The Cambridge DacMagic 200M just DOESN'T cut it

UPDATE A second opinion on this DAC can be read here: darko.audio/20...
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The first video in this series: • iFi's ZEN DAC is BIG o...
Cambridge Audio DACMagic 200M (€499):
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Chord Mojo (€400):
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Topping D10s (€109):
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GATO AMP-150:
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[@giangvu7902]

I personally like the DAC Magic 200M a lot and prefer it over my Chord Qutest all day long. Very good sounding DAC and has a very fleshed-out midrange and open soundstage. Good stuff.

[@five0393]

I am still using my original dacmagic from 2010 too, and been itching to upgrade it since my receny speaket upgrade, this video is so great for me as you are a previous dacmagic owner

[@kl9941]

Appreciate you taking a stand on the products you review! Opinions are just that and it is great you provide yours.

[@eddie4130]

Just commenting to say I'm an audio newbie, having binged watched all your videos over the last few weeks. I've gone out and bought so much shiny new gear Sevenoaks Sound and Vision should pay you a commission !

[@scottyo64]

I bought my first DACMagic 10 or 11 years ago and still use it to this day. Bought a Node 2i and run it through that old DAC as I like it better.

[@josexavierjr.5633]

I have 5 different DACs and I like them all.........they each do something well, but not necessarily better than each other. Tough choices we have to make in this world of audiophilia!

[@CeeStyleDj]

You would be a great person to ask Jose. I almost finally settled on this Cambridge DacMagic 200m but then, although I do appreciate the honesty, I came away disappointed with the video. Not for its quality or it's honesty , but now I'm back to square one... I've been going back and forth with the whole DAC thing, driving myself almost crazy.. take a break from making decisions. I own a Yamaha R-N803 Integrated amplifier/Network Receiver, with a built-in ESS Sabre ES9006A dac chip with great Yamaha integration. and like you, I enjoy different choices and different options. However, my main concern is that I don't want the dac I purchase to be similar to the good quality of the internal DAC. Of course I want it to be a step above, or at the very least Different! My amp is around $750-850 and I'm not going to spend the same price for a DAC... It has to be less money. The thing is, I have 3 digital components and they all have good internal dacs as well. I'm not new to the audio file game at all. I've just never owned an external DAC except for USB dongle. Should I just be happy with the internal DAC in my Yamaha and the internal dac and all of my devices, or do you know of a DAC that would actually improve the sound quality? PS: if you're not familiar with the R-N803 Yamaha, it's based on the A-S801. Thanks so much for your help. Also, there are no Hi-Fi shops around so I can audition. I'm stuck having to do online ordering.

[@samtube3023]

@@CeeStyleDj if I were you, and if your truly happy about the Yamaha performance, then I would put my money in upgrading my speaker instead of adding a DAC to my system. Another option is to buy/upgrade your streamer into something of a higher quality or more functionality. Lastly, and if all the above are covered, you can add the Schiit pre-amp with bulp to your amp, it doesn’t cost much but it adds a beautiful tone to your sound.

[@DarkoAudio]

*PLEASE READ CAREFULLY* Please be a decent human being and keep your sexist/racist thoughts and conspiracy theories to yourself. External links are also a no-no. Comments that *advance* the conversation are most welcome.

[@simianinc]

I recently bought the Cambridge Audio CXA81 and CXN V2 and I didn’t like the sound at all. Although they have two different DACs, I didn’t like either - the air John mentioned wasn’t to my taste, and I was suffering from buyer’s remorse (I live in a small country where it’s not easy to test equipment, so i have to rely on reviews). I did have a Schiit Modius in the office for my computer/headphone stack, so I tried that DAC in the Cambridge Audio chain and I finally got a sound I could enjoy.. I was thinking of getting the DACMagic for MQA, but I think I’ll hold off now, as it looks like it has the same “air” as the other CA equipment. Thanks for the review, John. I know we have to ultimately judge for ourselves, but as I said, I live in a country where I just can’t rock up to a local store and try things out.

