McIntosh's C22 preamp debuted 57 years ago, and it still sounds insanely great!

Today's episode kicks off a three part series on vintage preamps. Next weekend we'll look at a Phase Linear 4000 preamp.

The C22's price (after this unit is gone over by the SkyFi techs) will be $5,999.

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PLEASE LIKE THIS VIDEO!

[alibertylover]

When I was 18 back in 1974, I spent $ 1800.00 on a stereo system which was a lot of money at the time, because I only made $4 an hour. I still have that system today & still love it. I am now 64

[jonnyk]

Great to hear some audiophiles still like tone controls and loudness functions!

[mikejames-drummerreginacan]

I used a C 26 daily from 1985 (bought used for $300 Canadian) to 2019 and I sold it for $300 Canadian (it had been through a war but still sounded is built like a McIntosh. Great video Steve.

[techrider]

I really like vintage equipment.

The ones I own are just as enjoyable as my newer stuff.

[michaelburke]

Very nice piece on a beautiful old McIntosh. I unabashedly am a McIntosh fan and have been for years.

[dougefresh]

Love the hi-fi gear from the 60's and 70's. Even into the 80's.

[cglaurer]

Shout out to Binghamton, NY. For a short time I worked at a place where we were making cabinets for McIntosh.

[paulbraun]

I'm not an audiophile, or at least I don't have the money to become one right now but I just love watching your videos! I just find them very very calming for some reason.

[bareknucklesu]

This is Steve at his best! I really like hearing him share his experience with pieces of equipment.

[jdrissel]

The Fletcher Munson curve actually corrects for the change in the ear's frequency response with volume. This is what the Loudness button did. A button is not quite perfect because it has to be calibrated to the maximum listening level. Yamaha had some pre-amps and integrated amps and even made a few car radios with this Loudness knob. The way it worked was to start with the loudness knob fully clockwise, then turn the system up to the maximum level you will ever use, set the EQ and any other tweeks (crossover settings, speaker position, etc). Then turn the loudness knob down. This both reduced the volume and compensated for the change in the ear's frequency response. Any patents related to this have long since expired. It worked beautifully, especially in the car because of how much you have to ride the gain as noise levels change. It has been almost 40 years since I had a Loudness knob and I still miss it.

[stephanefournier]

I’m excited to have a vintage C26 restored to go with my Decware and La Scalas. Many thanks for your recomendations over the years!

[BenSilberfarb]

This is great. Classic Steve G. and why your channel is so fantastic. Love it!

[davidrusso]

Nice review - you were able to split the difference between the "moderne" sound and that of yesteryear. Nicely done!!

[NateEll]

My area of interest in vintage gear is tuners- amazing how good Marantz and McIntosh tuners from the 60's and 70's can be. And I like the fact that vintage Marantz was made in NY. Queens vs. Binghamton- let the battle begin!

[bikdav]

That was a great choice for trying out the preamp. There aren't many speakers quite like the Klipsch Cornwalls over the years.

[johnnytoobad]

When I was in high school I used to drool over McIntosh Audio Equipment. That's a beautiful piece of gear. I (eventually) ended up with a SONY TA2000f.

[AndyBHome]

Around 7:20 the mention of signal leakage. I remember that being such an issue on lower end equipment in the early 70s still and when I got a pretty well made Radio Shack receiver with my paper route/lawn mowing money in 1978 I was absolutely floored by the complete silence I got when it was switched to a source that wasn't playing while other sources ran. I even showed it to my parents who looked at each other, shrugged and went back to whatever they were doing before. I've always been a McIntosh fan, not for the sound but for the durability, repairability and timelessness of the sound quality. I can get the sound du jour for way less money, but if I'm going to spend thousands, I want it to keep working for decades and I don't want it to sound like it was tuned for the year I bought it. From what I can tell, the McIntosh sound is pretty consistent from one decade to the next.

[chelle]

Thanks Steve! My absolutely adore vintage audio. I have many pieces from the 70s that I listen to on a daily basis. I love the look, sound, and feel of them. I haven't ventured into tube equipment yet but that will probably be my next step.

[Aswaguespack]

Vintage equipment can be very fine but there will likely be capacitors that are out of tolerance and need replacement with the appropriate value and not all modem components may be the best match for audio purposes. A knowledgeable technician who knows what components are suitable matches for vintage audio should be considered prior to a restoration.

Here’s my Thumbs UP on today’s program. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[brandonburr]

I'm surprised this vintage macintosh piece wasn't gone through before letting you have it. I hope they do this with all the vinage gear they seel. Obviously some of the parts are hard or impossible to find and some of the vintage tubes in them are $$$. I'm not a macintosh fan boy but I do know they stuff has a legendary following for all these years for a reason. All their gear can still be serviced. Also macintosh gear has some of the best resale value in the industry. It tends to keeps its value or even go up. Can't say that about some of today's gear.