McIntosh C53 Stereo Preamplifier Preview

See the complete review for the Mcintosh C53 Stereo Preamplifier Review

The new C53 is the McIntosh company’s premiere solid-state stereo preamplifier.

Not only does it offer world-class sonics including a great sound stage, high transparency, and fine dynamics, but it also includes a defeatable eight-band equalizer, a home-theater bypass, and the company’s blue-illumination VU meters!

Unlike the majority of high-end preamplifiers that use the “straight-wire with gain” design philosophy, McIntosh has created a full control center in the C53 that, despite its extra circuitry, manages to compete with the very best of high-end preamplifiers. How is this possible? McIntosh incorporates some great technology that adds to the expected reliability of the preamp and uses that technology to overcome the traditional problems of complex preamplification designs that sacrifice sound quality in order to maximize features.

Don’t miss the upcoming McIntosh C53 Stereo Preamplifier review for additional details.

See the complete review for the Mcintosh C53 Stereo Preamplifier Review

Glenn Young

I learned to play the guitar in high school, hoping to persuade Berma Sanchez to date me, but alas, no such luck! In the late 1970s, a neighbor who was the station engineer for the local PBS network took me under his wing and taught me the electronics of audio reproduction. Throughout college, I used that knowledge to modify Dynaco vacuum tube equipment for friends. After graduation from LSU, I took a job in the chemical manufacturing industry, learning about industrial hygiene and the mechanics of hearing. In the 1990s I learned to write, initially as the newsletter editor for my local Safety Engineering chapter. In the early 2000s, I had my first book published (I’m now working on my third). A few years ago, the Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity website issued a call for authors. I responded and was excited to be selected. Over the years, I’ve published a number of equipment reviews and am honored, in 2019, to be given the title of “Senior Editor.” But none of the above offers the “why” of my interest in home audio. My musical tastes are highly diverse, and my love of music (acquired probably in the church choir of Grace Baptist Church) has been passed on to my daughter, who got her B.S. degree in music and her M.S. in violin performance and music education before being switching gears and then going on to graduate from Harvard Law. Although the majority of my extended group of friends and family prefer hobbies such as hunting, fishing, football games, etc., I’ve found that I still greatly enjoy time with my audio system and discovering new music. At some time in the fairly near future, my hearing will decline and I’ll no longer be able to listen analytically. But so long as my audiograms show acute hearing, I’ll keep doing what I enjoy best - listening to wonderful music and sharing my thoughts and impressions with like-minded friends.