C2600

2-Channel Vacuum Tube Preamplifier

Supports DSD64, DSD128 & DSD256 files
Upgraded tube circuitry design

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3 Year Limited Warranty

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C2600

2-Channel Vacuum Tube Preamplifier

3 Year Limited Warranty

Print this page

COMPARE

Ask an Expert

Add to WishlistRemove From Wishlist

FIND A DEALER

AudioStream
2018 Editor's Choice
Highly
Recommended
Best Preamplifier
2018 Rocky Mountain
International HiFi Press
The C2300 was one of the most admired McIntosh vacuum tube preamplifiers ever made. Its successor the C2500 has been even more popular. Building upon those successes is the C2600 which incorporates the best of the previous models while adding our advanced digital audio section and upgraded tube circuitry design.

The C2600 is a versatile vacuum tube preamplifier with an expansive set of 16 inputs to connect virtually all your analog or digital music sources. For audio purity, the analog and digital sections are housed separately in our dual chassis design to prevent signal corruption. Analog inputs include 3 balanced, 4 unbalanced plus 1 each dedicated Moving Magnet and Moving Coil phono inputs. Digital inputs consist of 3 optical, 2 coax, 1 USB and 1 McIntosh exclusive MCT connection. Three sets of balanced and unbalanced analog outputs will connect the C2600 to your amplifier.

"Lately, I've reviewed a few preamplifiers that are priced much higher than this preamp, but when I put the McIntosh C2600 in my system I was pleasantly surprised. I was not only surprised with its sonic performance, but that this performance comes with so many features. Its number of inputs, tone controls, programmability, not to mention high-performance internal DAC and superb phono section." - EnjoyTheMusic.com

The C2600 features a 32-bit/384kHz, DSD digital-to-analog-converter (DAC). The optical and coax inputs will decode digital music at up to 24-bit/192kHz for high resolution audio playback. The C2600 is also capable of decoding and playing DSD files; the USB input accepts PCM signals up to 32-bit/384kHz and supports DSD64, DSD128 and DSD256 plus DXD 352.8kHz and DXD 384kHz. When paired with the MCT500 SACD/CD Transport, the proprietary MCT input offers a secure DSD connection for playback of the high definition audio found on SACDs in order to deliver the purest possible sound quality.

"The McIntosh C2600 is among the finest preamplifiers we've tested. It has everything you need in one cabinet, which looks much more expensive than it is. The sound of C2600 is so natural, and it does not matter what kind of input you use." - Lyd & Bilde

With the C2600, all inputs can be renamed to your preference and are available all of the time, giving you more freedom to configure your system. The outputs have also been updated to be easier to operate when bi-amping or tri-amping so that your highs and/or lows are not accidentally turned off. Bass and treble tone controls can adjust individual sources as needed. For headphone listening, the addition of Headphone Crossfeed Director (HXD^®) brings an added dimension to your music. The Home Theater Pass Through feature allows for seamless integration into your multi-channel home theater system.

The C2600 is one of many McIntosh products to receive Roon Tested designation from Roon Labs. It has been profiled and tested by both Roon and McIntosh for maximum compatibility. Roon will recognize it and send it audio optimized for its capabilities. No fiddling with checkboxes or dropdowns, Roon Tested devices are automatically identified and configured out of the box for a superior customer experience.

The C2600 features classic McIntosh design cues that not only blend with existing systems but also with any room décor. It can be paired with a variety of amplifiers, speakers, room correction devices, CD players, turntables and tuners to make a complete home audio system. Contact your local dealer to learn more.

