We love to give practical buying advice on the latest gadgets here at TechRadar. But sometimes what we love even more is to indulge in the most ridiculous, high-end, cutting-edge, luxurious tech on the planet. That's what we bring you in these Money No Object columns – you can read the whole series here.
If you're reading this (thank you for that, by the way) you're no newbie to the hi-fi game. You know McIntosh – you remember the US specialist's MA6300 integrated amplifier, from the mid noughties, noted the firm's much more recent striking Bluetooth speaker, considered the compact, good-for-anything audiophile amp with streaming smarts and perhaps even visited the company's elite House of Sound venue. But this proposition is new again.
This is the McIntosh DS200, and this big chunk of metal, buttons and classy casework is specifically a streaming DAC. It's the separate for you if you've already got a compatible power amp and preamp (if not, might I suggest Moon's North 791 and 761 solution?) and of course speakers – here, let's go for the Focal Diva Utopia, because this is our hedonistic hi-fi haven and we can imagine whatever we like. Just missing the high-end streaming component to complete it all? McIntosh's got it covered with the DS200.
What makes a McIntosh separate? For me, the sound
As you'd expect, it's compatible with wireless protocols Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Apple AirPlay 2 and Google Cast plus Bluetooth. It's equipped with two Wi-Fi antennas and one Bluetooth antenna, as well as an Ethernet port for wired connections.
What about the DAC? It's good: the DS200 features a Quad Balanced eight-channel, 32-bit digital-to-analog converter, so in addition to its streaming capabilities, the DS200 boasts high-resolution digital audio playback via its eight digital audio inputs, including DSD512 and DXD up to 384kHz via USB and 24-bit/192kHz via coax and optical ins. There's also an HDMI (ARC) input to level up your TV and movie audio experiences, which can convert Dolby and DTS multi-channel formats into two-channel audio for optimized playback on your particular system, should you wish.
The DS200 also sports both balanced and unbalanced analog outputs, meaning it'll fit in with pretty much any existing audio system. For instance, it's factory-set in fixed output mode, with an option to switch to variable for direct connection to a power amp, allowing the DS200 to control volume in a fully digital audio setup.
And I can't end this piece without mentioning McIntosh's design language. The DS200 Streaming DAC is every bit the black glass faceplate, rotary control knobs, illuminated logo and custom-machined aluminum end caps I love about the company.
Ready for the big question? The DS200 be available in March through authorised McIntosh dealers with an official price of $4,000 / £5,890 / €5,990, which is around AU$6,302, if we take the US dollars figure as a guide. Look, I can't afford it. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't want to buy it…
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