Cambridge’s generously featured DAC keeps the magic alive
View online review whf.cm/DacMagic200M
Here we have the DAC equivalent of an all-inclusive holiday that offers not only flights, meals and accommodation but also throws in room upgrades, free excursions and unlimited ice cream for the kids. Which should please anyone in the market for a well-equipped DAC for their hi-fi or desktop system.
The DacMagic 200M wants to accommodate every music source and file you already own, or might ever think of owning. There are pairs of coaxial and optical inputs for covering CD players, games consoles and Blu-ray players, as well as a USB-type B socket (with a ground/lift switch) for laptops and PCs; aptX Bluetooth is also onboard.
RCA and balanced XLR outputs allow the DacMagic 200M to be a middleman in a hi-fi system, while a 6.3mm output caters for headphones. That is driven by Class A/B amplification that, thanks to a reduction in output impedance, promises more power and less distortion than the one found in the previous DacMagic design.
Hi-res file support goes beyond what most people will need: the USB-type B goes up to 32-bit/768kHz and DSD512, above the bitrate of most commercially available music files, while the opticals and coaxials top out at 24-bit/96kHz and 24-bit/192kHz respectively. It also has native support for MQA hard files, as well as hi-res MQA-encoded Tidal Masters.
The face displays the sampling rate of the audio signal being fed into it, with labelled LEDs lighting up accordingly. It’s a busy aesthetic, but it is smartly presented and gives the DAC a tactile element – great if you plan to have it near you on a desktop and make adjustments manually.
The DAC architecture itself uses dual ESS Sabre DACs in a mono configuration. That means one DAC chip handles the right audio channel while the other handles the left, theoretically resulting in better channel separation.
The DacMagic 200M’s performance is recognisably ‘Cambridge’, characterised by a full, smooth tonality that is complemented by an open, expressive and authoritative manner.
We hook the DAC up to a Macbook Pro via USB type-B, feed it Arab Strap’s Fable Of The Urban Fox (16-bit/44.1kHz) and are instantly impressed by the articulacy of Aidan Moffat’s poetic storytelling through the 200M. It not only communicates his unmistakable Scottish accent but also the masterful cadence of his delivery.
Talented frequency range
The insightful midrange is bookended by a rich, punchy low-end and
