Name: Cambridge Audio DacMagic 100
Brand: Cambridge Audio
SKU: 779DAC100S
Rating: 4.5 (141 reviews)

by Crutchfield's Dave Bar

Add a little magic to your music

Whether it's a CD player, computer, digital music streamer, or set-top box, here's a fantastic way to improve the sound quality coming from any of these digital sources. Simply plug the DacMagic 100 digital-to-analog converter in between your source's digital audio output and your receiver, amp, or powered speakers. You'll instantly hear greater detail and clarity, plus a real sense of scale and drama. This versatile little DAC will bypass the one inside your PC or audio component, and magically transform those cold hard zeroes and ones into warm, organic sound.

KEEP READING

Add a little magic to your music

There's magic on the inside

The DacMagic 100 comes packed with high-tech engineering designed to extract better sound from all your digital sources. Its latest-generation Wolfson DAC provides superb resolution that really brings out the fine details in your tunes, for a truly breathtaking listening experience.

Asynchronous USB means better sound from your computer

Standard USB outputs from most computers pose a serious limitation to sound quality. That's because while you're trying to listen to music, your PC is busy performing virus scans, data backup, and other background tasks that may take priority over your tunes, causing it to alter the data rate to suit its own needs. Unfortunately, this situation results in timing errors within the digital data stream — known as "jitter" — that adversely affects sound quality. Jitter can make your music sound harsh and edgy, and smear subtle details.

The DacMagic 100 solves this problem by reaching out to your computer through the USB interface, and instructing it to relinquish control of the data stream timing. In its place, this advanced DAC inserts its own separate, or asynchronous, clock to precisely control the timing of the data rate, reducing jitter to the vanishing point. You'll hear a stunning improvement in low-level ambient detail along with a wider, deeper soundstage.

Enjoy full-resolution USB audio

Along with all the sonic benefits the DacMagic 100 provides for your compressed and CD-quality music files, it also has another trick up its sleeve — it decodes high-resolution data streams with up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution through its USB connection, so you can enjoy better-than-CD audio quality. (Free USB driver download required for Windows® PCs.) If you download high-res music files from HDtracks and other audiophile sources, this DAC will ensure that you hear them in all their glory.

The DacMagic 100 offers multiple digital inputs for your sound sources.

Plenty of connections for your gear

DacMagic 100 lets you connect multiple digital source components to your home audio or desktop system:

two coaxial digital inputs: ideal for connecting a CD or DVD player, Logitech Squeezebox™ Touch, Sonos® Connect, or any other digital audio component with coax out, and taking advantage of the DacMagic 100's high-performance processor for better sound.
one optical digital input: ready to take on a set-top box, most HDTVs, a game console, or other digital audio sources with optical digital output, and feed a high-quality audio signal into your stereo system.
Type B USB jack feeds digital audio from your computer into the DacMagic 100's onboard digital-to-analog converter, bypassing your computer's sound card to yield much clearer sound with stored music files and Internet radio.

A pair of gold-plated RCA outputs lets you connect the DacMagic 100 to your home audio system's receiver or integrated amp. Or feed a set of powered speakers for a high-end, compact desktop stereo.

READ LESS

Product highlights:

latest-generation Wolfson Microelectronics 8742 24-bit digital-to-analog converter
asynchronous USB technology for reduced timing jitter and better sound with computer audio sources
incoming sampling rate indicator helps verify source quality
full-metal case design with thick brushed aluminum front panel
ground lift switch to eliminate potential ground hum
three digital audio inputs: one optical (Toslink) and 2 RCA coaxial (S/PDIF)
USB (Type B) input for connection to a computer
supported sample rates:
- USB: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, and 96kHz (24-bit/192kHz supported with downloaded USB driver and WASAPI, ASIO, or kernel streaming modes)
- optical: 32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, and 96kHz
- coaxial: 32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, and 192kHz
built-in driver for USB 1.0 connection (up to 24-bit/96kHz)
dedicated Cambridge Audio USB 2.0 driver required for 24-bit/192kHz playback on a Windows® PC (free USB driver download available from Cambridge Audio website)
Mac OSX 10.5 or later supports 24-bit/192kHz USB output natively, so no dedicated driver is required
frequency response: 20Hz to 20kHz (±0.1 dB)
THD: less than 0.0025%
signal-to-noise ratio: 113 dB
external power supply included
4-1/4"W x 1-13/16"H x 6-1/16"D
weight: 1.1 lbs. (without power supply)
warranty: 2 years (3 years with registration)
If connecting to a TV, please make sure you can select "PCM" output in its audio menu. This DAC is not compatible with Dolby® Digital signals.
MFR # C10500

