Tag Archive for C26

C26 Volume Pot Replacement

The original 2-gang volume potentiometers in McIntosh C26 preamplifiers frequently suffered from poor gang error across the pot’s rotation, causing the stereo image to audibly change position as volume is changed.

We created a solution that uses a high resolution digitally-controlled analog attenuator to implement a new volume pot with extremely good tracking between channels. The original pot can either be replaced with a single gang linear pot with integral AC switch, or one gang of the original audio taper pot can be used as the control signal. Care was taken to ensure that the output attenuation versus pot rotation law matches that of the original C26 pot.

C26 Gold RCA Jack Replacement Kit

C26RCA

  • McIntosh C26 Gold RCA Kit

This kit is designed to replace the original nickel plated steel RCA jacks used in the McIntosh C26 preamplifier with a set of gold plated Switchcraft connectors. The original connectors tend to get loose with age, and in models that utilized an aluminum mounting plate, the interface between the connectors and the plate was susceptible to galvanic corrosion over time. This kit eliminates these issues while maintaining the original star ground scheme.

The kit includes a replacement RCA mounting plate, 21 RCA connectors, all necessary mounting hardware, and a printed installation guide with pictures.

Please note that installing this kit is an extensive process that will involve drilling out the original isolated rivets, removing the cables attached to all RCA jacks, mounting the new jack plate in place, and re-soldering all cables. If you do not have prior experience doing work of this caliber on similar electronics, please have a qualified service professional install this kit in your unit.