This means that streaming high-quality files in the background renders our cottage internet unusable. This will be a boon to those who stream from Tidal and have access to MQA files. The DacMagic 200M is Cambridge Audio’s first product to natively support MQA files. There are three pre-set filters included to help reduce ‘noise generated by the digital-to-analog conversion process, with each filter offering a different sonic option depending on the source material.” Which should yield a precise and distortion-free listening experience. The 200M is a dual-mono configuration, meaning the left and right channels are processed separately. These new chips can handle PCM and DSD signal inputs at a higher resolution than before. Inside this little grey box are dual ESS Sabre DACs. And lest we forget about that headphone amp it’s a quarter-inch jack, with traditional class A/B amplification and a reduced output impedance for “more power, less distortion, less noise, and tighter audio control.” The DacMagic 200M also has both balanced and unbalanced analog outputs. There’s integrated Bluetooth aptX for wireless playback from smartphones or tablets. Digital inputs include two coaxial, two optical, and one USB type-B for sources like laptops, CD players, game consoles, and Blu-ray players. The industrial design team did a great job of keeping all the buttons and lights as understated as possible while keeping all of the essential information clear and organized.Īround the back is where we see the DacMagic 200M’s connectivity on full display. To the left of all that, is a button for selection of filter type, followed by a column of LEDs indicating which filter is active then a large (relative to the size of the facia) volume knob, then LEDs for source type, and a source button and lastly the power button. LEDs for MQA and DSD are also listed and will light up when they are detected. From 44.1kHz and up, way up to 32-bit/768kHz (PCM) and DSD512 natively. It’s fairly busy with the entire right side being two rows of LED lights that indicate the sampling rate you’re listening in. While the casing is an exercise in minimalism, the front facia is not. It fits right in with the industrial design language of their CX Series of components. Visually, the DacMagic 200M is a slick-looking, expertly built steel and aluminum box that measures just 2.0 x 8.6 x 7.6 inches and is finished in the same ‘Lunar Grey’ that has become synonymous with all Cambridge Audio’s latest gear. The Rotel A14MKII Integrated Amplifier and the Fluance Ai61 Powered speakers came in for review as well. Then, much to my wife’s chagrin, we also had a couple of deliveries. We have a simple Bose Bluetooth speaker on the main floor and the Fluance Ai60 powered bookshelves in the basement. And because we keep the place looking beautiful and perfect for getaways it is not an audiophile haven. So, I had to reconfigure things to make it work. The downside of being out here is that our cottage is rather small, and the layout isn’t overly conducive to working. My NAD 326bee, my favorite speakers, B&W 685 s1’s, and of course the DacMagic 200M. So, we packed everything up, put it into storage, and drove out here to the County with whatever we could bring and set ourselves up to live and work for the summer.Īnd because I’m a hi-fi nutcase I brought along some audio gear. PEC, as it is lovingly referred to, as the newly crowned ‘Hampton’s of Toronto’ with about 50 vineyards sprinkled in. During that time, we planned to stay at our cottage in Prince Edward County. We had to be out of our home two months before we got our new one. If you know anything about Toronto’s crazy housing market, then you know that it took some time for us to find the right home. This is where everything sort of went crazy. The DacMagic 200M arrived safely at my home in Toronto.
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