What's in the box:

Cambridge Audio DacMagic 100 owner's manual

External digital-to-analog converter
AC power adapter (with attached 4' DC cord)
3 AC power plugs (US/EU/UK)
28" USB (type-B) to USB (type-A) cable
Cloth pouch
Quick Start Guide
Important Safety Instructions

Loading reviews...

Average review:

141 reviews

Filter by rating

filterStar

Customer photos

Customer provided image, click to load a larger version.

Verified customer

Verified employee review

Reviewed on Samsung.com

This review was collected as part of a promotion

Pros:

Cons:

Have questions for

Crutchfield response

<< >>

Researched by Crutchfield's Mark G.

Features & specs

Design
Type	Desktop/Component
Built-in Rechargable Battery	No
Built-in Headphone Amplifier
Output Power	N/A
Output Impedance (Unbalanced)	N/A
Output Impedance (Balanced)	N/A
Audio Specs
Bit Depth (USB)	24
Max Sampling Rate (USB)	192 kHz
Bit Depth (S/PDIF)	24
Max Sampling Rate S/PDIF	192 kHz
S/N Ratio (Unbalanced, in dB)	113
S/N Ratio (Balanced, in dB)	0
THD (Unbalanced)	0.0025%
THD (Balanced)	N/A
Supported File Types
PCM	Up to 192kHz
DSD	N/A
DXD	N/A
MQA	N/A
Inputs
Total Inputs	4
USB	Type B
Optical Digital	1
Coaxial Digital	2
3.5mm Digital	None
Stereo RCA Analog	None
Stereo 3.5mm Analog	None
Stereo XLR Analog	None
Headphone Outputs
3.5mm Unbalanced	None
1/4-inch Unbalanced	None
4.4mm Balanced	None
XLR4 Balanced	None
Other Headphone Outs	None
Line Level & Digital Outs
RCA Line Out	1
3.5mm Line Out	None
XLR Line Out	None
Subwoofer Out	None
Optical Digital Out	None
Coaxial Digital Out	None
Wireless Connectivity
Bluetooth	No
Wi-Fi	No
Apple-compatible	No
Android-compatible	No
General Info
Width (inches)	4-1/4
Height (inches)	1-13/16
Depth (inches)	6-1/16
Weight	1.1 lbs.
Parts Warranty	2 Years
Labor Warranty	2 Years

Product Research

Features
Controls
Connections

Features

Overview: The Cambridge Audio Azur DacMagic 100 is a high-quality, external digital-to-analog converter featuring a USB (type-B) digital audio input, a Optical (toslink) digital audio input, and two Coaxial (RCA) digital inputs. The Cambridge Audio DacMagic 100 takes the digital audio output from your computer, game console, digital iPod dock, or Blu-ray DVD player and converts it into a high-resolution analog signal for your home's integrated amplifier or A/V receiver.

Full Metal Casework: The DacMagic 100 features full metal casework design with a brushed aluminum front-panel to prevent any audio distortion caused by vibration.

Wolfson WM8742 24-bit DAC: The DacMagic 100 employs the latest generation Wolfson WM8742 24-bit DAC (digital-to-analog converter) for exceptional sound quality.

Digital Input Sampling Frequencies: The Cambridge Audio DacMagic 100 supports the following digital input sampling frequencies through its USB (type-B) and Coaxial (RCA) digital inputs - 32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, and 192 kHz. The Optical (toslink) digital input only supports 32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, and 96 kHz.

Asynchronous USB Transfer: The DacMagic 100 provides Asynchronous USB transfer for very low jitter USB Audio input, allowing streaming of up to 24-bit/192kHz audio from a computer.