[@ejmentze]

"The difference is tiny!" at 2:35 😂 This is the gif we need for audio forum discussions

[@nusu5331]

Thank you so much! This must be the greatest review of hifi devices i have seen.

[@DireAxis]

Still have that original Dacmagic as part of my home PC setup, purchased it on Audiogon probably in 2011 or so. One thing I really love is there is simply no lack of inputs and connections. Cambridge even helped get me a replacement for a bad PSU brick (Though it was part of a recall some time ago)

[@larryh9525]

Excellent and thoughtful reviews. I'm impressed with how you can look at a product from multiple perspectives.

[@tedjensen8841]

Best audio channel on KZbin. Appreciate very much your approach and perspective on gear and music. But...you are causing me to spend money. Keep up the good work, always looking forward to your next video.

[@taidee]

He is softening us for audio equipment spending, he makes it sound so good.

[@Dpace111]

Great video John. Funnily enough "plasticy knob feel" has already deterred me from considering the Cambridge.

[@steelydanfan100]

I just bought the DacMagic200 and I am very happy with it. A major reason I bought it was the balanced output feature. For what it’s worth, I didn’t find the knob “ plasticky” nor do I even use the knob at all as I have the DacMagic 200 on a fixed output mode . Great sound , very happy with this Cambridge DAC. One final thought: I have read enthusiastic reviews about DACS that are just flat out unavailable these days , there’s something to be said about ordering an available DAC from a reputable manufacturer and dealer such as Crutchfield. Peace of mind counts for something these days !

[@mariofonseca9267]

The original Dacmagic sitting on the shelve in front of me has no knobs😀

[@ThePipeFox]

Recently got the 200M for my desktop setup where I feel it's driving a pair of active near-field monitors quite well through analogue RCA. I have two other DACs - a Mytek Brooklyn+ and a Matrix Audio Element i (both are ESS-based). The Brooklyn is beyond comparison here both price and sound quality wise (and if you can afford it, I would recommend it hands-down). The Matrix is double the money since it's also a streamer, but sound quality wise I think I actually prefer the CA a bit since it sounds about as detailed while being more muscular (obviously people will have different opinions based on personal taste). In any case, I think this is a great and honest review that pretty accurately describes the product.

[@kenforton5295]

I love that Prefab Sprout record. A singular achievement.

[@catherinelugg4321]

Thanks for this video and especially the comparisons. I was thinking hard about picking up the Cambridge DAC Magic, but I think I'll just wait a bit and see what else tumbles out.

[@christophero1969]

I just bought a 200M from amazon and after 2 days of listening, I am returning mine. The filters are terrible, there really are high pitched sound "artifacts" after silences in the music, NO BASS!, the bottom 300Hz seems greatly reduced and yes, the "KNOB FEEL" is rubery or sticky when rotating. And while I also don't use Bluetooth, it gets detected but never is able to connect. Also as a note "MQA" is lossy, DSD is not.

[@cobrakill4636]

I'm absolutely in love with these videos. Keep up the good work! :)

[@bryanpaulgilbert7308]

hands down, this Hi-Fi channel blows the competition out of the water (boom) 😇

[@thehonestman26]

Very appreciative of your honest review. It's hard to know who to believe when reviewers tout every product as being amazing. They can't all be amazing or winners as you say in the video. The fact that you showed that in this video makes me feel more confident in my decision to watch your videos. Thank you.

[@marcusstaley6644]

Keep this series coming, learning so much John.

[@kgobrien1]

that seemed like a very reluctant review of the Cambridge DAC. It was as if you wanted to talk about anything but the DAC Magic 200M. love your channel.

[@a3marketing991]

It was a nice way of saying he doesn't like this DACMagic200M. I think we can see through the review.

[@dudemastermaster8944]

Actually a smart review. Without all the comparison 90% of the people had called BS concerning the sound description of a DAC. So good on him.

