McIntosh D1100 Ordered

[MonstaChuck1]

Picked up a D1100 and C1100. Does anyone know the firmware improvements? Unfortunately the D1100 I received only has v1.01 firmware, I get usb troubles on occasion (Mac Audirvana 3.0) and the meters seem mostly pegged on the D1100 while the C1100 is bouncing all proper like. Thanks!

[1KW]

You need to go into the settings, read the manual and you can fix the meters to not be dependent on the volume control on the D1100 but on the signal from your C1100 pre amp. What are you using as a Sourse for your D1100? I use a Aurender N100h with version one software and have no problems. If your using a Apple computer no problem, if your using a windows computer you need an update.

[MonstaChuck1]

1KW, thanks for the reply. Short version, here's what I'm seeing, which may be normal operations even if it seems wrong to me:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/6ls9a2vgt2..._0152.JPG?dl=0

Long version I've done my best looking into the manual and settings, both with the D1100 and C1100 decoupled and with it coupled. When decoupled I can switch the D1100 to variable meter output and I can adjust it that way but I lose the C1100 controller, well, controls. When coupled though, it automatically switches to fixed meter output for the D1100, which is basically 40 db greater than the C1100. The C1100 doesn't have options that I can find in the manual or in the system to adjust the D1100 meters aside from the lights.

Source is a MacBook pro with Audirvana running the show. Previously I used a wyred for sound USB -> Coax box which never got stuck. I'm thinking firmware / driver issue, it's just not known if the driver is the problem or Audirvana doesn't like that particular driver. I'll keep messing with it.

[Timobi]

Yep...same for me. It seems once you connect the D1100 to the C1100 you lose all control. The meters go full throttle.

[MonstaChuck1]

Originally Posted by Timobi

Yep...same for me. It seems once you connect the D1100 to the C1100 you lose all control. The meters go full throttle.

At least there’s sanity in numbers.

[Timobi]

hahahahaha....

[1KW]

My D1100 meters are controlled by the volume control on my C2300 as are all the other meters i.e. Amp and pre amp meter. Maybe give Chuck as McIntosh a email.

[j3brow]

Originally Posted by 1KW

My D1100 meters are controlled by the volume control on my C2300 as are all the other meters i.e. Amp and pre amp meter. Maybe give Chuck as McIntosh a email.

My D1100 functions same as the previous C1100 owners have stated with the meters pegged towards the right, as it should because the output is fixed, bypassing the internal preamp, operating in purely “DAC mode” and controlled by the C1100.

Having said that, I would like my meters to bounce in concert with meters on my C1100 and MC601s, for uniformity ......but they are correct in staying in the “fixed” full throttle position reflecting what is actually happening with respect to the D1100, 100% fixed level output with my preamp (C1100) controlling the volume, ie my D1100 is operating in “DAC mode”.

David, I can only assume your meter behavior is what happens when the D1100 is used with a analog preamp that cannot control the D1100 via the “EXT CONTROL DATA CABLE CONNECTION” ... i.e. your D1100 cannot operate in pure DAC mode. If not in dac mode, your front panel buttons will still be active like input, volume, mute etc. Only the standby/on button will be usable when the D1100 is in pure “DAC mode”.

Another question is are you using the variable or fixed output from the D1100? I’m sure you would use the fixed output obviously. Using fixed output, I wonder if the signal is bypassing the D1100 preamp functions or is it passing through both the D1100 and C2300 preamp circuits. One would assume that McIntosh would bypass the D1100 preamp if using the fixed output ..... but why are your D1100 meters still acting as though the unit is passing a variable signal. The d1100 has no idea what volume level the C2300 is at. You are using fixed output??? Is the C2300 remote control turning volume up on the D1100 simultaneously allowing the meter output to be matched all the while the actual output of the D1100 is fixed???? If it’s the later, that is a cool quirk to allow the meters to match up and something that would be cool if my meters could do paired with C1100 in dac mode.

I am very curious to know why your D1100 meters are responding like they are.

[j3brow]

@MonstaChuck1, I just re-read your post after thinking about David's c2300+d1100. You stated that when you decoupled the d1100 and c1100, you had variable meter output. Does that occur with fixed output connection from d1100 into the C1100? If so, explains david's situation and is a cool feature, a feature that I wish we could use when the c1100 is controlling the d1100. It was only a short period of time that I had my d1100 connected to c1100 without the coupling control cable between the two but I seem to remember the meters moved in unison in that scenario. I guess the meter discordance is an inherent feature of coupling the two. I like having the D1100 various inputs appearing in the C1100 display and a single remote for all functions but the meter issue is kinda annoying ... wish mine bounced in unison for strictly superficial aesthetic reasons.

[MonstaChuck1]

@j3brow, yes you can have fixed output and change the D1100 meter readings to variable, which is in line with your D1100 volume setting. Also I did confirm that both 1100s will respond to the remote at the same time. I didn't actually mess with the volume that much to see if they continued to track well, but it was certainly aesthetically better than full throttle. For now I decided to leave them coupled with the meters off. I'm enjoying the tube look but I'm also wishing there was a setting to turn the D1100 meters off while leaving the C1100 meters on if they're not going to match.