Controls

Standby/On: The Cambridge Audio Azur DacMagic 100's front-panel Standby/On button turns the unit On or Off. When in Standby (Off) mode, the unit draws less than 1-watt.

Source Button: The Cambridge Audio DacMagic 100 features a front-panel Source button. You can press this button to cycle through the DAC's four inputs - USB (type-B), Toslink (optical), S/P-DIF 1 (coaxial), and S/P-DIF (coaxial). The corresponding LED will light up to show which source you have selected.

Incoming Sample Rate LEDs: In the presence of an incoming digital stream, the relevant LED will light up to indicate the incoming digital sampling frequency (44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 192 kHz). For 32kHz material, the DacMagic 100 will still operate, but no LED will be lit.

Ground/Lift Switch: The DacMagic 100 features a rear-panel Ground/Lift switch. When Grounded, the DacMagic 100 is connected to the earth connection of the PC directly. When Lifted the ground connection is made via a network designed to break any hum loops that may be caused by the source equipment. The Grounded setting is recommended, unless audible hum is experienced.

Connections

USB Port: A rear-panel 24-bit/192kHz USB (type-B) port enables the DacMagic 100 to be connected to your Windows PC or Mac computer. The DacMagic 100 will act as a very high-quality DAC/sound-card with very low jitter for your computer, offering genuine Hi-Fi-quality playback from your stored music and Internet radio. The DacMagic 100 is both USB 2.0 (Hi-Speed) and USB 1.1 (Full-speed) USB port compatible. It will also work with the new USB 3.0 ports where the PC will simply treat the DacMagic 100 as if it were a USB 2.0 or 1.1 device. The DacMagic 100 also supports two USB Audio protocols (not the same as the port types themselves) USB Audio 1.0 (which works over USB 1.1 ports and supports up to 24-bit/96kHz) or USB Audio 2.0 (which requires a USB 2.0 port and can support up to 24-bit/192kHz).

PC Compatible: With the DacMagic 100 switched to USB Audio 1.0 (this is the default setting), the DacMagic 100 will work with the native Windows XP, Vista or 7 Audio 1.0 driver (no need to load any new driver) and accept audio up to 24-bit/96kHz. With the DacMagic 100 switched to USB Audio 2.0, the DacMagic 100 needs the Cambridge Audio USB Audio 2.0 Driver to be loaded and can then accept up to 24-bit/192kHz (and support ASIO and WASAPI Exclusive if required).
Mac Compatible: No extra drivers are required to connect your Mac computer. With the DacMagic 100 switched to USB Audio 1.1, the DacMagic 100 will work with the native Mac OS-X 10.5 (Leopard) or above Audio 1.0 driver and accept audio up to 24/96kHz. With the DacMagic 100 switched to USB Audio 2.0 the DacMagic 100 works with the native Mac OS-X 10.5 (Leopard) or above Audio 2.0 driver and can accept audio up to 24/192kHz.

Digital Inputs: The DacMagic 100 is fitted with three rear-panel 24-bit digital inputs; one Optical (toslink), and two Coaxial (RCA). The optical and coaxial digital inputs allow a wide range of digital source (CD, DVD, Game Console, etc.) to be connected to the DacMagic 100.

Note: This unit only accepts two-channel LPCM digital audio (Stereo PCM or Dolby Digital 2.0). You cannot connect a Dolby Digital 5.1 or a DTS signal, as they will not be recognized. If you wish to connect a DVD or similar device, please ensure that the sound output of your player is set to two-channel PCM.

Unbalanced RCA Outputs: The DacMagic 100 features an unbalanced stereo analog RCA audio output for connecting your stereo receiver or amplifier.

Auto Power Down (APD): The DacMagic 100 has an Auto Power Down (APD) mode that shuts the unit off after a period of time if the unit isn't receiving a digital signal. The APD is a requirement in order to comply with power regulations. The APD can be disabled by pressing and holding the Source button for 5 seconds.

Power Requirements: The Cambridge Audio DacMagic 100 operates off of standard household AC current, using the supplied AC power adapter. The external power adapter is separate from the digital-analog-converter to further improve sound quality. The supplied AC power adapter includes AC power plug inserts for North America, Europe, and the United Kingdom.