[@DueM]

really like cambridges design, simple no nonsense gear.

[@miguelbarrio]

I find Mojo + Dan Clark Audio’s Aeon 2 Closed are simply magical together.

[@xaviborrell9078]

Which streamer do you use with the mojo?

[@ActuMoto]

Crazy that little Mojo is still a reference!

[@davidweinberg6711]

Agreed. I've had the Mojo for years and bought the Poly shortly before Chord released the Gofigure app. It's my daily go-to audio gear, and a great combo for both at home and on-the go music listening.

[@RICHARDPOOLE17]

@@davidweinberg6711 Yep Poly/Mojo a great pairing. I'd had the Mojo for a year, but have barely touched 20hrs listening time with it as my phone/mojo combo didn't come close to my streamer/Qutest/Head Amp in main system....however, i bought the Poly 2 weeks ago and that all changed. Running Poly/Mojo with Roon i'm finding i'm spending longer and longer listening to this combo. It's not as good as the main system but it's got close enough for me to happily listen to it for extended periods and not wish i was listening to Qutest instead.

[@kentajalli]

That ! should've been called DAC-Magic.

[@xaviborrell9078]

@@davidweinberg6711 Does the Poly work properly? I read some bad reviews some time ago...

[@davidweinberg6711]

@@xaviborrell9078 My Poly has worked fine. No complaints (except for the long overdue upgrade of the firmware) and no regrets. Great pair with the Mojo and my iPhone

[@OriginalgEd]

I still absolutely love my Mojo both as a dac to my audioengine a2+ desktop speakers and also as a headphone amp. That's why i've just ordered a replacement battery for it after the previous battery swelled up (and distorted the lid) after 4+ years of being plugged in 24x7. I'm looking forward to Chord's next desktop dac/headphone amp that doesn't have a battery and doesn't cost £4K. Also the default "line out" is 3V which is a bit hot for some line input devices. A couple of taps down with the volume control fixes that.

[@jonathanbignall1198]

Thanks John, that was particularly interesting for me as I have a first generation Chord Mojo that I use with my old Exposure XX amplifier and Epos M12.2 speakers. This is my first DAC. I'm very happy with the sound quality, but when used in a home hifi it is a bit fiddly to use and when powered, I worry about how hot the battery gets. I had been considering a 200M mainly so I could stop plugging and unplugging cables so much and keep the Mojo for headphone use. Looks like I have more thinking to do! 🤔

[@patbarr1351]

My first DAC was the M2Tech, which really opened my ears to the possibilities! My only real complaint about the Mojo is its micro-USB connection. Most of the cables I've used have gone bad after a time, usually after becoming intermittent. And an intermittent connection damaged my Mojo once (good thing there's an authorized repair shop in Los Angeles). Now I mostly use a CD transport via Mojo's Toslink input, which works really well!

[@5angels332]

Fascinating review John, thanks for sharing.

[@heywoodjablome5630]

"Let's talk about knobfeel." "I know I touched on that...". "This is a bit stiff." Hahaha 4:18

[@michaelmueller3228]

It’s good to know there are other immature people out there

[@sundeepbhatia9974]

Robbie Robertson debut album and Swoon! Two of my all time favourites! You have immaculate taste! Looking forward to checking out the Coincidentalist!

[@Nixy68-22]

Nice video John, always thought provoking and easy to listen to :)

[@draztiqmeshaz6226]

I used to always include a squarepusher track or two on trips to the hifi store for something like a speed test.

[@shaneseacombe9658]

Hey John .Great series on dacs, can't wait to see the next episode ..haven't seen you for a while ,is everything okay over there .Shane from Oz

[@ErnestoDelAguilaIII]

The mojo is still in daily use in my headphone station. Thanks for the comparison!

[@ibassnote]

You are the best reviewer on KZbin, full-stop. Thanks for your attitude towards high-end audio, and general vibe.

