Computer Audiophile reviews the McIntosh D1100, names it to their Suggest Hardware list
The D1100 Digital Preamplifier is a reference level stereo preamplifier and digital-to-analog converter (DAC) with an 8-channel, 32-bit DAC used in Quad Balanced mode. When Chris Connaker of Computer Audiophile announced he was going to review it, the "floodgates opened" and he started receiving countless emails and messages about it - more than he ever had for any other product review.
“This thing oozes coolness, solidity, craftsmanship, and all the other adjectives one can use for a marvelous audio component." Considering it's a DAC, Connaker cautions "not falling into the numbers trap" regarding the specific decoding chips used as that's "only a very small piece of the audio puzzle. Much of the secret McIntosh sauce lies elsewhere."
When listening to Like a Fool from Shelby Lynne’s Tears, Lies and Alibis, “the McIntosh D1100 brought some serious life to not only this track, but the entire album.” With her song Something to Be Said About Airstreams, the D1100 took him back to one of her concerts at the Dakota in Minneapolis. "With the D1100 driving my amplifiers directly, I heard a right-sized soundstage reminiscent of that unforgettable show.” The same can be said when he listened to Eric Clapton's Reptile as he was transported back to 2001 at the Royal Albert Hall in London where he was lucky enough to see Clapton. "Transport me back to a live event or out of my everyday life. The D1100 offers that with ease.”
The D1100 "has a way of reproducing music in an incredibly engaging, yet transparent style... The sound quality of a wide range of music played through the D1100 was rich, vibrant and lush, yet incredibly detailed."
The D1100 has been named to the Computer Audiophile Suggested Hardware (CASH) List.
Click here for the full review.
(by Chris Connaker / Computer Audiophile / August 31, 2017)
