McIntosh C49

McIntosh C49: used price, DA1 versus DA2, what changed from the C47, and what to check before you buy

By HiFi Registry Staff · Published November 1, 2026

In short: The C49 is McIntosh's mid-line solid-state preamplifier with a built-in DAC, MM and MC phono, and a headphone amplifier. It was announced in May 2019 at $5,000, replaced the C47 in the range, and now sits on McIntosh's retired list at a final price of $6,500, with a few dealers still showing new stock. Used examples have been selling at dealers for roughly $3,600 to $4,000, which is 55 to 62 percent of the final list price. HiFi Registry's recorded sales for this model are in the table further down the page. Prices checked November 1, 2026.

Versions and years

There is one version of the C49. The variable is the digital module inside it: every C49 left the factory with the DA1, and an optional dealer-installed DA2 upgrade has been available since November 2019. A used unit may have either. The lineage matters because the C47 before it is the same chassis with the previous digital section, and the C45 and C46 before that are analog-only preamps that share the model number series and little else. The C48 (2010 to 2015) sat between them; McIntosh's legacy page gives its years but we have not verified its specifications, so it is left out of the table.

McIntosh does not print years on the C49 page. The 2019 start is from the May 21, 2019 announcement, which quoted US shipping that month. The C49 is not on McIntosh's legacy list; it is on the retired-products page marked "limited availability," and McIntosh has not named a replacement. The current solid-state preamplifiers are the C55, which McIntosh describes as the successor to the C53, the new CS7500 streaming preamplifier, and the C12000 flagship. None of those is positioned where the C49 was.

Specs that matter

• Analog inputs: two balanced, three unbalanced, one MM phono, one MC phono. MM loading 47k ohms with 50 to 800 pF in 50 pF steps; MC loading 25, 50, 100, 200, 400 or 1,000 ohms
• Digital inputs (DA1 module): two coax, two optical, one USB, one MCT for McIntosh SACD transports. Coax, optical and MCT to 24-bit/192 kHz; USB to 32-bit/384 kHz, DXD and DSD256. No HDMI on the DA1
• DA2 upgrade: adds an audio-only HDMI ARC input with CEC, DSD512 over USB, Dolby and DTS downmix to two channels, and a newer Quad Balanced eight-channel 32-bit DAC. $1,000 when announced in November 2019; SkyFi quotes $1,500 for the dealer-installed kit today
• Outputs: two variable balanced, two variable unbalanced, one fixed unbalanced. Maximum 16 V balanced, 8 V unbalanced
• Headphone: 1/4 inch High Drive output for 100 to 600 ohm loads, with Headphone Crossfeed Director (HXD)
• Gain 15 dB line, 40 dB MM, 60 dB MC; signal to noise 100 dB line, 82 dB MM, 80 dB MC; THD 0.005 percent
• Volume in 214 steps of 0.5 dB; input level trim plus or minus 6 dB; bass and treble plus or minus 12 dB with bypass; Home Theater PassThru; Roon Tested
• Control: one main and two trigger Power Control outputs, four data ports, RS232, IR input
• 23 lb, 17.5 x 6 x 18 inches, black glass front with aluminum end caps
• US list: $5,000 at launch (May 2019), $6,500 at retirement. Dealers were still quoting $6,500 for new stock in November 2026
• Warranty: 3 years, original owner only, void if bought anywhere but an authorized McIntosh dealer. Glass panels and trim excluded except for defects reported within 30 days

The C49's analog section, output count and chassis are the same as the C47's. What you pay extra for is the module socket, the second coax input and the DAC inside the DA1.

Used prices

HiFi Registry's recorded sales for the C49 are in the table below this guide. What the wider market shows, as of this writing:

• Dealer certified units: The Music Room has sold C49s at $3,999 (cosmetic 9, two years old), $3,799 (cosmetic 9, under a year old) and $3,749 (cosmetic 8). Its current asking prices are $3,899 and $3,599, both described as very good condition with light scuffs on the faceplate columns or chassis edges. All of those are DA1 units where the module is stated. That puts a clean example at roughly 55 to 62 percent of the $6,500 final list, and the two current asks suggest the range is drifting down.
• SkyFi Audio has listed single-owner pre-loved units at cosmetic 8 and "lightly used," sold by phone with no published price, and still shows a factory-sealed new unit at $6,500 for in-store pickup.
• C47 for comparison: The Music Room is asking $3,199 for a cosmetic 8 C47 against a $4,500 original retail. A used C47 therefore runs about $400 to $800 below a used C49. You give up the module socket, the second coax input and the newer DAC, and keep the same analog inputs, phono stage and headphone output.