[@Shrebina-kq4cs]

:-))))))))))))).......

[@thirdkey9]

Dig that you share on your vinyl choices and hope you may consider a review of different phono cartridges down the road too.

[@spektraone]

Thank you so much for another honest video. Could you please tell us who makes that slick looking USB connector?

[@007sMoneyPenny]

Of course I do like your attitude!! And I actually feel very well entertained with your videos. Only with this review result here I’m a little disappointed 😔 for Cambridge Audio. I own the CXNv 2 network streamer and since I got this great streamer I almost watch no KZbin or other stuff. And I consume just music over the day. However, when I receive KZbin notification that you have released a new video I come around and klick :-)

[@ProjectOverseer]

Very nice approach to reviewing DACs 👍

[@ProductivePM]

Another awesome review John. I spent this last weekend binge-watching your videos. You have a great and informative presentation style, and I am an audio newbie, so the amount of information you give is incredible. Keep up the magnificent work!

[@m_DT]

John... Back when the HifiQA board was a going I asked for recommendations for a $500 DAC. You responded and suggested both the Mojo and Bifrost. I ended up with a Mojo and it lived (and still lives) in my loudspeaker setup since. Only this year I added a BorderPatrol DAC SE (which I LOVE!) but the Mojo still delivers some extra sparkle that I like to tune into every once in awhile... And at a third of the price of BorderPatrol DAC.

[@FromBajor]

Although all videos are well worth watching, audio for everyone who wants to spend instead of on beverages etc., they are all also all gems in the way they are created, to be honest I would even watch them for the ad intro, genius, need another reason, the enriching of your musical state with the songs and recordings used. But it is just me, my taste and my enjoyment, hopefully yours to, so the videos keep coming 😉

[@javiercastaneda3099]

Excelente informacion, gracias John.

[@JohnScheppler]

Great information John Darko. I hope in this series we see FX-AUDIO dac especially since this is entry-level dac discussion.

[@TheSpoovy]

I just decided to dig out my old hifi last weekend to see if I could get Spotify running on it. Its a Pioneer a400 amp, monitor audio bronze bx2 speakers. I attached a pi running volumio via an old USB sound card, a roland/edirol ua-1ex. Sounds decent enough, but it's obviously cobbled together old and repurposed kit so less than ideal. So what should upgrade first? Replace the sound card with a dac is my first thought..

[@AS-iu3pl]

John, I think you'd like the sound of Khadas Tone board. Cheaper, but still likely to blow all of these budget DACs out of the park!!! Also, I love its combination with Raspberry Pi 3b+ and Volumio - super affordable beautiful setup... Great show, buddy.

[@stephenmiller9791]

There also appears to be an issue with the optical connection from my Samsung Neo Qled output. There is an intermittent "hiccup" with the sound every now and again. It doesn't happen with my Qutest.

[@gustoaudio8711]

Have you heard the Heed Abacus? Beautifully balanced sound, simultaneously neutral and clear but warm and thick, very easy to forget about “digital” all together

[@m_c_8656]

what are brushed metal cylindrical devices in his videos? They are about the size of a soda can

[@tomscott4438]

I checked out the Chord today. I balked at it because of the battery power and the absence of RCA output. I plan to run this through my 2-channel system using my CD player as the primary source. In that situation, the Chord just doesn't work.

[@kevincorr2985]

I have a Chord Mojo that did not get used as planned for a portable with an iPad or laptop. The problem is the flimsy micro usb connection that cuts out if you touch it. The newly released version has added a USB C that should be more stable. I have recently been using it on the home hifi to a very good integrated amp and speakers. It is good there but then the battery is superfluous as are he other controls. A simple dac with no battery, nor volume makes more sense with an integrated.

[@jjsilverstone]

Nice video. Will there be a story about the Transporter that is lurking on the floor ?

[@matthewjames4268]

I have the original dacmagic. Worked fine for my needs running b&w 801s with a record player and KZbin streaming. Not enough of an audiophile to care.

