DacMagic 200M

Digital to Analogue Converter and Headphone Amplifier

• Dual ESS SABRE ES9028Q2M Reference DACs – one per channel, handles digital audio up-to 24-bit/768kHz or DSD512
• Digital Inputs: 2 pairs of optical & coaxial terminals, plus USB Audio – for audio sources incl. CD & Blu-ray players, laptops, games consoles etc.
• Analogue Outputs: ¼” headphone, XLR & RCA connectors – for max. versatility
• Bluetooth aptX input – wirelessly receive digital audio from smart devices
• Supports MQA – for approved studio-quality digital audio
• Compact half-width hi-fi unit – available in lunar grey or special edition black

OVERVIEW

Shine a Light on Music

Digital audio files can be packed with incredible musical detail, but they need to be converted to analogue first for you to hear it. And how good it sounds will depend on how well the digital audio from your computer, network player or CD is converted. DacMagic 200M’s twin ESS DACs decrease crosstalk and improve separation because there’s a DAC dedicated to both left and right channels. These fully balanced, optimised, and efficient signal paths reveal previously hidden glittering musical prizes.

Why You Need Some DacMagic

Perhaps your vintage amp lacks the digital inputs for today’s listening choices. Maybe the DACs in your hi-fi setup just need a helping hand. Or you hate how your computer down-samples audio streams before they’ve hit your headphones. One thing’s for sure, DacMagic 200M is a dedicated hi-fi separate that beats integrated DACs for pure sound performance

Desktop Dream Team

DacMagic 200M can be used with a variety of digital sources, maybe kit you already own. Alternatively, you can pair it with its sibling – our MXN10 compact network player. These half-width hi-fi heroes share the same family look and are now available in a choice of special edition black or lunar grey. Together they make a very credible desktop hi-fi system – or ‘head-fi’ if you prefer.

 

 

 

 

“I bought the DacMagic 200M to use with my recently purchased MXN10. This allows me to use headphones to listen without turning the rest of my system on. The sound quality, value for money and the inclusion of Bluetooth, also the ability to take the volume control out of circuit, are what attracted me.”

DacMagic 200M listener, Essex, England

Vital Connections

Being compact, but not miniscule, means that DacMagic 200M has room for a plethora of digital inputs and analogue outputs. Two pairs of co-ax and optical inputs, a USB computer in and Bluetooth aptX for wireless connection keep the most demanding listener happy. A pair of balanced XLRs, unbalanced RCAs and a ¼” (6.3mm) headphone-out complete the picture.

Sounds Like Team Spirit

Looking for fast, accurate retrieval with no upsampling to keep your music intact? Then DacMagic 200M’s powerful XMOS processor can handle 1000 million instructions per second, to send digital information to the dual DACs, which work asynchronously at a clock speed of 100Mhz to convert digital to analogue in a ‘bit perfect’ way.

Choice and Status

DacMagic 200M’s aluminium fascia has a button to select one of 4 possible digital inputs, another to pick one of 3 digital filters to suit your listening taste, and a volume control if you’re using it as a headphone amp. There are LED lights to confirm your input and filter selection, with additional ones that indicate the incoming music resolution.

MQA: Studio Quality Audio

If you’re signed up to Tidal’s premium service, you can enjoy MQA music files. A green LED, on DacMagic 200M’s fascia, confirms it’s a genuine MQA music file. While a blue MQA LED indicates that you’re listening to a file approved by the artist/producer or verified by the copyright holder as accurate to the original recording. Put simply, blue is best.

 

 

 

Designed for Real Life

DacMagic 200M’s small enough to fit a desktop, but big to hold its own in a stack. Within its half-width hi-fi separates form, it delivers a sonic upgrade that’s way bigger than the steel and aluminium case it comes in – now in a choice of lunar grey or special edition black finish. Take our 60-day home trial to hear it for yourself.

