Not many of us saw Bose buying McIntosh and Sonus faber (read about it here), but that recently happened, with the pundits saying it was a way for Bose to get further into the automotive space. That’s all well and good, but McIntosh still makes and sells some of the most legendary audiophile components in the market, with some of the best distribution (CI channel, enthusiast dealers, and a featured position as the lead electronics brand in Magnolia centers inside Best Buy stores). Those iconic, glowing blue meters speak to many an audiophile and, at $9,000, this modern audiophile preamp brings modern features with that McIntosh house sound for advanced enthusiasts.
The McIntosh C2800 as a stereo preamp offers a compelling mix of modern DAC and streaming features, with McIntosh’s time-tested tube preamp technologies paired with their unmistakable design language. McIntosh is trying to think of any and every way that even the most complex audiophile systems can be configured, and offer smart and unique connectivity options. The cool factor on this product is off the charts, but how does it sound? (Hint: it doesn’t suck.) That’s where we need to get and we are heading there now …
What Makes the McIntosh C2800 Tube Preamp So Special?
- On the surface, it is easy to brand the McIntosh C2800 as an old-school audiophile preamp, but it is loaded with lots of modern features. Some of these include a home theater pass-through and an HDMI ARC (audio return channel) for television viewing.
- There are a bevy of inputs for the audiophile, with a lot of varied sources. There are 16 total inputs, with nine analog and seven digital inputs into the DAC portion of this full-featured audiophile preamp. That might be the most that we’ve ever seen in an audiophile stereo preamp.
- The internal DAC in the McIntosh uses what are very likely ESS chips, and rocks 32-bit performance. Like their McIntosh MDA200 DAC at $4,000 (read the review here), the old-school look of the component is only its only retro aspect, as the digital performance of this tube preamp is state of the art for 2025.
- The McIntosh C2800 stereo preamp is Roon-ready. You will need to buck up $15 per month for Roon, as well as use a “core” or a computer to run Roon (Roon/Harman makes a purpose-built core for this exact purpose for a few hundred dollars), but with those hurdles overcome, you can use a smart phone or tablet, and be in the game with HD streaming from the likes of QoBuz and Tidal in HD, without the need for an external streamer. Learn more about how to use Roon like a pro from FutureAudiophile.com senior writer Brian Kahn in this article.
- The McIntosh C2800 offers fully balanced operation, as well as unbalanced inputs and outputs in the analog domain. This seems basic for a $9,000 preamp, but not all are fully balanced, and most audiophiles want that level of excellence (lower noise floor, etc.) at this level of spend, and the McIntosh C2800 delivers in spades.
- Dedicated subwoofer outputs are included in this preamp, too. Again, many audiophile preamps skip the audiophile subwoofer outputs, and that sucks. The McIntosh C2800 has you covered with both balanced and unbalanced outputs for your subwoofer(s).
- There is a tape/processor loop on the McIntosh C2800, which is old-school, but also very thoughtful in terms of overall component design. This is useful if you are rocking a vintage reel-to-reel machine, or a vintage Nakamichi cassette deck, or want to connect one of McIntosh’s super-cool equalizers like the McIntosh MQ112 (read Brian Kahn’s review here).
- The McIntosh app is more capable than most other audiophile brands’ control apps (assuming that they have one, as most don’t). You can connect to other McIntosh components using a special connection/cable, or just use the app over your WiFi/network to change tone, balance, volume, and more. Again, this stereo preamp looks like vintage McIntosh, but it has a ton of features that are unquestionably new-school, so don’t judge a book by its audiophile cover.
- There is a headphone amp feature built in for late-night listening or anybody who might have a killer set of wired audiophile headphones.
- Being able to adjust levels at the input level is an audiophile reviewer’s dream come true. Human nature/psychology tells us that louder is better in audio, just as brighter seems better in video. If you want to do an apples to apples comparisons in terms of audio – matching your input levels (especially with this many analog and digital inputs) is simply needed to come up with the best possible option. The McIntosh C2800 allows you to do this right in your preamp, without the normal iPad/iPhone SPL meter madness that other preamps require.
Why Should You Care About the McIntosh C2800 Preamp?