Specifications
Electronic Specifications
- Number of Channels
  
  2
- Total Harmonic Distortion
  
  0.08%
- Frequency Response
  
  +0, -0.5dB from 20Hz to 20kHz
  +0, -3dB from 15Hz to 100kHz
- Maximum Volts Out (Balanced / Unbalanced)
  
  16V RMS / 8V RMS
- Sensitivity High Level (Balanced / Unbalanced)
  
  900mV / 450mV
- Sensitivity Phono (Moving Coil)
  
  0.45mV
- Sensitivity Phono (Moving Magnet)
  
  4.5mV
- Signal To Noise Ratio (High Level)
  
  100dB
- Signal To Noise Ratio (Moving Coil)
  
  75dB
- Signal To Noise Ratio (Moving Magnet)
  
  75dB
- Voltage Gain (High Level)
  
  15dB
- Voltage Gain (Moving Coil)
  
  60dB
- Voltage Gain (Moving Magnet)
  
  40dB
- Input Impedance (Balanced / Unbalanced)
  
  44K ohm, 22K ohm
Connectivity
- Balanced Input
  
  3
- Unbalanced Input
  
  4
- Phono Input Moving Coil
  
  1 (adjustable)
- Phono Input Moving Magnet
  
  1 (adjustable)
- Upgradeable Digital Audio Module
  
  No
- Digital Coaxial Input
  
  2
- Digital Optical Input
  
  3
- Digital MCT (DIN) Input
  
  1
- Digital USB Input
  
  1
- HDMI (ARC) Input
  
  0
- Digital AES/EBU Input
  
  0
- Balanced Fixed Output
  
  0
- Balanced Variable Output
  
  3
- Unbalanced Fixed Output
  
  1
- Unbalanced Variable Output
  
  3
- Headphone Output
  
  1/4" High Drive with Headphone Crossfeed Director (HXD^®)
- Input Level Match
  
  Yes, +/- 6dB
- Home Theater PassThru
  
  Yes
- Unbalanced Analog Connector Type
  
  Premium gold-plated solid brass
- Service Port
  
  0
Control
- Tone Controls
  
  Bass and Treble
- Tone Bypass and Input Assign
  
  Yes
- RS232 Control Input
  
  Yes
- Power Control Output
  
  1 Main, 4 Trigger
- Rear Panel Data Port
  
  6
- Rear Panel IR Sensor Input
  
  Yes
General Specifications
- Multi-Chassis or Single
  
  Single, two layer
- Output Meters
  
  Yes
- Vacuum Tube or Solid State
  
  Vacuum Tube
  (5) 12AX7a and (1) 12AT7
- Power Consumption (On)
  
  50 Watts
Weights & Dimensions
- Dimensions (W x H x D)
  
  17.5" (44.45cm) x 7.625" (19.37cm) x 18" (45.72cm)
- Weight
  
  29.5 lbs (13.4kg)
- Shipping Weight
  
  45 lbs (20.4kg)

Downloads

Product Literature	User Documents	Software Updates
C2600 Preamplifier Brochure (2.07 MB)	C2600 Preamplifier Owner's Manual (5.95 MB) C2600 Preamplifier Input, Output and Control Connection Diagrams (1.4 MB) C2600 Preamplifier Passthru and Rear Panel Connections (0.81 MB) C2600 Preamplifier Input Assignment Chart (0.13 MB) Important Additional Operation Information Guide - Lithium Batteries (4.91 MB) Tech Tips: Preferred Computer Settings to Play DSD & DXD over McIntosh USB Input (2.58 MB)	For units with DA1 Digital Audio Module: McIntosh USB Audio Windows Driver D v2.0 (compatible with Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10) (If v1.0 of driver is installed, it must be uninstalled before installing v2.0.) (4.53 MB)

Reviews & Awards

Reviews & Awards
C2600 Review Enjoy The Music February 2017 C2600 Review Lyd & Bilde January 12, 2018

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C2600

2-Channel Vacuum Tube Preamplifier

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Home Audio Electronic Products
3 Year Limited Warranty

