McIntosh C1100 Tube Preamplifier - Flagship Two Chassis - Pre-Loved

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General:
This is one of the best preamps McIntosh ever made. All analog with no pesky DAC's that will be outdated in a year.

First launched in September of 2015 with the lowest noise of any McIntosh preamplifier ever produced.

Featuring a Dual-Chassis and Dual-Mono design.

The phono section is also superb with no need to go external.

This C1100 is like new and well cared for. It comes to you complete with the original McIntosh remote, manual, and double shipping cartons.

We also checked with McIntosh service in order to review and apply any outstanding service bulletins and firmware updates to both chassis.

SkyFi Cosmetic Notes:
Some hairline scratches on the stainless steel chassis. Overall very good.

From McIntosh:
• Dual Chassis with Dual Mono Design
The Dual Chassis design completely separates all power supply, microprocessor and control circuits from the pure audio circuits for total noise isolation. To further aid in channel isolation, the circuitry for both channels is totally separate, physically isolated and shielded. The C1100C incorporates two identical power supplies one for each channel, to help assure total channel isolation.

• Fully Balanced Circuitry
The C1100T utilizes the very latest in Fully Balanced Circuitry from the Input Connectors all the way to the Output Connectors for the lowest possible noise and distortion.

• Electromagnetic Input Switching with Level Trim Adjustment
Digital Logic integrated circuits drive Electromagnetic Switches on all Inputs and operating functions for reliable, noiseless, distortion free switching. All the Inputs on the C1100T can be matched in level, so there are no abrupt changes in volume levels between the different Inputs.

• Moving Coil and Moving Magnet Phono Inputs
The C1100T has two precision Phono Preamplifier Circuits, one for Moving Coil Phono Cartridges and the other for Moving Magnet Cartridges. Both phono inputs have selectable loading. The circuits use the latest designs providing the lowest possible noise and distortion. The close tolerance resistors and capacitors used in the RIAA Correction Equalization Circuitry provide an extremely flat frequency response.

• Precision Tracking Volume Control
Volume levels are controlled by a Precision Balanced Digitally Controlled Attenuator System with an Optical Encoder Rotary Control. This assures a 0.1dB tracking accuracy between channels. There are 214 individual 0.5dB volume level steps with no noise as the volume level is changed.

• HXD® for Headphones
The C1100T Headphone Crossfeed Director Circuitry (HXD® ) improves the sound localization for Head- phone Listening. HXDTM restores the directionality component of the spatial sound stage normally heard with Loudspeaker listening.

• Dual Special Power Supply
Two fully separate and regulated Power Supplies with special R-Core Power Transformers ensure stable noise free operation even though the power line varies.

Brand Background:
McIntosh Laboratory is an American manufacturer of handcrafted high-end audio equipment based in Binghamton, New York. The company was founded in 1949 by Frank McIntosh. The company designs and produces audio amplifiers, stereo tuners and other consumer electronics products.

Ownership:
Single Owner

Connections:
RCA, XLR, Power Control, IEC Power

General Sound:
Big beautiful musical sound with little fatigue.

Cosmetic Condition:
8/10 = Very Good. Excellent front faceplate, one minor flaw on chassis side or top. See our detailed rating description here.

Working Condition:
Working perfectly and tested in our lab and listening room.

Included:
Everything like when it arrived new

Packing:
Original Manufacturers Packing

Specs:
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD):
- High Level: 0.005%
- Phono: 0.05%

Frequency Response:
- 20Hz to 20kHz (+0, -0.5dB)
- 10Hz to 100kHz (+0, -3dB)

Maximum Voltage Output:
- Balanced: 20V RMS
- Unbalanced: 10V RMS

Rated Output Voltage:
- Balanced: 5V RMS
- Unbalanced: 2.5V RMS

Input Sensitivity:
- Varies by input type (not specified here)

Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR):
- High Level: 107dB
- Moving Coil: 79dB
- Moving Magnet: 77dB

Voltage Gain:
- High Level: 15dB
- Moving Coil: 60dB
- Moving Magnet: 40dB

Input Impedance:
- Balanced: 50K ohms
- Unbalanced: 25K ohms

Tubes Used:
- (6) 12AX7a tubes
- (6) 12AT7 tubes

Power Consumption: 75 watts (On)

Dimensions - Each Chassis:
17.5" (44.45cm) x 6" (15.24cm) x 18" (45.7cm)

Weight - Both Chassis:
52 lbs (The C1100C Controller is 27 lbs and the C1100T preamplifier is 25 lbs).

Approximate Age:
2018

Recommended Cables:
Kimber Kable - RCA Interconnects - Better

Kimber Kable - RCA Interconnects - Best

Kimber Kable - Phono Interconnects

Kimber Kable - BALANCED XLR Connectors - Better

Kimber Kable - BALANCED XLR Connectors - Best

Kimber Kable - Power Cords - Better

Kimber Kable - Power Cords - Best

Testing Process:
We start with a visual inspection of all internal components to make sure that there are no signs of heat stress or damage. Capacitors are checked for telltale signs of predictive failure including bulging, shrunken wrappers, or physical leakage. We also inspect the PCBs for discoloration from resistors or transistors that may have been running hot. On vintage units we often spot check select capacitors for value and ESR.

When we first power on a preamplifier we connect its RCA output to a Sencore PA81 Power Analyzer which simulates real world loading conditions and gives us an oscilloscope interface.

The first order of business is checking that the volume control works smoothly throughout its entire range with acceptable channel balance. This is accomplished by feeding a 1 KHz sine wave into one of the preamp’s line level inputs while monitoring the preamp’s output on an oscilloscope.

We then switch to a 1 KHz square wave to test the tone controls, loudness function, and filters where applicable. During this step we are watching for equal alteration of the test signal by both channels. This also helps us identify dirty controls that will need treatment.

Once the basic line stage functions are verified, we test each input individually. This is especially important for devices that use relays to select their sources. If the preamp is equipped with a phono stage we test that as well. We use an inverse RIAA filter which allows us to feed a reference test signal into the phono input with the proper RIAA equalization and level. A square wave or sine sweep is used to verify that the device’s phono stage is faithfully reproducing the RIAA curve. If the preamp under test has balanced inputs and/or outputs these are tested as well.

We finish up our bench testing with a listening test with our bench amplifier and reference speakers. During this test we check for hum or hiss that may not have shown up in earlier testing. We also check that all of the tone controls and filters perform as expected.

If the preamplifier has remote control functions these are also tested. Preamps with tube circuits or complicated power supply topologies are connected at our long term test rig for extended stress testing under real world conditions.