McIntosh DS200 Streaming DAC – First Look

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McIntosh have released the Ds200 Streaming DAC. The DS200 is designed with the recognizable and timeless McIntosh aesthetics including a black glass front faceplate, silver rotary control knobs, green illuminated logo, and custom machined aluminum end caps. Various data and control ports support its seamless integration with both other McIntosh components and more advanced installations. Coming with its own remote control, no special control app or technical skills are needed to use the DS200. You can easily stream your favorite music directly to the DS200 from your smart device, while enjoying listening to it in premium sound quality on your home audio system through the built-in, high-end Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC).

The DS200 supports all major streaming apps and technologies, to include; Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Apple AirPlay 2, Bluetooth and Google Cast. The dual Wi-Fi antennas, Bluetooth antenna, and Ethernet port ensures reliable connectivity, while compatibility with Google Assistant offers convenient voice control. It is Roon Ready and comes with a Roon Tested certification. For Bluetooth streaming, the DS200 utilizes Bluetooth 5.0, the high bitrate Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) standard, and Qualcomm aptX HD for hi res audio playback. It also includes Qualcomm aptX Low Latency, which improves audio transmission speed to deliver sound in sync with applicable visual media.

No special control app is needed to use the DS200, with the front panel controls and supplied remote providing simple access to all functions. Its analog outputs can also be switched to variable output for connecting directly to a power amplifier, in order to control the volume in a digital audio setup. You can easily stream your favorite music directly to the DS200 from your smart device, while listening to it using the built-in, high-end Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC). This internal DAC features a next-generation Quad Balanced 8-channel, 32-bit DAC, that supports a wide dynamic range, low distortion and high-resolution playback with eight digital audio inputs, including DSD512 and DXD up to 384KHz via USB and 24-bit/192KHz via coax and optical inputs. Also available is an HDMI (ARC) input that provides enhanced audio from TVs, converting Dolby and DTS multi-channel formats into two-channel audio for superior playback.

Rear panel wired signal connectivity is quite comprehensive and includes; both balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA stereo analog outputs, with digital input connectivity including; 2 x optical, 2 x coaxial, 1 x AES/EBU, 1 x MCT, 1 x USB B2.0, 1 x HDMI (ARC) and 1 x RJ45 Ethernet. Control is available using; RS232, data, IR and 12VDC, all supported on 3.5mm connectors.

For more information visit the McIntosh web site.

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