MC and digital audio?

mfirst

Active Member
For several years I have been using my MS750 (since repaired/upgraded to 1TB) for playing digital music - which is my source of choice (don't hate me - but it is easy). As the MS750 is getting a little "old" and the interface could use a little work - but won't get it (not to mention the difficulties in getting music onto it as operating systems, like Apple OS, are not supporting compatibility anymore), I am looking for an alternative. I would like something Mc based to fit in with my other stuff - but finding a hard time sorting thru all of the hoopla. I hear a lot about Roon.......

what are people using that they like vs don't like?

thanks

-michael
 
I use an Oppo universal player (UDP-205, or the discontinued BDP-105), USB drive for storage, plus Chromecast Audio (Toslink connection to Oppo's DAC) for internet based music. I can connect the Oppo's variable output directly to a McIntosh power amp (e.g., a pair of MC30s), or to an integrated amp, or to a preamp. The Oppo can provide bass management, enabling off-loading of the power-hungry low frequencies from the main amp and speakers. The Oppo will play any digital format I need: Blu-ray audio and video (and nascent UHD discs), DVDs, SACDs, CDs, downloaded hi-res FLAC, etc.

I listen to classical music. I don't copy CDs onto a hard drive because, based on what I've read, manual tagging is a time-consuming PITA for classical music. (Apparently "joining" the movements of a symphony also must be done manually.) SACDs would be a PITA to copy because of DRM. I haven't even investigated copying Blu-ray audio or video. Bottom line, I don't perceive a time savings associated with copying "shiny discs" onto a hard drive. (Of course, hi-res downloads (e.g., HDTracks) are on a hard drive.)

Bottom line, the Oppo UDP-205 allows me to play any digital music format, without requiring me to copy my music collection onto a hard drive. And the UDP-205 has a state-of-the-art high-quality DAC.

It sounds like this may not be what you're looking for - but FWIW, that's how I handle digital music with my vintage amps, including McIntosh.

I hope this helps.

I'll be interested in learning from other members' experience.
 
I use a D100 for my digital listening and I like them enough that I now have 2 of them. One for the main rig (bluetooth and cd's) and one for streaming Pandora from the computer.
 
what do you use to store your music files and what interface are you using?
the nice thing about the MS750 is that it is an all-in-1 solution - meaning a storage system (i.e. hard drive) and interface (although slow and old) - and can be used without a computer.
 
Bryce,
yes - that's the point and problem - I can't seem to find a simple solution that fits in with my current system....
I have an older MacAir that I might repurpose to a music server on top of a DAC and just use the iTunes interface and environment for now....

maybe just don't want to go down the rabbit hole again (as with the MS750) by investing $$$$$$$ on something that will be obsolete and unsupported (not to mention, expensive and difficult to maintain) within a few years.....

until something better comes along......

-michael
 
I hear you Michael, I had 2 MS300, then an expensive Olive 6HD... The McIntosh did a good jog though. The Olive, not so much.

My Linux music server have served me well for the last 2 years, without ONE failure. It just run. Never reboot, nothing. And I control it from my ipad, phone and computer. Total freedom, and ... my library is here, on my SSD :)
 
Bryce,
glad that you found something that works for you - it is not sure a hardware solution - but software as well... and while integration is nice with phone and pads and computer....having something that stands on it's own would be nice.

-michael
 
Well you didn't mention what your whole system is and preamp.

Why don't you just get a D150 digital preamp and call it a day. Then if you want to stream use a computer, and to make it really easy, get a Audioengine D2 24bit WiFi DAC and use that for it's WiFi only. If you have a CDP and other digital components like your MS 750 use the digital outputs and plug them into the D150 digital inputs.

The Audioengine D2 is a small unit that can even be plugged into your TV if you want and stream to your 2ch system for concerts on tv.
 
I have a MHT-100, MS750, MVP851, Opportunity BDP-85, Apple TV connected to a pair of powered B&O BL8000 speakers and a BL2 subwoofer (hate me if you want, but grew up in Denmark and always loved and owned them...lover how they look and sound.....but that is for another time)..... and several Mac laptops floating around of various ages (including an older MacBook with an old version of OS that can still transfer files to the MS750 - something that the recent OS's can not due....)

-michael
 
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