Private sales will usually land below the dealer numbers, since those include a bench check and a dealer warranty. A C49 with the DA2 already fitted should command a premium, because the upgrade costs $1,000 to $1,500 installed, but none of the dealer listings above had one.

What to check before buying

1. Find out which module is fitted. The DA1 has no HDMI socket; a DA2 does. Ask for a rear panel photo. A seller who says "upgraded DAC" without an HDMI port on the back is describing the DA1.
2. Decide whether you need the DA2 at all. The DA1 is DSD256, DXD and 24/192 on every input. Unless you want HDMI ARC from a TV or DSD512, the $1,000 to $1,500 upgrade buys little, and the Part-Time Audiophile review called the DA1 "probably the best built in DAC I've heard over the past year."
3. Phono stage. Play a record on both the MM and MC inputs, step through the loading values from the front panel or remote, and confirm the display changes and the sound follows.
4. Every digital input. Feed the USB, both coax, both optical and the MCT if you own a McIntosh transport. A Windows computer needs McIntosh's USB driver for the DA1, so bring a laptop with it installed if that is how you will use it.
5. Headphone output. It is specified for 100 to 600 ohm headphones. Try your own pair; low-impedance IEMs are outside the design range.
6. Chassis and glass. The dealer deductions on the listings above were scuffs on the faceplate side columns and nicks on the top edges. Ask for photos under direct light. Glass is excluded from the McIntosh warranty after 30 days even on a new unit.
7. Remote, manual and factory packaging. The HR085 remote and the carton with its foam are what certified dealers list as complete. Ship it in the factory box or not at all.
8. Warranty. The 3 year coverage was for the original purchaser only and ended on resale. A used C49 is sold without McIntosh warranty; a dealer may add its own. The exception is the dealer new-old-stock at $6,500, which carries the full 3 years.

Who it is for, and what else to consider

The C49 is for the buyer who wants a McIntosh solid-state line stage, a proper MM and MC phono input and a competent DAC in one 23 lb box, and who does not need the C55's eight-band equalizer, output meters, second phono input or HDMI. Home Theater HiFi's Jim Milton called it "an audio component to aspire to" and described the sound as "lush and full" and not fatiguing. Part-Time Audiophile reviewed it with the MC312, found the pair had "a subtle warmth," and judged the C49 the better product of the two.

Within McIntosh, the C47 is the cheaper way into the same chassis if you can live with the fixed digital section. The C52 and C53, and now the C55, are the step up with more inputs and, on the C55, the eight-band equalizer, output meters and a second phono input. If you would rather have tubes, the C2600 and C2700 use the same DA1 and DA2 modules. McIntosh's brochure names the MC312 and MC152 as companion amplifiers; a MC462 is the common choice when the budget allows.

Frequently asked questions

What is a used McIntosh C49 worth? Dealer certified units have been selling for about $3,600 to $4,000 against a $6,500 final list price. Private sales typically land below that. See the recorded sales table for what has actually changed hands on HiFi Registry.

What is the difference between the C47 and the C49? Same chassis, same analog inputs and outputs, same phono stage and headphone output. The C49 puts the digital section on a replaceable DA1 module, adds a second coaxial input and uses an eight-channel 32-bit DAC in Quad Balanced mode. The C47's digital section is fixed.

Does the C49 have HDMI? Not as shipped. The DA1 module has no HDMI. The dealer-installed DA2 upgrade adds one audio-only HDMI ARC input with CEC control.

Can the DA1 module be upgraded? Yes. McIntosh released the DA2 upgrade kit in November 2019 at $1,000. It must be installed by an authorized McIntosh dealer or service agency; SkyFi currently quotes $1,500 for the kit and installation.

Is the C49 still made? McIntosh lists it as retired with limited availability and has not named a successor. Some dealers still show new stock at $6,500 as of November 2026.

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: C47, C52, C53, C2700, MC312, MC152
• Live McIntosh listings on HiFi Registry
• Sell your C49 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