The audiophile who is looking seriously at a $9,000 McIntosh C2800 appreciates the lineage of McIntosh, but isn’t willing to sacrifice the features that are found in today’s bleeding-edge stereo preamps and digital-to-analog converters. You want streaming, and you very well may have a turntable and/or a tape deck of some sort. You might watch any number of amazingly good streaming TV shows in 4K, and you want that killer content to flow sonically into your high-performance audiophile system.
Most importantly, the sound of the McIntosh C2800 is absolutely resolute, but quite forgiving, which is what tubes will do for you in an audiophile preamp. If you like to go over speed bumps in a Lamborghini, you need to look for a different preamp. Listening to the McIntosh C2800 is more like cruising around town (you can ride in the back seat like a king) in a Lexus 2025 LS. It is just a smoother ride, and many people are looking for that from their music playback system.
Some Things You Might Not Like About the McIntosh C2800 Preamp
- For those looking for that more in-your-face studio sound, the McIntosh C2800 is not the right preamp for you. Again, this is a softer, warmer and more musical-sounding preamp that makes listening to all genres of music enjoyable. All sources (even low bit-rate digital or vinyl) sound engaging and inviting on the McIntosh C2800.
- Tubes can get physically warm, although heat wasn’t a major issue with my test sample, as I have components in my rack that get a hell of a lot hotter than the McIntosh C2800. Tubes do need to be replaced, but in a preamp, that is likely not for years. Will there be an inventory of tubes by then? Yes, there will even be many of of the best tubes coming from China, Russia and Ukraine – all of which are complicated locations, to be polite.
- Roon is really cool, but the fees and equipment needs have additional costs. I used a BlueSound Node 2024 (read my review here) for my listening, as I do with most reviews. Roon’s metadata is awesome, and it is a plus that the C2800 is “Roon-ready,” but, like the Crestron app (no, $99 doesn’t get you a Crestron system via the App Store, but I can see why people would think that and be pissed when they accidentally wasted $99), Roon comes with some extra hoops to jump through.
Listening to the McIntosh C2800 Stereo Preamp …
My listening was done using the aforementioned BlueSound Node 2024 as a source. The McIntosh C2800 tube preamp was run balanced into McIntosh MC 1.25KW monster monoblock amps (review pending) and into either Bowers & Wilkins 800 Signature speakers or Bowers & Wilkins 802 D4s, aka: my current reference speakers.
Are you hip to the cover band ZAKK SABBATH? This is a passion project for Ozzy Osbourne’s long-time (more modern) guitar player. The band was founded in 2014, but just released an album of Sabbath cover songs with modern metal enthusiasm, modern recording and old-school style. From QoBuz, I cued up “N.I.B” from the band’s eponymously named album and let it rip. Zakk Wyld, as the singer, sounds a lot like Ozzy vocally, as well as with effects used in the recording. The melodies are very familiar to anyone who has banged their head along with their favorite songs in the 1970s and 1980s. Wyld is a very skilled hard rock guitar player, and these songs benefit from their modern recording. What the McIntosh C2800 did was bring an overall softening effect to the sound, thanks to the tubes. Now, you could jump to negative conclusions here, but stick with me here for a bit. This “softening” is a slight sonic effect. This is tantamount to taking your performance SUV out of “sport mode,” if you will. The grungy bass tone was even more epic-sounding in the beginning of this track. Wyld’s guitar solo stood out in front of the mix with vibrancy and warmth. There was nothing bright or shrill about the musical presentation, but it also wasn’t dull or unresolved. I would call the sound both fun and comfortable. Having a boatload of power from the reference McIntosh monoblock amps gave the track even more heft in the lower registers for the drums and bass. Note: this recording was not made by David Chesky or mastered by Bob Ludwig, but it sounded kickass on the McIntosh rig.
The members of Led Zeppelin are considered to be the grandfathers of heavy metal, specifically dating back to their Led Zeppelin II recording, “D’yer Maker,” from the Bootlegs CD (AIFF – CD quality file) is named supposedly after the punch line of a classic joke that doesn’t translate all that well to “American” English, but the track has a fantastic John Bonham beat, massive percussion and a bit of a Caribbean feel. From an audiophile standpoint, there is a lot to listen to and enjoy here. The blowing of a whistle (assuming this was Robert Plant doing it) had a richness and vibrancy that I really liked. The snap to Bonham’s snare was sonically delicious, as compared to, say, an SPL Elector stereo preamp and Bricasti M3 DAC. The layering of the entire track in the second verse had me playing the song over and over again – not because I didn’t have enough sonic notes for the review, I was just really digging the sound.