Input: 100-240V~50/60Hz, 0.55A
Output: 12V - 2A

Loading accessories...

10 questions already asked

If this DAC bypasses the computer speaker board does this mean it bypasses all the Creative Blaster tone controls built into the software of the computer to control bass, treble, environment sounds, etc? It's the only way to control the sound is the reason I'm asking. I have no other controls.

tomato Dec 19, 2021

3 answers

Yes, and generally you want to bypass any audio circuitry in your computer, because the DAC's circuitry is superior (be sure to select your computer's digital out, not analog out). Be aware that there's also a version of this DAC ("DACMagic Plus", I think) which includes a volume knob; this might be a better fit if you don't have volume control downstream. That being said, you can still use your desktop's general volume control, if for example you're streaming audio from your disk drive or from your web browser, to the DAC and then to a speaker arrangement which lacks a separate volume control. Or if you install a streaming service's app on your computer, then that will typically include software volume control. In my case, I feed the DAC output to a high-end stereo, so I keep my desktop's volume control at maximum and then adjust the volume on the stereo, as this produces better sound (in my case anyway).

casey Dec 22, 2021

I use it between my pc and my stereo receiver, and the volume and tone control is on the receiver. I wouldnt bother with this if just using pc speakers without separate amp.

lynn Dec 20, 2021

Well, I was under the impression that it did just that, but now that you ask, I guess I really don't know! Sadly that info is a bit above my level. I will say that I think it does sound better than the iTunes/Apple version. So now I want to know the answer to this question as well.

ken Dec 20, 2021

is there a way to integrate the DAC with my premium stream service (ie Tital or Qobuz)?

doug Apr 12, 2021

8 answers

As soon as you connect the DAC to your computer and turn on the DAC, the DAC will be recognized as an audio output option, just like USB headphones. Like other such devices, you can set thr DAC as your default/preferred output. I turn on my DAC only when listening to my streaming service (Amazon Ultra HD), and as soon as I turn it on, it's recognized as my preferred output. Good luck, and enjoy!

casey May 12, 2021

No. This is not streaming device, there is no wifi connection there is no blue tooth. You will need a device to play Tidal and Qobuz so a computer, phone, tablet, iPad. There are DAC /streamer combos and Dac/headphone amp combos. This isn't one of them, however. This is literally just a DAC; it does one thing and it excels at it!

steven May 06, 2021

I guess it depends on what devise you are using for streaming. My set up has the optical output from the Sonos into the DAC and then the output of the DAC to the amp input With RCA wires. Works great.

tom May 05, 2021

If you have a streaming device with a digital output, or if you use your phone/computer to stream and hook it up with the usb you can stream through this. This is just a digital to analog converter. It is itself has no integrated streaming ability on it's own. All that being said, it sound outstanding, and I love mine.

tyler May 05, 2021

You need a device to stream, and then you can set up the DAC as an audio out. I use a windows PC and connect to the DAC via USB.

michael r May 05, 2021

I have used this DAC connected to my computer via USB. In that scenario you can pretty much use any service and direct the signal to the DAC via USB cable.

cuneyt May 05, 2021

With the Cambridge USB driver you can use Tidal for 96kHz through WASAPI. Assume the same through Qobuz.

michael May 05, 2021

You need a dedicate streamer with any type of digital output and you are done. Obviously, you need a power amp to use this unit variable output or a pre-amp or a integrated amp using it with a fixed output.

carlos May 05, 2021

I have an LG Thin Q 7 cellular device w unlimited 4G data package (but no Wi Fi or PC yet). I have been using a iFi Zen Blue, LDAC codec, as the primary source to my hi perf home audio system. I also use system for HiFi surround AV enjoyment, and have a '86 Vintage CD player. I've seen No mention of USB w Android Mobile Device. I was hoping to also improve my audio experience with my Tidal HiFi/Masters subscription...via wired vs. BT connection. Can the DAC Magic also provide at least some Fidelity benefit over the Zen blue given the mild inconvenience of having to use a wired connection from my listening position and using a wireless charging pad. Is this connection even feasible?

