McIntosh DS200 Streaming DAC - Breathtaking Sound & Signature McIntosh Styling

0:00 in recent years high-end audio has embraced streaming in a big way making it easier than ever to access highquality music from your favorite platforms Macintosh recognized the growing demand for high-end streaming Solutions and responded with two new products the MSA 5500 and the ds200 while the MSA 5500 is an all-in-one streaming integrated amplifier that we have a full review on linked below the new ds200 is a true Standalone streaming component designed to function as a pure digital Source or a complete digital preamp in this video we will take a look at the new ds200 from MacIntosh and help you decide if it's the right product for you let's get [Music]

0:50 [Music] started Macintosh is known for blending modern technology with Timeless design design and the ds200 is no exception the front panel features macintosh's signature black glass an illuminated logo and two rotary control knobs one for volume and one for input selection a standard display in the center shows your current Source volume level and streaming format keeping everything clean and really easy to read Beyond its elegant design the ds200 is built to macintosh's Legendary standards the build quality is just Second To None ensuring that the ds200 not only looks premium but feels robust and is super reliable now the front panel also includes a range of intuitive controls

1:37 for some easy operation you'll find buttons like play pause and Skip buttons allowing for direct control over music without needing to reach for your phone or remote now there are also a dedicated Bluetooth button a display mute and power buttons again just making it simple to adjust settings and toggle between sources quickly on the Fly unlike the MSA 5500 which includes a buil amplifier and macintosh's iconic blue Power meters the ds200 keeps things sleek and minimalistic with the source display only if you're looking for a component that can seamlessly integrate into an existing Macintosh system or Standalone as a stylish yet powerful digital Source the ds200 fits the bill perfectly now at the heart of the ds200 is a Next Generation 32-bit quad balance

2:24 stack designed to extract the most detail from digital music files by utilizing an eight channel 32-bit Dack architecture Macintosh ensures Superior signal processing with low Distortion and a wide dynamic range and addition the signature quad balanced architecture helps eliminate unwanted noise and Distortion by processing signals in a fully balanced manner ensuring a clean and immersive listening experience the Dack supports highresolution audio formats up to dsd512 and DxD 384 khz so whether you're listening to studio quality tracks from cobz or or playing high resolution files from a local music library you'll get stunning Clarity and precision and while Macintosh doesn't specify which DAC chip it is we do know it's on the high-end spectrum and it

3:10 just sounds fantastic to us in our opinion the implementation is much more important than the exact chip since many circuits in a deck affect the overall sound quality anyways and Macintosh has gone to Great Lengths to ensure everything supporting the stack is extremely high quality now the ds200 supports Apple AirPlay Google Cast Spotify connect title connect and Bluetooth 5.0 allowing you to stream highresolution audio directly from your favorite Services now there is no dedicated Macintosh app you simply just open your preferred streaming service and cast your music straight to the ds200 and for those who want even greater control the ds200 is Rune ready allowing seamless integration with Run's powerful music management and Playback system so whether you want to explore

3:56 your personal library or stream lossless music from title or cobz the ds200 ensures top tier playback quality but one of the most exciting aspects of the ds200 is actually its flexibility while it functions perfectly as a pure digital Source it's also a full-fledged digital preamp thanks to its variable output mode you can connect the ds200 directly to a power amplifier and use it as the central control unit of your system Macintosh enthusiasts will also love how seamlessly the ds200 fits alongside classic Macintosh components whether paired with a new generation Macintosh amp or a vintage piece from the 70s or 80s this ds200 retains the unmistakable Macintosh aesthetic while introducing cuttingedge digital performance now in

4:44 addition to streaming the ds200 is equipped with eight digital audio inputs it includes two coax two Optical an AES Ebu port a usbb and an HDMI ARC allowing you to connect a variety of components like CD players digital tuners or other highresolution audio sources its USB input supports native playback up to DSD 512 and DxD up to 384 khz like I mentioned before the co axle and Optical inputs handle up to 24-bit 192 khz the HDMI ARC input makes it simple to bring Macintosh level sound quality to your TV setup too now whether you're watching your favorite shows movies or even gaming this ds200 can convert Dolby and DTS multi- Channel audio formats into high quality two channel audio offering a serious upgrade over Standard TV speakers and sound barss now now to

