• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

McIntosh CS7500 Streaming Preamplifier Brings Analog, Digital and Hi-Res Streaming Together for $12,500 Can McIntosh justify $12,500 for the CS7500?

Register to hide this ad
I like the product, price seems a bit high for a streamer/preamp even with the McIntosh name, would have expected $8,500 range.

New ownership, new product managers, shoot for the stars?
 
I suspect Mcintosh won't build another CD player or Tuner. I have a Lumin U2 and I haven't played a CD in a long time. I haven't used my Oppo UDP-205 for 3 or 4 years. High end streaming is what people want. In my home office I have MSA5500 2 Channel Streaming Integrated Amp. The ease of use and fantastic sound and build quality. I paid 8 grand for it. Aurender N50 Music Server is 43,500.

​

 
I saw the news earlier today and didn’t even want to acknowledge it, the price is ridiculous.

To me it just proves they could make a C49 in a decent chassis and put meters on it this entire time.

$12,500 fixed DAC, cheap RCA barrels like the C49 in a polished SS chassis?

Nah. Give me a C55 and Eversolo T10 please.

upscaleaudio.com

Eversolo T10 Streaming Transport

Eversolo T10 Streaming Transport A high-performance digital transport with isolated outputs, OCXO clocking, 2.5G Ethernet, SFP fiber networking, and an 8.6" touchscreen The Eversolo T10 is a dedicated streaming transport designed for high-performance digital audio systems. Building on the...
upscaleaudio.com upscaleaudio.com
 
All prices are crazy these days, so the price is not a surprise. It seems to me that if you are going to pay McIntosh prices it should be for the the things where the build quality will give you a timeless item that will last long enough to pass on to your heirs. The digital streaming world changes so fast that the products become obsolete much faster than - say - amplification technology. So, for streaming I stay with disposable units at disposable prices. For amplification and speakers I am willing to invest.
Then again - disposable in terms of income is different for everyone.
I hope they sell a lot of them so the brand stays solvent and we can all keep enjoying the technical and parts support for the legacy items, and drooling over or purchasing the new stuff.
 
I still don't understand the attraction of an audio streamer.

iPad + apps (Tidal, Q, etc) + Lightning to USB + DAC of your choice is way simpler, a fraction of the cost, and sounds stellar.

You don't have to look very hard to see two year old state of the art audio streamers have almost no value.
 
I agree on streamers, much like HT decoders you know that the technology will continue to evolve and options will appear that existing streamers don't have. A difficult upgrade until I *need* something that mine doesn't have.

There certainly is a large and growing market for high-end streamers, combined with preamps, I just think that this is about 150% of what I'd expect to pay even for McIntosh.

We can look back at the C47 as an example of a great product in its time, but not upgradable for those who wanted to keep up with newer formats, the C48 addressed that with a removable module. Maybe this will have updates for the firmware to accomodate emerging technologies (although McIntosh has never gone this direction) at a reasonable price, I would consider that to be a better investment. Hoever, expecting to keep up with WiFi, Bluetooth, different streaming providers' protocols, etc. is asking a lot and I don't think it's feasible.
 
damacman said:
I still don't understand the attraction of an audio streamer.

iPad + apps (Tidal, Q, etc) + Lightning to USB + DAC of your choice is way simpler, a fraction of the cost, and sounds stellar.

You don't have to look very hard to see two year old state of the art audio streamers have almost no value.
Click to expand...

When I finally moved to streaming capability I did not have a dedicated DAC. It was very economic to get the WIIM pro plus streamer. It had a decent DAC onboard, could be controlled by an old iPhone that I already had, and a relatively disposable price (<$300). In all, with a Tidal account it proved to be a serious upgrade to my digital front end, which was a Bluetooth receiver (low quality/compressed) and a CD player from the late 90's, for very low investment. It will probably be obsolete in a few years but I will have gotten my ~$300 out of it by then.
I understand the attraction - just not for a very expensive one. Spend on the stuff that lasts IMHO.
 
The lack of the DA2 on several of these new releases suggests to me that McIntosh has no intention of continuing with that feature. They sold us on the upgradable DAC, but do you really think there will be a DA3? At the price point of this preamp, it should have included the DA2 or an upgraded version of it. So too should have the MSA5500 and the DS200. To be completely honest, I actually passed on the DS200 because it doesn’t have that feature.

I hate to keep bashing on McIntosh as I have been a fan for many years and I still have my McIntosh system, but I think they’re turning their backs on their customer base that got them to where they are now. In my opinion, they are moving their focus to sell to the super wealthy that want the name and are not concerned about the price.
 
I’ve consistently owned McIntosh gear since the 1980s, but I’ve increasingly moved away from their digital products—which I’ll probably never purchase again. I agree that the CS7500 is overpriced—by 30%? Hail Mary…

***
The two beautiful blue meters—if McIntosh, acknowledging the CS7500’s eventual life as an expensive, gorgeous doorstop, was truly forward-thinking, considering longevity, and looking out for their customers—would also read, respectively, “OPEN” and “CLOSED”.
 
