McIntosh C22

McIntosh C22: used price, versions, and what to check before you buy

By HiFi Registry Staff · Published November 1, 2026

In short: The C22 is McIntosh's tube preamplifier, first sold in 1963 as the partner to the MC275 and reissued four times since. The current Mk V, on sale since 2020, lists at $7,500 in the US and has been selling used for roughly $5,000 to $5,700 at dealers. A 1960s original is a collector's piece priced on restoration and glass, and should not be averaged in with the modern unit. HiFi Registry's recorded sales for this model are in the table further down the page. Prices checked November 1, 2026.

Versions and years

McIntosh's legacy catalog numbers the versions Mk I through Mk V. Sellers often use the anniversary names instead, so both are given. Years are McIntosh's.

Where the sources disagree: The Absolute Sound puts the debut in 1962, McIntosh in 1963, and Nuts and Volts describes a five year run against McIntosh's 1972 end date. Hifido lists a Commemorative Edition built in 1995, a year before McIntosh's Mk II start. McIntosh dates the Mk IV from 2010, but the press release announcing it is from March 2015. TONE reports the Mk V's headphone jack as new, while SkyFi lists one on a Mk IV; check the unit. The Mk V is not an update of the Mk IV: McIntosh calls it the replacement for the C70 Limited Edition, the 70th Anniversary preamp of 2019.

Specs that matter (Mk V)

• Tubes: five 12AX7A, one 12AT7
• Inputs: two balanced, three unbalanced, one MM and one MC phono with front panel loading knobs. No digital inputs.
• Outputs: two pairs balanced, two pairs unbalanced, all variable, enough for two power amps
• Headphone: 1/4 inch High Drive output with Headphone Crossfeed Director (HXD)
• Gain 15 dB line, 40 dB MM, 60 dB MC; signal to noise 100 dB line, 75 dB phono; THD 0.08 percent
• Bass and treble in 2 dB steps, bypassable
• 25 lb, 17.5 x 6 x 18 inches
• US list: $7,500 at authorized dealers (November 2026)
• Warranty: 3 years, original owner only, void if bought anywhere but an authorized McIntosh dealer. Tubes 90 days. Glass panels and trim excluded except for defects reported within 30 days.

Earlier versions: no balanced connections on the original, one balanced output on the Mk IV against two pairs on the Mk V.

Used prices by version

HiFi Registry's recorded sales for the C22 are in the table below this guide. What the wider market shows, as of this writing:

• Mk V: The Music Room has sold certified units at $5,048 (cosmetic 9) and $5,669 (cosmetic 8), against a launch MSRP of $6,000 to $6,500 and a current list of $7,500. That is 67 to 76 percent of today's list. A German dealer is asking 5,900 euros for a 2022 unit.
• Mk IV: $4,999 for an 8 year old example at The Music Room, so Mk IV and Mk V trade close together.
• Mk III (60th Anniversary): $5,899 at The Music Room for a cosmetic 9 unit. With 120 sets made, it holds at or above Mk IV money.
• Commemorative Edition (Mk II): $3,999 sold at The Music Room; Hifido in Japan lists one at 389,091 yen.
• Originals: Nuts and Volts quotes $3,000 to $6,000 depending on condition. A private StereoNET listing in June 2026 asked $3,600 for a working, unrestored unit missing both covers. Restored examples from Aural HiFi and SkyFi sell without public prices; the restoration is a large part of what you pay for.

Treat any blended C22 average with care: a $7,500 current product and a $279 preamp from 1963 share a model number and little else.

What to check before buying

1. Confirm the version. Six 12AX7s means an original or a Mk IV; four 12AX7 and three 12AT7 is a Commemorative Edition; five 12AX7A and one 12AT7 is a Mk V, which also has the glass top window and green backlit faceplate.
2. Tubes. Ask for brand and hours. McIntosh-branded tubes are the factory set on a Mk V. Telefunken or other NOS tubes in an original add several hundred dollars, and sellers price them in.
3. Glass front panel on originals. The lettering is on the glass, lit from the edges by incandescent bulbs. Chips and worn lettering mean replacement glass, not a touch-up; Aural HiFi replaced both panes on a 1968 unit. Ask for photos under direct light, powered on.
4. Original versus replaced parts. Every vintage C22 has had, or needs, a power supply rebuild: multi-section filter capacitors, selenium rectifiers swapped for silicon, paper coupling caps. Ask what was done, by whom, and whether the Sprague coupling caps were kept.
5. Potentiometers and switches. Run every control with music playing. Crackle means a cleaning at minimum; dealer refurbishments routinely disassemble and clean the switches and pots.
6. Phono stage. Play a record at listening level, then rest the arm. Hum or hiss that differs between channels points to a tube or a cap. On the Mk IV and Mk V, confirm the loading knobs do something.
7. Warranty. A Mk V bought new from an authorized dealer carries 3 years for the first owner only. It ends on resale.

Who it is for, and what else to consider

The Mk V is for someone who wants a tube line stage with a serious built-in phono stage and no digital, in the retro McIntosh look, usually paired with an MC275. L&B Tech Reviews called it warm and engaging rather than strictly neutral, with a quiet phono input, and named the missing DAC as the only real drawback.

Within McIntosh, the C2700 and earlier C2600 are the tube preamps to compare if you want digital inputs in the box, and the C8 sits below it in the range. The C70 is the anniversary unit the Mk V came from. The partner for any C22 is the MC275.

Frequently asked questions

What is a used McIntosh C22 worth? A Mk V has been selling at dealers for about $5,000 to $5,700 against a $7,500 list. Originals run $3,000 to $6,000 depending on restoration. See the version notes above and the recorded sales table for what has actually changed hands.

How do I tell an original C22 from a reissue? Count the tubes and look at the back. An original has six 12AX7s, RCA connections only and no remote. A Commemorative Edition has 12AT7s in the mix and balanced outputs. A Mk IV has ten inputs with two balanced. A Mk V has a glass top window and two pairs of balanced outputs.

Does the C22 Mk V have a DAC or streaming? No. It is all-analog, line and phono inputs only.

Can the C22 Mk V drive headphones? Yes. It has a 1/4 inch High Drive headphone output with McIntosh's HXD crossfeed.

Is the C22 Mk V the same as the C70? McIntosh calls the Mk V the direct replacement for the 2019 C70 Limited Edition and says the two are very similar.

Does the McIntosh warranty transfer to a second owner? No. The 3 year warranty covers the original purchaser only, requires purchase from an authorized McIntosh dealer, and ends when the unit is sold.

Related

• A Buyer's Guide to McIntosh
• McIntosh comps: MC275, C2700, C8, C70, C2600
• Live McIntosh listings on HiFi Registry
• Sell your C22 on HiFi Registry, $25 flat, no commission

Written by HiFi Registry Staff. Not a review: HiFi Registry has not owned or auditioned this unit unless the text says so. Price ranges describe open-market sales and dealer asking prices observed on the review date and are not offers to buy or sell. How we research these guides