[@taidee]

Nice I caught this review early, a great presentation and review as usual John, thank you.

[@menash41]

I'm choosing between this and the CXN V2

[@KajottR]

Did you use the supplied plug-in power supply, or does a better power supply make sense?

[@devenmajmudar839]

Great video as always John. Please review T+A HA 200 Headphone Amp/Dac. Thanks

[@mianhe7213]

Thank you for your explanation. The combination of ifi zen dac and ifi zen can totals 310 euros. But I prefer the appearance of Dacmagic. Which one should I choose?

[@fh8314]

Still holding money for the 3rd value dac video to release, cannot wait!

[@theshortlist]

+1 !

[@radicalrealmrecordings42]

Why not review the Topping D30Pro DAC?

[@MrLeonidas1974]

John I request you review the audiolab 6000cdt transport. It's only £380 but seems to improve the sound of dacs costing thousands.

[@josephramos7979]

Pre Fab Sprout?......I love you man...... plus budget wise I Love my IFI DAC

[@lextr3110]

we really need a chord mojo 2! there is also the new ifi signature dual dac that seem interesting

[@BibhuduttaM]

How can I connect external speakers or AV receiver to Cambridge DacMagic 200?

[@johnsenuta1038]

DacMagic 200M is a great DAC. Don't listen to this guy.

[@marcossousa4891]

Would be great to get your thoughts - even if very brief - between the dac inside the cxn v2 and the dac magic.

[@mariofonseca9267]

John. I still have my Dacmagic, and have been wondering if it’s time to upgrade, hence some research, and finding your channel. Love your reviews, and the unique way how you describe sound coming from these electronics. Then, you mentioned Prefab Sprout and that just puts you at the pinnacle of KZbin as far as I am concerned! Time to upgrade. Thank you. You are awesome.

[@johnh539]

I'm interested in MQA which preferably streamer/DAC or if necessary DAC only would you recommend.

[@russm535il]

Hey John thank you 🙏 for your thoughts on DACs My Musical Fidelity V90 Dac is going to be replaced in my system by a Schitt Modius which I ordered today . Best from Pittsburgh Russ

[@varunu4176]

Great series, love the videos! I think that the Zen and Mojo are better choices for headphone users which I am, and it's a really big deal while choosing a DAC for my use case. I own the Zen DAC as my first DAC/headphone amp and I love it :D

[@kiv9431]

A question for Darko Audio. How did you manage to test DacMagic 200M with iPad connected using camera usb adapter if the DAC manual says this connection is not supported and the DAC should display alert “Cannot Use Accessory”? Is the DAC still functional even if the accessory unsupported? 🤔 I would really appreciate your answer!

[@mikaelsjogren6315]

Can you please recomend a dac with volume control that is not so sharp in the top but god for a warm poweramp?

[@simonfrost7561]

I’m thinking of getting a used Dacmagic 2 over a Topping m10 because a, I like that it’s designed by Pink Triangle and b, it’s around the same price c, it matches my same era other CA hifi but am I right in doing that things have changed a lot since 95!

[@lmtrades]

liking first then watching

[@georgelozinsky9018]

Great trilogy John. How about a trilogy sequel of more hi end dacs? Well done and keep doing such a great work!!!

[@17cream]

How does is compare to the E30? You are making comparisons to the D10 which is substantially cheaper. Does this make the Cambridge poorly priced? is there only a small gap in sound quality? I will say that the treble on the E30 is very bright

[@Another_Audiophile]

I’ve owned TH chord mojo twice and loved the sound but in both cases it had interference with noise from the mobile 4G and the line level output was too high at 3V.

[@steviesteve750]

I was a big fan of the DacMagic Plus, better to my ears in my system than several more expensive dacs that I tried out at the time. However, it's headphone amp was poor in comparison.