Welcome to the family of McIntosh owners. This is the Warranty for your new McIntosh Home Electronic Product (the “Product”). Your Product has been designed to give many years of trouble-free performance. Nonetheless, failures do sometimes occur even with equipment as well-built as McIntosh’s. Therefore, please read this Warranty carefully, because it contains rights, as well as limitations, exclusions, and obligations, which in the event of such a failure may be very important to you. If after reading it thoroughly, you have any questions about the Warranty, please do not hesitate to write or telephone McIntosh at the address or phone number shown on the back of this warranty. Please note that this is the only Warranty which McIntosh provides for your Product, and that no one, including your dealer, has any authority to either modify or expand upon this Warranty. If your dealer has offered or made any warranties or representations concerning the Product which differ from those contained in this Warranty, they are strictly between you and the dealer, and will neither be binding upon McIntosh nor change any of the provisions in this Warranty. Please also note, that if your Product ever does require Warranty service, obtaining such service will be much easier if you have completed and returned the enclosed Warranty Registration Card. So please take a minute to fill out and return the Registration Card now, before you become too distracted by the great sounds coming from your new McIntosh Product!

Scope and Duration of Warranty
Subject to the terms and conditions stated below, McIntosh Laboratory, Inc. (“McIntosh”) warrants to the original owner that this Product shall be free from defects in workmanship or materials for a term of three (3) years from the date when it was purchased from an Authorized McIntosh Dealer. Provided, however, that rather than the three (3) years of coverage afforded the Product generally, where applicable, vacuum tubes contained in our Products are warranted for 90 days from the date of purchase, hard disc drives and projector lamps contained in our Products are warranted for one (1) year from the date of purchase.

Limitations on Persons and Products Covered by this Warranty
This Warranty and all rights provided here under are limited to the original owner. In the event that the original owner transfers ownership of the Product prior to expiration of the three-(3) year term, this Warranty shall terminate in its entirety upon the date of such transfer. In addition, McIntosh does not warrant in any way Products which are purchased from anyone who is not an Authorized McIntosh Dealer, or which have had their Serial Numbers altered or defaced. Therefore this Warranty is void and inapplicable if this Product has been purchased from someone other than an Authorized McIntosh Dealer, or has had its original Serial Numbers altered or defaced.

Geographical Limitations
McIntosh directly warrants all Products which are purchased in the United States or Canada, and Warranty only applies while such Products are used in the United States or Canada. Products purchased outside the United States or Canada, used outside the United States or Canada, and failures occurring outside the United States or Canada, are covered under separate warranty terms as determined by the Authorized McIntosh Distributor in the applicable country. Questions regarding the availability and scope of warranty coverage in such situations should be directed to the Authorized McIntosh Distributor in the applicable country.

Limitations on Third Party Services and Data Sources
Certain McIntosh Products include an interface that enables access to services (including data) that are provided by third parties unrelated to McIntosh (such as, by way of example only, Amazon Cloud, Spotify, Gracenote, etc.). Some of these services require separate customer subscriptions and some do not; and some may be supported by and compatible with the McIntosh Product while others may not. Merely providing the capability to access such services is not to be construed as making McIntosh the provider of, or responsible for, the services, or for continuing to support or make such access available; and McIntosh expressly disclaims any such responsibility. Because McIntosh cannot control the providers of such services or the services themselves, and similarly cannot control the communication systems and networks that connect the Products’ interfaces to the services, McIntosh cannot and does not warrant against, and shall have no liability of any kind for, any of the following that are related to third party services, the providers of those services, or the systems or networks by which the McIntosh Product communicates with the services: (i) unavailability, lack of compatibility or functionality, interruption, discontinuance, or loss of service, or other unsatisfactory performance, act, or omission; (ii) loss or unauthorized use or disclosure of, or damage to, personal information, recordings, or other data; (iii) reduced functionality of the McIntosh Product; or (iv) any other loss or damage of any kind. McIntosh likewise does not warrant against, and shall have no liability for, any failure of its Products to satisfactorily process any externally sourced data where such failure is attributable in whole or in part to the makeup of the data itself or to a non-McIntosh product, system, or service that is the source of the data or that provides access to the data.

What McIntosh will do under the Warranty
In the event of any defect covered by this Warranty, McIntosh shall without charge provide all parts, materials, and labor necessary to restore the Product to its original specifications. After repair, McIntosh shall return the Product to its owner at the owner’s expense. In the alternative, McIntosh may at its sole option either replace the Product without charge, or if replacement is not commercially practicable or repair or replacement cannot be accomplished within a reasonable time, McIntosh may refund the purchase price of the Product, subject where appropriate to reasonable depreciation for actual use in accordance with applicable laws, in full satisfaction of its warranty obligations. McIntosh or its Authorized Service Agency will undertake to complete the repair and return of the Product as soon as circumstances permit, unless prevented by causes beyond their reasonable control.