 

REVIEW & AWARDS

Cambridge Audio DACMagic 200M review: a fantastic DAC and headphone amp - Read More

"If the DacMagic 200M can’t improve your digital audio performance, you must have quite the setup already. It's overflowing with features, and the sound quality is simply wonderful."

 

 

 

Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M Review - Read More

"What this does for the desirability of the 200M is something I’m going to partly have to leave to you, the reader and your usage pattern, to make an individual decision on. If you view the 200M as a line level DAC with some secondary volume based features, there’s not much I can think of at the price that I would choose in its place because it is still a masterful piece of digital audio and if you need such a thing, I would unhesitatingly point you in the direction of the 200M. The DacMagic name is entering its third decade with the 200M and it still has much to offer and for this reason, the 200M earns our enthusiastic Recommendation." - Ed Selley

Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M review - Read More

"Cambridge Audio’s latest top-of-the-line DacMagic continues the legacy of the long-standing DacMagic model, the original of which earned Cambridge its first What Hi-Fi? Award in 1996. The 200M is 25 years and several evolutionary steps along the DacMagic line in terms of features and performance, but it hasn’t lost sight of its vision to sit among the very best at its level. The DacMagic 200M is a talented all-rounder: a safe buy indeed."

Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M DAC Review - Read More

"Cambridge Audio’s new DacMagic 200 is a textbook example of how to do an affordable modern digital-to-analogue converter. Sonically it’s refined and expansive, with plenty of detail and an enjoyably musical nature. Technically it’s highly accomplished with fine functionality and decent connectivity. Overall then, it’s been carefully designed for the widest possible appeal at its price point. If you’re looking for a cheap way into a serious sounding digital-based system, then it’s an essential audition. Its ancestors would be proud." - DAVID PRICE

 

Second opinion: Cambridge DacMagic 200M - Read More

"The DacMagic 200M’s strengths lie in presenting a very clean, detailed, and dynamically punchy sound, coupled with its extensive feature set and US$499 price. All told, this combination of features, price, and performance may make it easy to forgive its audible shortcomings when sat next to slightly higher-priced rivals."

 

CAMBRIDGE AUDIO DACMAGIC 200M REVIEW - Read More

"So, did the Cambridge DacMagic 200M knock my socks off and revolutionize the way I listen to music? Yes and no. My associated equipment at the time of this review would not be the kind you would use for critical nitpicking. What it succeeded in doing was breathing new life into my trusty old NAD 326bee integrated amp by adding modern connectivity. I would wholly recommend this to anyone looking for a full-featured DAC to complement their setup. In the future, should I be on the market for an upgraded amplifier I will most likely be looking for a simple power amp, knowing that a product like the Cambridge DacMagic 200M exists to take on the source connection and DAC duties." - TAPS DAS

 

Cambridge Audio MXN10 and DacMagic 200M Review - Read More

"The Cambridge Audio MXN10 network streamer and DacMagic 200M digital-to-analog converter make a handsome pair, and competently go about their business of making music. I can imagine this stack of components adorning the desktops of many happy music-lovers. If you want to make one purchase and never look back, I doubt you’d ever be distracted or dissatisfied by what the Cambridge duo has to offer, with the one caveat that serious headphone enthusiasts would want to add a dedicated headphone amp. On the other hand, if you’re the kind of audiophile who carefully considers every angle before making an audio purchase, it makes sense to evaluate the two components separately, within the context of their competitors." - Jacob Green

 

Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M Digital-to-Analog Converter - Read More

"Cambridge Audio’s DacMagic 200M packs into its compact case a lot of bang for 499 bucks: an MQA decoder, single-ended and balanced outputs with variable or fixed output, Bluetooth aptX, a headphone amp, and dual DAC chips with a choice of three reconstruction filters. It’s a jack of all trades—other DACs in its price range might do one or two things better, but you’d be hard-pressed to find something anywhere near its price that does everything as well as does the DacMagic 200M." - Mark Phillips

 

Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M Review - Read More

"The Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M delivers a lot of features and performance for the money. Its support for almost every high-res digital format including MQA, DSD, and 32-bit/768kHz PCM is pretty rare at its price level. This is not a DAC you will have to upgrade anytime soon if you listen primarily to streaming services like Spotify or Qobuz, or have a lot of CDs you want to enjoy with better sound quality.