[@noise_avocation]

I am not sure if you mention this somewhere but when you show a preview of what appears to be a tablet playing Robbie Robertson and etc what app is that using to stream? is it a service? or is it just a player that you're playing Hi-Res files from?

[@AntonIvanov87]

Thank you, John, for the great video. I wonder how Mojo feels as a desktop dac/amp? Wanted to buy Cambridge DACMagic 200M, but now thinking about Mojo.

[@Ivan-bg1jp]

Had the Mojo as a desktop dac/amp for a while (because of pandemic). You can do it, but be prepared to accept that you'll eventually ruin the battery. Replacing it is very easy though. You don't need to buy the original battery, the made in china one is good enough. No difference whatsoever.

[@szymoncesarz6069]

How about adding Cocktailaudio N15D to the comparison, which is about the same money but adds streaming features and a decent headphone output.

[@christiangentile8010]

Hey John. Thank you for the video! One question: ProJect Prebox S2 Digital. Your opinion?

[@cupavivuk2704]

The Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital could also be a competitor. It has MQA decoding as well for around 350€.

[@wzehetma]

Hi John. I am eagerly awaiting your 3rd budget dac/headphone amp review as I am in the market. Is it still coming? Cheers

[@livingthefrenchdream7966]

Hello John not sure if you will see this but I wondered if you could advise me I have a marantz system with bowers and wilkins floor stander I have just recently upgraded the streamer to the NA6006 and subscribe to tidal stream hifi would I gain by investing a stand alone DAC ?

[@keithkrieger7075]

Could you do a video on power supply upgrades for raspberry pi and dacs?

[@Kevinb1821]

I have an ok setup with a marantz 7500 receiver that I've been using with a pair of ok sony ssf-7000 speakers. Right now I stream amazon music hd through my pc at home to my receiver. Will a dac make a huge difference on my system? maybe a 120 dollar modi 3plus?

[@carefortops8976]

Did you try headphones with an impedance of 32 Ohms? Steve Guttenberg did and was enthusiastic about the 200M. Am curious about your third video of this DAC review. Kuddo's for your work.

[@khoiquach]

This DAC sounds good but appears that its amp can't run HD650 very well. Not sure why, I thought it's a mighty one. I gotta use my Rotel to run the HD650. Might have buy a replacement.

[@Octocoupler]

He's got his mojo back

[@kamilc9368]

For the mqa chord would be still better than a dacmagic? I have Sundaras btw... If this helps...

[@valsetriste7875]

John hey, been enjoying the vids for a while now, cheers for the content, completely off the audio topic though you were wearing some pale petrol blue grey leather natural sole shoes in a video awhile back (can't remember which one anymore) and I'm pretty sure they were Reeboks but could be wrong, would be tempted by some if you can kindly let me know the details, all the continued best

[@robertj1303]

Are you going to review the new Questyle M12 made in Indonesia and looks like the device for loss less for phones and tablets and maybe more??

[@rulbertremy8722]

Hi Like your reviews. How would you compare those days to the schiit modius

[@monrosj]

FYI - the Schiit Bifrost is now $699 USD. Edit: But evidently the Chord Mojo is also $699 now also, at least today on Amazon.

[@simonklotz8817]

on the other hand, you can get a used Mojo for quite cheap now.

[@likelydaily6767]

So I loved the tune you were playing by square pusher but over Apple Music I can’t seem to access the ‘Feed me weird things’ album except for one track here in Iceland even when using a vpn. Do you have some exclusive listening privileges or am I doing something wrong? Thanks.

[@k-doggy1762]

He said the M word 🙊 Jokes aside, can't believe the little Mojo still rules some other DACs in its price point 6 years on!

[@jonsimons7934]

Looking forward to the third review of the set. My main question remains - if I stick one of these budget DACs in front of my £400 marantz integrated, how much of a difference am I likely to hear? Night and day, noticeable, or subtle?

[@DanRobards]

I'm watching this while listening through a 3.5mm RCA splitter into my ebay NAD 3020 haha