Product Previews

McIntosh D1100 Digital Preamplifier Preview

After a slew of speaker reviews, something quite different has arrived at my doorstep: the McIntosh D1100 two-channel digital preamplifier/DAC.

In this case, “digital preamplifier” doesn’t mean that all the circuits are digital, rather that the D1100 only accepts digital input signals. That’s right, there isn’t a single analog input to found anywhere. There are however, lots of digital inputs: three optical, three coaxial, one MCT (a proprietary McIntosh format), one AES/EBU, and one USB. Able to decode just about any format, the McIntosh D1100 aims to be the control hub for all your digital sources.

Initial Impressions:
McIntosh’s styling is iconic and the D1100 is cut from the same cloth. I felt a little bit of nostalgia when unboxing it; the classic lines and those famous output meters. Initial hookup was painless and it wasn’t long before I was enjoying all kinds of digital sources. I’ll save the sonic details for the full review, but the McIntosh D1100 should not disappoint fans of the brand.

Stay Tuned:
Look for my full review in the coming weeks to see if the McIntosh D1100 digital preamplifier/DAC is all you need to control an entirely digital two-channel system.

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Tyler Stripko

Tyler’s interest in music started at a young age. He began instruction in classical guitar at the age of 7 and gradually progressed towards rock in his early teens. He expanded his musical horizons in college, earning extra cash as a DJ spinning house and trance music and learning the basics of sound reinforcement. Starting with a humble 27” Sony Trinitron CRT television, a Pioneer DVD player, and just two channels of sound, his home theater system has continued to evolve over the years in an effort to recreate the sense of energy and emotional excitement that comes from attending a live performance. Tyler holds a B.S. in Business Information Systems from Lehigh University and an M.B.A. from the University of Massachusetts. After spending almost 20 years working in healthcare IT, he made the switch to the “for profit” world and now delivers IT business solutions in the pharmaceutical sector.

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View Comments

WilliamRD says:

July 14, 2017 at 3:00 pm

Still waiting for the review!
Tyler Stripko says:

July 17, 2017 at 12:13 am

WilliamRD - just finishing it up so you should see it fairly soon. Hang in there :)
- WilliamRD says:
  
  July 19, 2017 at 2:11 pm
  
  Hope so!