McIntosh D 100 – High End Stereo Equipment We Buy

McIntosh is one of the most dependable brand names when it comes to high-end audio systems. For years the brand has been recognized by audiophiles throughout the world as equipment that delivers clear and consistent quality in music. McIntosh is probably best known for its amplifiers and preamps, but the company produces many other components and parts for stereo and home theatre.

What are the specs for the McIntosh D 100?

Frequency response:
4Hz to 68kHz
Total harmonic distortion:
0.0015%
Output:
2V (Pre out), 8V (Pre out Max)
Digital inputs:
coaxial, optical, USB
Dimensions:
17.5 x 3.9 x 16 inches
Weight:
13.4

What else to know about the McIntosh D 100?

"We used the D100 both as a stand-alone DAC and a full-blown digital preamp. Sources included our Naim NDS streamer and Apple MacBook, streaming a range of music files right up to 24-bit/192kHz material. We tried the DAC through all its inputs, and felt any preferences were as much down to the sources as they were to the D100. Regardless of source the D100 has an appealing balance of agility and refinement. Play a 24-bit/192kHz version of REM’s Automatic for the People and the McIntosh delivers a dynamic sound packed with detail. The presentation is nicely layered, with each instrumental strand having enough space to breathe while still gelling with the whole. There’s a slight sweetening of the sound, enough to knock off some of the recording’s deliberately rough edges, but not so much to temper the excitement or drive. McIntosh D100 Move on to a CD rip of Orff’s Carmina Burana and the D100 shows a pleasingly expansive soundstage: it’s surprisingly wide and precisely populated, though lacking that final degree of depth. Still, it’s impressive, as is the preamp’s tonal balance, which is even-handed enough not to draw undue attention. The Dead Weather’s 60 Feet Tall is a stern test of timing, speed and attack, and the McIntosh does well. It’s not the most rhythmically precise performer, and doesn’t quite lock into the interplay between instruments as well as the Naim DAC or Chord’s talented Qute HD do, but overall it does well enough to preserve the energy and drama in the music. With our reference Bryston electronics, we preferred the McIntosh via its fixed-level outputs. There’s a slight loss of transparency caused by the more complex signal path that plumbing in the Bryston BP26 preamp brings, but the sound has a weight that the D100 plugged directly into the power amp doesn’t have. We think the outcome of this comparison is likely to be system dependent. Plus there’s the better value represented by having the McIntosh perform both DAC and preamp duties to consider. The McIntosh D100 is a fine product. It’s well equipped, nicely made and is one of the more affordable ways into McIntosh ownership. Sonically, it’s good for the money rather than great, but there’s still enough talent here to deliver engaging, informative results." - What Hi-Fi?

Brief History of McIntosh

Long mapped-to Binghamton New York – the current headquarters and manufacturing center for McIntosh Labs – not many people know the brand was originally launched outside of the Nation’s Capital in Silver Spring Maryland, in 1949. In 1956, the brand built their original facility in New York, according to the official brand website.

Other McIntosh Products We Often Buy

Typically, StereoBuyers purchases mostly used amplifiers, especially the vintage amps and high-end McIntosh models such as the MC202 or MC252, and the C220 preamp, for example. We have also purchased many pre-owned tuners from McIntosh over the recent years, including the MR67 and MR78 models, for example.

StereoBuyers has purchased tens of thousands worth McIntosh brand equipment since 2014, with individual buys ranging from $100 to well over $50,000. If you are moving, ready to upgrade, or have McIntosh equipment you do not or will not be using, why not contact us today to find out if it is worth good money?

If you are interested in selling your used McIntosh equipment to us in the greater NYC area or Colorado, please click here to fill out a Free Quote Form and we will get back to you. If we agree on terms, we come to meet you where you want, and pay cash.

The following images show actual McIntosh equipment purchased by StereoBuyers.