McIntosh CS7500 2-Channel Streaming Preamplifier

Features Preamplifier and network streamer in a single component 6 analog inputs: 2 balanced, 3 unbalanced, 1 phono 7 digital audio inputs High-resolution network streaming built in Black glass front panel with blue meters and illuminated logo Elevated chassis with custom-machined brushed end caps Most systems that stream well have two boxes doing it, a preamplifier and a separate streamer, plus the cable between them and the shelf space for both. The CS7500 collapses that into one component without treating the streaming side as an afterthought bolted onto a preamp, or the preamp side as a formality wrapped around a streamer. Analog and digital, both taken seriously Six analog inputs cover the sources you already own, including a dedicated phono input for a turntable, alongside two balanced and three unbalanced connections. Seven digital inputs handle everything else. The point of the design is that you don't give anything up on the analog side to get modern streaming, which is a trade a lot of streaming preamplifiers quietly ask you to make. Room to grow Because the CS7500 is a preamplifier rather than an integrated amplifier, the amplification choice stays open, you can pair it with what suits the speakers and the room now, and change that later without replacing the heart of the system. For a lot of listeners that flexibility is the whole argument for going with separates. Unmistakably McIntosh The black glass front panel, blue meters, illuminated logo, and machined end caps are all present, sitting on an elevated chassis. It looks like what it is. We're happy to demonstrate the CS7500 against a separates setup so you can hear what the streaming section actually does. Reach out to arrange a listen.