It is also a DAC that does better in a system that needs an added layer of midrange warmth and a punchy bottom end. Stick it into a system that is already a tad dark sounding, and it will get boring rather quickly.

Build quality is excellent and it has enough digital inputs for a small army of sources. I’m still not a fan of the small font (getting older Jaclyn) and I do wish that it had a more precise volume control knob.

It’s a very solid offering in a crowded space with some very capable competition." - Ian White

 

Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M Review - Read More

"If you’re in the market for a sizable desktop DAC/Amp but can’t chalk in the money for the more high-end systems, the DACMAGIC 200M is the way to go for me. Not many devices at this price range can offer this much clarity and separation while supporting MQA and other high-resolution sample rates. For $499 you get a simple, easy-to-use amplifier that looks great, and has a lot of fidelity to showcase. The volume knob is my own real gripe, but looking past that, the positives qualities overshadow it. Whether you’re looking for an amp, great DAC, or pre-amp, the DACMAGIC almost has it all. " - Alex Schiffer

 

Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M USB/Wireless DAC - Read More

"This DacMagic is no giant-killer, but it lives up to the precedent of its illustrious forbears with an attractive combination of solidity of build, ease of use and performance. It's excellent as a 'desktop audio' device, and drives headphones extremely well and to good effect, but can also justify its existence in a main audio system. Its sound may be a little on the light side, but it remains detailed and rewarding." - Andrew Everard

 

 

SPECIFICATIONS

DIGITAL TO ANALOGUE CONVERTERS	Dual ESS ES9028Q2M DACs
DIGITAL FILTER	Selectable, Fast – Slow – Short delay
FREQUENCY RESPONSE	10Hz to 50kHz (±1dB)
THD+N @ 1KHZ 0DBFS	<0.0005% (A-Weighted)
SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO	>115dB (A-Weighted)
CROSSTALK @ 10KHZ	< -110dB
OUTPUT IMPEDANCE	<50 Ohms (unbal), <100 Ohm (bal)
MAX. OUTPUT LEVEL (UNBALANCED)	2.1V rms (fixed or variable – user selectable)
MAX. OUTPUT LEVEL (BALANCED)	4.2V rms (fixed or variable – user selectable)
DIGITAL INPUT WORD WIDTHS SUPPORTED	16bit (Bluetooth), 16-24bit (Optical, Coaxial), 16-24bit (USB)
DIGITAL INPUT SAMPLING FREQUENCIES SUPPORTED	44.1kHz to 96kHz PCM, DoP64 (Optical), 44.1kHz to 192kHz PCM, DoP64 (Coaxial), 44.1kHz to 768kHz PCM, Native DSD 64x to 512x, DoP 64x to 256x (USB)
MQA COMPATIBILITY	Full decoding (Core + Renderer)
BLUETOOTH	v4.2, A2DP profile, SBC and AptX codecs
ROON TESTED	Yes
HEADPHONE OUTPUT THD+N	< 0.001% at 1kHz 0dBFS @ 100mW into 32ohm
HEADPHONE OUTPUT S/N	> 115dB (A-Weighted)
MAX OUTPUT POWER	>300mW @ 32ohm, >65mW @ 150ohm
FREQUENCY RESPONSE	10Hz - 50kHz (±1dB)
RECOMMEND HEADPHONE IMPEDANCE	10 Ohm to 600 Ohm
MAX POWER CONSUMPTION	12W
COLOUR	Lunar Grey
DIMENSIONS (HXWXD)	52 x 215 x 191mm; (2.0 x 8.6 x 7.6”)
WEIGHT	1.2kg/2.6lbs