Mcintosh MC352 / 2102

The 380S is a great preamp. I use the Mcintosh C2200 tube preamp with my 352 to give it a more natural presentation. If you go to the 2102 the 380S will probably give you that same effect as the reverse tube/SS combo C2200/352. Very similar results in the end. I used a 38S with the 2102 but now use a Mcintosh C42 in that system.

Ljgj: I also have the Mac C-2200 pre-amp. It feeds a C. J. Premiere 11a tubed amp. I have a question. Do you use a balanced or single-ended cable between your CD player and the C-2200? I use a Nirvana SX Ltd. balanced cable for this, and wonder if single-ended would be more musical.

I have tried both and find the Balanced LAT International to be quite musical and a bit better than the single ended version. I have a Chord DAC 64 fed from an Electrocompaniet ECM used as a transport.

I have a mc352/c42 combo, I do agree sticking with the 352 it has the tube sound in a SS amp but takeing the source signal and running it through a tube preamp make`s great sence, thats what I`m going to do replace the c42, but with what preamp, my three pre`s in this order BAT vk51 (could be upgraded to a SE later) Mcintosh c2200, LAMM LL1 the LAMM is single ended but no remote. I`ve ran xlr and single ended and I felt xlr`s were a little better for my ears. My first tube peice was a BAT vkp-5 phono stage and I was amazed with the results so Im going with tube`s for a preamp but I`m keeping the 352 I may try a Virtual Dynamic power cord, it`s got a PS Audio statement on it now, thank`s for the tip Sinosin. David

Hagbert: I use Tara Labs Air 1 XLR between my VK51SE and the MC352. Both the Mc352 and VK51SE are true balanced design. I do like the sound better with the balanced connection, the sound was already great using single ended cable (with an adapter) but when I put in the XLR it gave me more of everything, not by much but more and quietier. But like you said cable is so system dependent. It sounds good in one system does not mean it sounds good in the other. When I was auditioning all those preamps I got a hold of a Tara Labs The One XLR cable. It did not like to be in between the Mc352 and VK51SE. All the air, the harmonic went away, the sound stage collapsed. But then I put it in between the ARC Ref2 MKII and the MC352, it did wonders, unbelievable is the word and if I were to buy the ARC I will have to buy that cable too. System matching is the key.