jayvis
Super Member
Well I got my new player and after 10 days and approximately 20 hours of listening to redbook cd's, this is my initial review. First off, this is a big, beautifull cd player. I wouldn't have expected anything less of a McIntosh product in the aesthetics category. I tied it to my MA6500 which is piped through a pair of JM Labs Electra 915.1's. As reported by many other owners, the player loads a disc extremely slow, which reminds me of my first cd player back in 1985. The first disc I played was James Taylor's Hourglass which really made me smile. It just plain sounded great! But, since that first disc, my overall impressions have gone down hill. Disc after disc, some old, some new, I kept finding myself continually turning up the volume to hear the detail and punch I had grown accustomed to with my Arcam CD92 and other players before it. Sorry to say, that detail and punch was never found on the vast majority of the discs I've played. To my ears, it seems that the McIntosh's dac's just don't measure up to the Arcam's dCS Ring dac. I do agree with others that the MCD201 is easy to listen to for extended periods, mainly due to what I interpret as a filtered and subdued output. It does have a full bodied sound but doesn't reach down far enough on the lowest bass notes like the Arcam. The player excells in the midranges and highs, taking the edge off of many digital recordings. After about an hour and a half last night, I came to the conclusion that I was listening to a cd player that has somehow achieved analog sound qualities better than any I've heard to date. This is a very good thing for all those vinyl lovers out there but probably bad for those who crave that digital punch and detail. I keep reminding myself that it will take time for me to warm to this "new" sound that I'm just not accustomed to. So far, my initial reaction is somewhat disappointment. I really expected more from a player that retails for twice as much as the Arcam it was meant to replace. If you like the analog, vinyl sound, this is a player you must have. If you like or expect digital punch and detail from your redbook cd's, you may be disappointed. A big positive to report is that I haven't experienced any of the skipping or loading issues other owners have had. I'll continue to give the player and my ears time to get better aquainted and will report any change of opinions to all who are interested.