McIntosh’s Gorgeous New Hi-Fi Component Is for Serious Audiophiles – Gear Patrol
Add high-resolution streaming to your existing hi-fi setup.
By Tucker Bowe ·Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn moreDespite the big news this fall that McIntosh had been acquired by Bose, the New York-based luxury audio brand isn’t changing its tune — it continues to churn out gorgeous audiophile-grade hi-fi components reserved for music enthusiasts with deep pockets.In December, McIntosh released the MSA5500, a $8,000 high-end streaming amplifier. This week, it revealed an equally stunning streaming DAC: the McIntosh DS200. The McIntosh DS200 is a streaming DAC (or network player) built in the same vein as its recently released MSA5500 streaming amplifier. It offers most of the same streaming and high-resolution playback features, but it obviously lacks an onboard amplifier. This means that rather than a “just add speakers” streaming amplifier like the MSA5500, McIntosh’s DS200 is intended to connect to a preamplifier, amplifier or AV receiver, adding streaming capabilities to somebody’s existing hi-fi or home theater system. For fans who have other McIntosh hi-fi components, the DS200 shares the same signature look, with a black-glass front panel, tactile knobs and a green illuminated logo. The McIntosh DS200 has all the Wi-Fi streaming capabilities you’d expect in such a high-end music player, including support for Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Apple AirPlay 2 and Google Cast. It’s also Roon Ready. There’s built-in Bluetooth 5.0, too, with support for aptX HD and aptX Adaptive. This lets guests easily connect to your hi-fi system and play high-quality audio — no need to share your home’s Wi-Fi password.On the back of the McIntosh DS200 are three antennas — two for Wi-Fi and one for Bluetooth — which you can adjust for a more stable connection. The McIntosh DS200 features the same quad-balanced audiophile-grade DAC as the company’s MSA5500. It can play high-resolution audio up to 24-bit/192kHz via coax and optical inputs or up to 32-bit/384kHz (including DSD512 and DXD) via USB. The McIntosh DS200 has eight digital audio inputs, including one for HDMI (ARC), allowing you to connect to compatible TVs.If used in a home theater setup, McIntosh says that popular multi-channel audio formats like Dolby and DTS will be “expertly converted to two-channel audio for proper playback.”The McIntosh DS200 streaming DAC costs $4,000, making it half as expensive as the previously released MSA5500 streaming amplifier. It’s available now and can be purchased from authorized McIntosh dealers.
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Source: https://www.gearpatrol.com/audio/mcintosh-ds200-streaming-dac/