5:29 connect to the rest of your system the ds200 offers both balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA analog outputs giving you the flexibility to integrate it with a preamplifier integrated amplifier or directly with a power amplifier out of the box the ds200 operates in fixed output mode meaning that the volume is controlled by the preamp or amplifier in your setup however if you're building a digital only system the ds200 can be switched to variable output mode allowing it to act as a preamp and control volume directly when connected to a power amplifier there is also an ethernet port an rs232 control external control and power control ports as well on the back so if you're deciding between the ds200 and the MSA 5500 since they are a little bit similar the choice

6:14 comes down to how you want to build your system the MSA 5500 is the ultimate all-in-one solution combining a powerful 100 watt per Channel amplifier with built-in streaming a high performance stack and even a phono stage for vinyl lovers it's the perfect choice if you just want a simple elegant system with fewer components and less setup complexity on the other hand the ds200 is for those who want more control over their setup if you already have a power amplifier or prefer to mix and match components the ds200 is going to give you that flexibility it acts as a standalone streaming deck and preamp allowing you to build a system with the amplifier of your choice while still taking advantage of macintosh's legendary digital performance both units share macintosh's premium build quality the great Aesthetics and high-end

7:01 streaming capabilities question is whether you want an all-in-one Powerhouse or a more modular customizable solution that fits into an existing or a future system either way you're going to get the best of what Macintosh has to offer as these are both very similar units except the MSA 5500 just includes the amplifier section so given macintosh's reputation we really had some high expectations when putting this ds200 to the test and it definitely delivered EX exactly what we hoped for we streamed using tital connect and also tested cobas and apple music we also then tested it using AirPlay and Bluetooth as well and the connection worked flawlessly we paired it up with a few different Macintosh amplifiers and a couple different Sonos fobber speakers and found that it revealed an incredible

7:46 level of detail and Separation The Sound just had a stunning sense of clarity and depth in just pretty much every track that we ended up playing the base was tight and controlled the mid-range was full bodied with warmth and the treble extension remain smooth and detailed without ever becoming harsh it's the kind of effortless musicality that Macintosh is just simply known for now compared to the MSA 5500 which includes that built-in amplifier the ds200 takes a more purist approach where the MSA 5500 signs as the all-in-one solution with macintosh's signature amplifier warmth the ds200 delivers a very very similar sound but it allows you to pair up with any Macintosh amplifier that we chose whether it be a tube amp or solid state to get a bit more of a different sound signature that we wanted to go for

8:32 plus we were able to test it with other high-end amplifiers from different brands to really build out a system that sounded the best for us now if you're using high-end separates the ds200 provides that level of transparency and resolution that's honestly just hard to beat the biggest takeaway here is if you want macintosh's legendary digital processing in a flexible format the ds200 is your Clear Choice it gives you the freedom to shape your system while maintain maintaining the rich Dynamic and natural sound that Macintosh has always been celebrated for overall the Macintosh ds200 is just an outstanding choice for audio files who want high-end digital playback and streaming without being locked into an integrated amplifier like the MSA 5500 it's Cutting Edge Dack flexible outputs and exceptional build quality make it a top

9:19 tier component for those looking to upgrade their digital Source whether you're adding streaming to a classic Macintosh setup or building a new digital first system this ds200 in rates seamlessly if you want a pure high resolution digital source with the ability to shape your own system again this is just the way to go if you think the ds200 is the right fit for you you can learn about how you can get one from audio advice at the link down in the description if you're still unsure feel free to call or chat with our experts at audio advice.com or stop by one of our awardwinning showrooms and we would be happy to help you out now if you've enjoyed this video please give it a thumbs up hit the Subscribe button and turn on the notifications so you don't miss out any of our latest content thanks for watching and we'll see you next time

10:09 [Applause]