In many of my reviews this year, especially ones with DACs like the McIntosh C2800 somehow involved, I’ve spun “Gold Dust Woman” from Fleetwood Mac’s all-time classic Rumours album from QoBuz. Recorded here in the San Fernando Valley at Sound City Studios on a Rupert Neve mixing console that Dave Grohl owns (but his wife likely will next – too soon?), you can hear a really detailed recording with a lot of space around the vocals and mostly acoustic instruments. It felt like the space was more obvious or part of the listening experience with the McIntosh C2800 in the loop. Other preamps sounded more immediate or close to the master. The tubey goodness of the McIntosh C2800 brought a less stressful, more comfortable sound to the sonic equation. I raved about this track on the Pass Labs XP-22, which is a Wayne Colburn designed two-chassis, solid state, low-feature but ultra-resolved sounding stereo preamp. The experience was very different listening to the track on the McIntosh C2800. It wasn’t any less fun, it was just less etched and harsh, which is a sound appreciated by people who like a preamp that has a house sound. I understand why they feel that way, as more varied music sounds good with gear like the McIntosh C2800, as it is a bit of a musical crowd pleaser.
Will the McIntosh C2800 Hold Its Value?
This is an easy one. McIntosh has so many fans earned over the years that there is a lot of demand for their products. This is a modern product with all of the retro appeal, thus for any McIntosh fan or tube lover, this is a worthy upgrade. McIntosh has the best distribution network in the audiophile world – globally – but specifically in the United States, thanks to their relationship with Magnolia. That means that lots of people know about this product. Simply put, you aren’t going to get hurt owning a McIntosh C2800 preamp. You just aren’t as this is blue-chip audiophile gear – plain and simple.
What Is the Competition for the McIntosh C2800?
Audio Research was a stepbrother of McIntosh for a while, until Mommy and Daddy got divorced a few years ago. It was an odd marriage, but I feel that way about Denon and Marantz, which together are another pair of AV brands that are very similar to each other. The Audio Research LS28SE at $12,000 retail is a good comparison for the McIntosh C2800. I can’t think of a DAC-preamp with tubes other than the McIntosh C2800 in the higher-end world (comment below if you can add to the conversation here, and we will post it) but this high-end tube preamp brings that “best of both worlds” approach to tubes and preamps that we find in the McIntosh C2800. This is a beautifully- (and American-) made audiophile preamp, with killer sound coming from its tube design. Audio Research doesn’t even remotely have the distribution network of McIntosh, but its resale values are just as good. Audio Research is well-known for always servicing and even restoring legacy products, which is worthy of note.
The Pass Labs XP-22 at $10,000 (read my review) is one of the best-sounding, close-to-the recording-type of preamps. This preamp doesn’t sport tubes, nor does it have an internal DAC. The Pass Labs XP-22 doesn’t have the features or the volume of inputs, but man, does this preamp sound good. The Pass Labs XP-22 stereo preamp is for listeners who want as little sound/effect as possible from their preamp. This is not for audiophiles who want to have all of their music try to sound better. This is a much less forgiving preamp with fewer features, and requires an external DAC and/or phonostage, thus even more money is needed to try to match features.
Final Thoughts on the McIntosh C2800 Stereo Preamp …
For the audiophile who has dreamed of owning a McIntosh system, the C2800 is worthy of their unending affection. The McIntosh C2800 brings all of what makes McIntosh so appealing (how about looking at the tubes from the top of the chassis, which is so slick), and delivers it with every modern feature that both a lifestyle client and a hardcore audiophile might want.
There is little that you don’t get with the McIntosh C2800 preamplifier in terms of feature set or audiophile goodies. The build quality of the C2800 is fantastic. The preamp is legendary in design, yet relevant to the bleeding-edge audiophile who wants to get the most from all of his or her entertainment in terms of not just connectivity, but also sound. Sonically, you are going to enjoy the sound of your best HD sources, as well as lesser sources like vinyl and far beyond if you invest in a McIntosh C2800. This audiophile preamp has the power to deliver a highly enjoyable, even legendary, ride around the neighborhood in a retro-mod classic car, thus all of the looks from the bygone era, but all of the features of the modern day.
