General Asylum: REVIEW: McIntosh C28 Preamplifier (SS) by Brian

1st generation SS preamp. Very typical McIntosh build quality, sound quality and component quality. These are overshawdowed by the older tube preamps but, are excellent in their own right. I have had mine for some 20 years and found it to be quiet, open detailed authoritative, the phono preamp seamlessly integrates with the preamp and seems to have no sound of its own. With the added controls for the bass trim, and input and output levels, centre channel outputs, and headphone output (it has a separate 20 watt amp for headphones) it is as flexible as any preamp yet none of the flexibility seems to detract from the quality of the sound. Add to it the SCR-2 that permits the preamp fromt panel switching for 2 sets of speakers and adds outboard ac outlets that are relay controlled rather than through the power switch thereby permitting large current amps to be controlled form the preamp power switch without burning it out and this is one well thought out amp that after some 30 years shows no sign of coming near the end of its life. Oh, by the way the tone controls are switched resistor arrays rather than carbon wafers and actually work within a reasonable range without degrading the sound.

REVIEW: McIntosh C28 Preamplifier (SS) Review by Brian at Audio Asylum