Limitations on McIntosh’s Obligations under the Warranty
McIntosh’s sole Obligation under this Warranty shall be to repair or replace the Product, or at its option refund the purchase price, as provided for hereinabove. McIntosh does not warrant against, nor shall it be liable for, any of the following: removal or installation charges; shipping expenses either to or from McIntosh or its Authorized Service Agency; loss of use; property damage of any kind; or other incidental or consequential damages or losses of any kind.

Note: Some states do not allow exclusion or limitation of consequential damages, so the foregoing exclusions may not apply to you.

Parts and Occurrences that are not Covered by the Warranty
This Warranty does not cover any of the following: (a) glass panels, cabinetry, trim, or other appearance items (except where they are defective at the time of original sale and the Product is delivered for repair within the first thirty (30) days thereafter); (b) batteries, or damage to the Product caused by failure of batteries; (c) or damage to the Product caused by failure of projector lamp; (d) loss of, or damage or corruption to, digital data, files, or other information content of any kind, regardless of cause; (e) failures arising from accident, catastrophe, misuse, neglect, or failure to properly connect and operate the Product in accordance with the accompanying instructions; (f) failures arising from improper installation or removal of the Product; or (g) failures arising from any tampering, alteration, or damage to the Product or attempted servicing of the Product by anyone other than McIntosh or an Authorized McIntosh Service Agency; and McIntosh shall have no liability or obligation of any kind with respect to any of the foregoing types of failures.

What the Owner must do to obtain service under this Warranty
To obtain service under this Warranty, the owner must at the owner’s expense arrange for any necessary de-installation of the Product, and deliver or ship the Product to McIntosh at the address below, or to an Authorized McIntosh Service Agency, properly packaged, prepaid, and insured at the owner’s expense. In addition, the owner must provide evidence that the Product is at the time of delivery within the scope of his Warranty, by either having completed and submitted to McIntosh on a timely basis the accompanying Warranty Registration Card, or by including the original sales receipt (photocopies are not acceptable) with the Product when it is delivered for repair.

What the Owner must Pay For
As noted above, the owner must pay any expense of removing the Product from its installation, and must pay any expenses for delivery of the Product to McIntosh or the Authorized McIntosh Service Agency. Upon return of the Product to the owner following repair, it shall be the owner’s responsibility to pay for the shipping charges incurred in return of the Product, as well as to arrange and pay for any re-installation which may be required. In addition, it shall be the owner’s obligation to pay for any repairs made to any Product for which the owner has neither completed and submitted the Warranty Registration Card at the time of purchase nor included the original sales receipt with the Product when delivered for service, at McIntosh’s or its Authorized Service Agency’s then-current repair rates.

How to learn where the nearest Authorized McIntosh Service Agency is, or obtain answers to other questions concerning this Warranty
In order to learn the name and address of the nearest Authorized McIntosh Service Agency, obtain instructions for shipment of a covered Product to McIntosh, or obtain the answers to any other questions you may have concerning this Warranty, you may telephone McIntosh’s Customer Service Department between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, at +1-888-979-3737 (or +1-607-723-3512) or write to McIntosh at 2 Chambers Street, Binghamton, New York 13903-2699, Attention: Customer Service Department or visit the “Contact Us” area of the McIntosh Web Site at www.mcintoshlabs.com.

Note: This Warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state.

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Specifications

Electronic Specifications

Connectivity

Control

General Specifications

Weights & Dimensions

Downloads

Reviews & Awards

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ASK AN EXPERT:

C2600

2-Channel Vacuum Tube Preamplifier

Home Audio Electronic Products 3 Year Limited Warranty

Eligible for online purchase?

Compare Products:

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Home Audio Electronic Products
3 Year Limited Warranty