McIntosh Laboratory chooses ESS’s Sabre32 reference audio D/A converter for flagship MCD1100 SACD/CD/USB player

2011 International CES, FREMONT, USA: ESS Technology, a leading provider of high performance audio/video solutions, announced that its Sabre32 Reference eight-channel 32-bit audio D/A converter (ES9018) has been shipping in McIntosh Laboratory’s new flagship MCD1100 SACD/CD/USB Player.

\The MCD1100, built on a rigid aluminum die-cast mechanism base with aluminum die-cast tray and a 3D front panel, is a stereo player supporting SACD, Hybrid SACD, CD, MP3 and WMA discs. Both balanced and unbalanced outputs with fixed or variable volume are provided, together with a low-impendence headphone output. The MCD1100 can also be used as standalone D/A converter through its coaxial, optical, XLR, BNC as well as USB digital audio inputs.

The ES9018 Sabre32 Reference DAC in the MCD1100 outperforms conventional sigma-delta (ΣΔ) DACs by incorporating innovative patented circuits to deliver spectacular music with an unsurpassed sound stage, with up to 135dB dynamic range and 0.0001% (-120dB) total harmonic distortion, and free from clock jitter common in digital audio systems.

The patented circuits include the 32-bit HyperStream modulator, capable of 100% modulation and unconditional stability, the Revolver Dynamic Element Matching which ensures the highest performance over an extremely wide audio dynamic range, and a Time Domain Jitter Eliminator to remove the digital jitter that causes distortion.

"The MCD1100 sets a new standard for digital source equipment by extending McIntosh’s superlative performance from compact discs to audio downloads through the addition of the USB digital audio input,” said Charlie Randall, President of McIntosh. “ESS’s Sabre32 Reference DAC enables the MCD1100 to reproduce music with unrivaled fidelity and purity that will surpass the expectations of even the most discriminating audio enthusiasts.”

The ES9018 Sabre32 Reference DAC supports 8-channel or stereo conversion from a digital audio input (up to 500kHz sampling rate) in PCM, DSD or SPDIF formats, features click-free soft mute, volume control, de-emphasis, programmable zero detect, per-channel customizable roll-off filter characteristics and consumes less than 100mW. For highest performance, the MCD1100 stereo output is powered by the ES9018 Sabre32 Reference DAC configured in Stereo Quad Balance mode, utilizing 4 D/A converters per output channel.

Robert Wong, vice-president of marketing and worldwide sales for ESS Technology, said: "We are thrilled that McIntosh has selected the ES9018 Sabre32 Reference DAC for its new flagship MCD1100 SACD/CD/USB player. Now audio enthusiasts can enjoy Sabre32 Reference DAC’s astounding sound stage and stunning music clarity from not only CDs and SACDs, but also downloaded audio on USB media. "

The ES9018 Sabre32 Reference DAC is available in 64-LQFP packages. Sample chips, reference design and volume price information are available from ESS or your local ESS distributor and representatives.