Last edited:
In the early days, McIntosh was an excellent ampifier and preamp designer/manufacturer/builder.

Eventually as a high-end audio company they offered speakers, tape drives, etc. We (and the audio shop where I bought my gear in the '70s) still regarded them as an amplifier builder that also built other stuff. On to CD, DVD, and Home Theatre products, they expanded into other markets and did pretty well.

Over the years they did introduce some stellar speaker designs, I don't want to discount that, but I still feel that amplifiers and preamps are where McIntosh earns their reputation and market presence (including the premium price) and other product seems to come and go and not be as unique nor as innovative.

This looks like a good product, the right combination of features and I won't question the specs, but if I were in the market for this piece I would have to question the price-point. Maybe I'd buy it just to have another McIntosh piece, maybe I wouldn't since it will go the way of HT decoders and CD changers much sooner than an amplifier, JMO.
 
It looks to be a C49 (check the specs) with the addition of output meters, the upgraded DA2 digital module, and built in streamer. You're basically paying $6,000 for those additional features which doesn't sound unreasonable to me, as long as the streamer section is stellar. Might be worth it to someone who has limited space.
 
Last edited:
SaturationPt said:
In the early days, McIntosh was an excellent ampifier and preamp designer/manufacturer/builder.

Eventually as a high-end audio company they offered speakers, tape drives, etc. We (and the audio shop where I bought my gear in the '70s) still regarded them as an amplifier builder that also built other stuff….

Over the years they did introduce some stellar speaker designs, I don't want to discount that, but I still feel that amplifiers and preamps are where McIntosh earns their reputation and market presence (including the premium price)…
Click to expand...
And tuners (if anyone remembers what a tuner is)…
 
It looks to be a C49 (check the specs) with the addition of output meters, the upgraded DA2 digital module, and built in streamer. You're basically paying $6,000 for those additional features which doesn't sound unreasonable to me, as long as the streamer section is stellar. Might be worth it to someone who has limited space.
Click to expand...
But it doesn't have an upgraded DA2 digital module, it just has a built in DAC which you cannot upgrade. The DA1 and the DA2 are modules which allowed their preamps, integrated amps, and the MDA200 DAC to be upgraded. This is my big complaint about the MA5500, DS200, and now this preamp as well as the unreasonable increase in cost as you noted.

On another note, I don't know if anyone noticed, but apparently the MDA200 is now discontinued. If I knew for sure that there will someday be a DA3, I would get an MDA200, but McIntosh is not giving me that impression with their release of new products that don't include upgradable DACs.
 
JimBob said:
I suspect Mcintosh won't build another CD player or Tuner. I have a Lumin U2 and I haven't played a CD in a long time. I haven't used my Oppo UDP-205 for 3 or 4 years. High end streaming is what people want. In my home office I have MSA5500 2 Channel Streaming Integrated Amp. The ease of use and fantastic sound and build quality. I paid 8 grand for it. Aurender N50 Music Server is 43,500.

​

Click to expand...
My MSA5500 will arrive October 2 along with an MT5 turntable and a pair of Sonus Sonetto g2s. Long past time to replace my venerable old system -- HK PM665vxi, Technics SL-D1 turntable and Large Advents. I'll keep my Yamaha CD-C600 changer for my rare CD play occasions as well as my Sony xcr-f1HD tuner for the even rarer FM play.

I can't wait.

Son will get the amp, t/t and Advents. He already has a pair of Large Advents, so he is eager to stack them.
 
The streamer-DAC-preamp is an emerging product category and this one looks pretty good.

Unlike their amps and preamps, their ht and digital preamps just don’t hold their value. That value, to me anyway, is a hallmark of the brand.

The two things about this product are:
1. Will McIntosh keep up with the pace of needed SW and FW updates?

2. A big miss is not having an optical Ethernet connection. This is something all high end streamers should have. It eliminates the potential for network noise to be conducted into your stereo.
 
The DAC isn’t upgradable on these streamers, because in order for the the streamer to be certified by Apple, Samsung etc, they need to certify it end to end as a complete system. A replaceable DAC would mean it couldn’t be certified.

This is why the streamers have fixed DACs. This has been mentioned a few times by Ken Zelin, who was let go by Bose and no longer with McIntosh
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Dave B.
New Mac Trade-Up Program
2
Replies
37
Views
2K
Bushikan
B
L
Amazon Hi-Res Streaming
Replies
6
Views
615
Lossless
L
AndyPrice44
Tidal HIFI streaming
Replies
4
Views
876
bigshow
B
chuckworkb
Nice trade up program!
2
Replies
21
Views
2K
damacman
damacman
M
Which streamer to pair with my C53?
Replies
17
Views
1K
SaturationPt
SaturationPt
Back
Top Bottom