Photo above: The home system in situ.
I tried the C28 with a pair of early ‘70s Altec 1594b 100w mono blocs and an Audio Note Conqueror Silver 300B stereo amplifier. Using an Audio Note UK CD5.1x and a restored 1963 Empire 398G (208 w/980 tonearm, gold finish) for digital and analog sources. The 398 was cued-up with a vintage (‘mid ’80s) Audio Technica AT-155LC w/upgraded ATN-150MLX stylus. Speakers were mid-‘60s Altec A5 with (15-inch 515E bass drivers, 805b horns/288C-16K compression driver, Werner Jagusch crossovers and JBL 075/2402 – “bullet” – tweeters. Cables were a mix of Audio Note silver interconnects, Audio Note ISIS AC cords and OJAS/Belden interconnects and speaker cable. Clean power courtesy a Shindo Mr.T.
Photos below: Left – A Altec 1594b 100w mono bloc. Roght – Audio Note Conqueror Silver 300B stereo amplifier.
Listening to a mix of vinyl and CD proved the C28 to be adroit at differentiating between the two – which isn’t necessarily easy as the CD5.1x is preternaturally analog due in part to it’s valve-rectified power supply and valve output – furthering my respect for McIntosh engineer’s ability to formulate solid-state phono/line circuit designs. A lot of the textured bass tone, midrange presence, timbral colourations and honest (if slightly rolled-off) treble that I liked from the MA230 were carried over, seemingly without any cathartic (or in my mind, unnecessary) change, into the C28. Sixties and ‘70s acoustic, folk, pop, rock and early metal all seemed to smoulder appropriately with alternating delicacy and thunder, so too, did ambient, classical, electronic, jazz, punk, shoegaze and trip hop. Certain tendencies of the C28’s sonic signature either made itself more or less apparent when switching between the Altec mono blocs and the Audio Note UK 300B stereo amp, the difference was an expected flavouring to the sound; each offered a different view through its window onto performances via the McInotsh.
Photo below: Easy on the eyes... and the ears. The C28's straightforward design is a breeze to navigate, and there is tons of information available online including PDF copies of the original sales brochure and owner's manual.
The Altec 1594b amps are a bargain in hi-fi. Used pairs go for $500~$700 depending on condition, and their musicality and control over lower frequencies is of note. But, when the all solid-state pairing was put up against the C28/300B duo, you couldn’t help but notice a slight hardness/glare compared to the valve amp combo. A tonal limit/ceiling if you will – to the upper registers of Red Garland’s right-hand work on the piano of Cookin’ With The Miles Davis Quintet (Mono, 1956, Prestige 7094. 2013, Analogue Productions/Quality Record Pressings, remastered, limited edition). Miles’ and Coltrane’s blowing on “Just Squeeze Me” was timbrally shy of the slick honk, decay and brassy colour the AN UK valve amp was capable of reproducing with the McIntosh pre driving it. Ditto Joe Jones on drums; his ride cymbal had less sheen to its alloy lustre, and the decay off high hat radiated short of the 300B. Swapping the C28 with an Audio Note M3 Phono preamp (all valve/valve rectified), changed the calculus. The old Altec amps with valves driving them was a far more tonally pleasing combination to my ears – offering up the midrange sweetness and treble delicacy of triodes with the bottom-end grip 100w of solid state power can provide.
“Military Madness” opens up Songs For Beginners, the Graham Nash 1971 solo outing following the massive success of Déjá Vu from CSN&Y the previous year. I’ve got the Rhino Records 2010 Bernie Grundman/Chris Bell remaster and it's punchy and dynamic off the drop – usually the rule rather than the exception when these two are involved in the mastering chain. I’ve also found their collaborations to be introspective and deliberate, and this classic ‘70s LP from their gifted hands does not disappoint. Rita Coolidge and P.P Arnold on background vocals have enough daylight between their harmonies to walk a dog through (noteable separation of massed vocals/strings) with John Barbata’s stick work laying down a propulsive foundation for Nash’s guitar and Calvin Samuels' distinctly fleshy bass lines. The C28 through the Audio Note 300b provided plenty of low-level, harmonic information and midrange grunt on “I Used To Be A King” from both Neil Young's outsized piano/pedal ignition, and Barbata’s impressively gated drumming. Shimmer and spatial decay off high hat rimming and cymbal splashes were portrayed beyond the speaker boundaries.
Photo below: My Rhino Records remastered copy of Songs For Beginners.
Dom La Nena’s (Dominique Pinto) ethereal and evocative voice can raise hairs on one’s arms when played back on a system which can translate her breathless, melancholy-tinged Portuguese entreaties. As soon as you’ve become accustomed to the weary spaciousness around Pinto’s vocals, her cello playing then takes over and starts to invoke the chills. Her sophomore effort – 2013’s EP Golondrina (limited edition, numbered, white vinyl) – is recorded and mixed in a very stripped down, essential manner (achingly so) thanks to Francois Gueurce. The multi-tracking of her vocals on the title cut (and others) spatially bookends solos with concise imaging … Pinto plays all instruments on the 10-inch, four song outing and every cut feels like it was laid to tape on an overcast, grey day. Heady and purposeful music with cool timbral and tonal colourations, her pizzicato, vibrato and arco cello playing translates through the C28 with resined textures, from finger work to inflections of her bow.
Photos below: Left – Dom La Nena’s 2013 10-inch EP Golondrina. Right – Top chassis of C28 with tone controls and classic McIntosh circuit layout diagram.
The McIntosh C28 solid state preamplifier, while a vintage piece of gear and as such its age and condition must be taken into account, is in my opinion, deserved of its historic place in hi-fi annals. It shows refined sound and vintage audio are not contradictions. Be you a music lover or audiophile with a gear fetish, it is difficult not to recognize the design’s musicality, quality of workmanship and technical flexibility. The headphone amplifier adds further value as it directly translates all the same sonic reproduction qualities I heard through my Altec A5; defined spatial imaging on recordings where it is present, texture, speed and detail on leading edges of notes and transients. Timbral and tonal articulation and the ability to convey flesh-and-blood presence to recordings. It won’t make poor recordings sound great, it will infuse great ones with warmth and truly believable colour to voices. This is a preamp with a more earth-toned palette capable of recreating subtle hues: Technicolour it is not. I found it to sound best when paired with valve amplification rather than solid state (in the context of what amps I had available, within the parameters of my system and home – you may have different results (as with all things in hi-fi YMMV). If you’re able to find one, I urge you to demo it. For the price (approximately $1,500 to $2,000 USD on the used market) it will convey an honest, enjoyable picture of the recorded event that will have the listener simply experiencing the music as opposed to analyzing it. If you’re looking for a vintage preamp, or you’re tired of the audiophile merry-go-round, this is a great example of a piece of historical kit which soothes that most savage beast: the critical listener.
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