McIntosh d1100 USB

[JBT]

Originally Posted by Cajunpepe

It does it with my MCT450 connected using the MCT connector, but not a coax cable. It is annoying and Mac knows about the issue.

It is unacceptable that an $11k dac/transport combo can’t properly play a cd or sacd without cutting off the first 1/2 second...after all, that is its sole purpose.

I have the D1100 MCT450 connected using MCT and I don't have any problems. I read this thread the past hour I've play CDs and SACDs without the issue that's being discussed.

[Cajunpepe]

Thanks Masterlu...!!

[joey_corleoni]

Originally Posted by JBT

I have the D1100 MCT450 connected using MCT and I don't have any problems. I read this thread the past hour I've play CDs and SACDs without the issue that's being discussed.

What d1100 firmware? Strange how several people here report the same issues with the same equipment , but yours seemingly behaves differently.

For those testing with MCT only, how about your USB experience?

[1KW]

No problems at all using the aurender music server via usb

[brownbear]

I don't have nearly the issues of others here, but I guess it's because I use JRiver for USB playback. I did not know until it was mentioned that it is "supported" by Mcintosh. I have yet to hear any issues with physical CD via coax. I have The Beatles US Albums CD box and I'm a Loser plays just fine, but my flac rip of it plays back with "I'm A" completely muted and kicks in at "Loser." This is why I initially thought the issue had to do with rip settings.

[leftside]

This is not the first time problems have been reported with Mac DAC's (standalone and inside their preamps). This DAC was high on my list to purchase as it would look really nice with the rest of my Mac gear, but it's going to be another Lampizator for me. Glad I waited.

[j3brow]

Originally Posted by leftside

This is not the first time problems have been reported with Mac DAC's (standalone and inside their preamps). This DAC was high on my list to purchase as it would look really nice with the rest of my Mac gear, but it's going to be another Lampizator for me. Glad I waited.

I wouldn’t say it is a problem. It’s normal operation and other DAC manufacturers decide to mute a fraction of a second to prevent a digital artifact, well at least according to Chris Connacker and he is a far more well versed dac reviewer than myself.

The muting is inherent to ALL current McIntosh DACs. If you don’t hear it, it’s because it’s really really subtle on most all tracks.

Here is Ron-C’s response to my email inquiry this morning :


“Yes, we receive reports of excessive delays from some customers while others do not report this. D1100 like all McIntosh digital engines has a 1/10 second mute at the beginning of a song to identify the file format.

If you have a longer delay on 192 files as opposed top 16/44 this is a computer or music program issue. We test with a mix of files from MP3 16/44 through DSD256 Using JRiver 23.”


So there it is. It’s a 1/10th of a second mute with normal operation. Usually very subtle. If it’s longer, then could be because computer/driver/USB issue.

It doesn’t bother me or decrease my enthusiasm for this DAC. It’s a wonderful piece and worthy of any McIntosh based system. It’s so subtle that most all McIntosh DAC users don’t report it as a problem. And it didn’t stop computeraudiophile from placing it on its recommend components list for 2017 and gave it pretty glowing praise.

[joey_corleoni]

I would say it is a problem, at least for me, because of these reasons:

1) The delay is audibly at least 1/2 second of the first track of every album, sometimes more depending on file format. Maybe the DAC hardware/firmware implementation is supposed to go from muted to the point where you are hearing sound within 100ms, but that does not happen for me, for sure. To me, it's not subtle, it's very noticeable. It's not like I'm sitting here with an oscilloscope or analyzing a wave form to see if the delay is 101ms just so I can raise a support case. If it was that low in experience, it wouldn't be something you even hear. Again, I use the example of "I Saw Her Standing There", "A Hard Day's Night" and "Highway to Hell" - Play those tracks where you are missing the first part of Paul's count in, missing the first part of debatably the most iconic opening chord in rock and roll history, and the first part of Malcom's riff. That's noticeable. For example, I hear paul coming in on "three, four". "One, two..." that I am missing is certainly more than 100ms time. No question. So, while the implementation might be designed to be 100ms, that is certainly not what is actually happening in my case.

Same for many of the cases concerning problem #2 below, except it is less predictable.

2) The DAC visually loses lock between some tracks of many albums, resulting in a noncontinuous album playback experience where you are missing at least 1/2 second of the following track. It's not a once in a blue moon event, it is common. This is not all albums, only some and only between some tracks (where it actually loses lock). I have had the DAC for 2 weeks and have played many many different albums. It's probably 50/50 weather you see issue #2 depending on content.

3) I have tested this on Windows with ASIO driver and an Apple MacBook air with USB plugged directly into the DAC and with files stored on the local hard disks, and with many different pieces of software, all resulting in the same two issues. On Windows I tried Roon and foobar2000. On Apple I tried Roon, Quicktime, VLC, Vox, and JRiver. I also tried using my Roon core to stream to a raspberry pi running Linux/Roon Bridge and get the same results. The one exception was that when using JRiver, if you change the setting so that it inserts 2 seconds of silence at startup for hardware synchronization, it solved the first problem in one of my tests, but it did not solve the second.

So, I have done testing on 3 operating systems, 3 different computers, 2 USB cables, and 6 pieces of software, and they all exhibit these symptoms. Additionally, my other DAC didn't display the problem, and other people here have a similar experience with MCT transport on the d1100 MCT input. I don't believe I have some sort of unique issue on 3 different computers, and every piece of software tried, and that the people having MCT issues are also somehow unique. Now, other people have reported the same problems, some reported no problems, so maybe it is something intermittent, maybe it is something we don't fully understand yet, but I don't think you can just say there is no problem. There is an issue for some of us, and perhaps it is just a matter of weather or not you care about the issue or not in the long run.

McIntosh support has been looking into this with me, and has been great, very responsive and understanding of the issue. I will continue working with McIntosh support on this, and hope they can come up with a way to address it. At the end of the day, it's a great sounding piece of equipment, pairs awesome with my system, and is every bit as great as the reviews say. There is no question it is superb sounding, so hopefully this gets worked out so I can keep it. If not, I'll get a comparable DAC in the same price range that will better meet my expectations. It's really as simple as that.

Joey

[JBT]

Originally Posted by joey_corleone

What d1100 firmware? Strange how several people here report the same issues with the same equipment , but yours seemingly behaves differently.

For those testing with MCT only, how about your USB experience?

I got the D1100 last November and told the dealer to make sure it had all the latest firmware update. I borrowed a friends Sony HAP-Z1ES Music player and hooked it up to D1100 via USB and had no problems. I'm going to buy a streamer most likely Lumin U1.

Most people seem to be having problems with ROON.

[-E-]

Within JRiver, go to Tools->Options->Audio.

"Play silence at startup for hardware synchronization:" set to 1/4 second (1/2 if you believe the delay is closer to 1/2).

Under Track Change, UNcheck "do not play silence."

See if that helps in any fashion.