dan Feb 18, 2021

1 answer

I can't speak to the Android question, but I can speak to the fidelity: DACMagic is awesome. I have a high end system, and I bought the DM100 just to try Amazon HD Music. I tried DM100 with both Windows and Ubuntu 20, and both pairings work just fine. P.S. If you try Amazon HD Music, the sound is better through the web interface than through the Amazon app; also, some recordings are better fidelity than others, but overall fantastic paired with DM100.

casey Feb 19, 2021

My cd player has only a set of RCA output Jacks. No any other optional output. How can I connect to this DAC?

david Dec 12, 2020

8 answers

RCA output is an analog signal, this means your cd player already has an integrated DAC. To use any external DAC you will need a digital output, coaxial (which resembles an RCA but is a single output) and optical are typical digital outputs. Hope this answer your question.

daniel Dec 13, 2020

RCA outputs. (Red and white) are usually already analog so DAC processing performed in CD player. This DAC needs optical, coaxial, or usb for inputs.

w brian Dec 13, 2020

In order to use your CD player as a transport in conjunction with an external DAC, your CD player must have an optical or coaxial output connection. If it only has RCA output connections then it is not possible to bypass the CD player's internal DAC. Therefore the DacMagic nor any other external DAC can be used with that particular CD player.

daniel g Dec 13, 2020

You cannot connect to this device if you only have rca output on your cd player

louis Dec 12, 2020

Dear David, To the best of my knowledge, if your cd player has only a set of RCA outputs, these should be analog outputs designed to feed your regular preamp/amp analog inputs. You would need a DIGITAL output in your cd player to feed the DIGITAL input in your DAC. Regards.

alex Dec 12, 2020

This DAC only accepts digital inputs via USB, Coaxial, or optical. Unless you can assign the RCA jack as digital, you can't use this DAC

david Dec 12, 2020

Sorry, i can't help you, i returned this and went a different direction

gilbert Dec 12, 2020

If you don't have some kind of digital output, it's not possible.

gabriel Dec 12, 2020

Can this amp act as a Bluetooth device that my iPhone can connect to?

joe Oct 14, 2020

9 answers

No Bluetooth capability

louis Oct 14, 2020

To the best of my knowledge, the Dacmagic 100 has no Bluetooth capabilities. Regards.

alex Oct 14, 2020

No, you would have to connect a Bluetooth receiver to it. Then you'd be golden

gabriel Oct 14, 2020

There are no Bluetooth capabilities contained in this product. The DacMagic 100 takes the digital signal from your USB port of a laptop or other computer based device and converts the digital audio signal to analog audio as a low level signal that is intended as input to a high quality amplifier. I own two of them, and they are a great product. Larry Edson

larry Oct 14, 2020

Yes, but you need the Cambridge BT100 USB receiver. With receiver you can connect any Bluetooth audio output device.

darrell Oct 14, 2020

No, for that you'll need the Dacmagic Plus, along with the separately-sold BT100 Bluetooth receiver.

charles Oct 14, 2020

It does not have bluetooth capability. But you can plug a computer in via usb.

greg Oct 14, 2020

No. It is a Digital to Audio (Dac) device. It is not an amp.

lloyd h h Oct 14, 2020

this is not an amp. It's a Dac. Digital to analog converter.

richard Oct 14, 2020

can this be hooked up to a rotel power and preamp and use for tidal mqa files?

peter Aug 14, 2020

2 answers

It has stereo rca type output jacks that can be hooked up to any rca type input with the exception of a phono input. It will play Mia files although I'm not sure if natively

louis Aug 31, 2020

Not sure what a rotel power is but you can hook up to a preamp, and it will play Tidal MQA flies but DAC is not MQA compatible itself. Tidal software can do the first MQA "unfold", dac will not do any further MQA unfolding

bernardo Aug 31, 2020

Does the Dock Magic 100 have Bluetooth capability?

patrick Mar 25, 2020

8 answers

w brian Mar 26, 2020

No.

rafael Mar 26, 2020

Unfortunately no

dan Mar 26, 2020

I don't think so. I use mine to connect a laptop to my receiver. My receiver has Bluetooth and I could by pass the DAC and go directly on receiver, but I find the sound quality better. The laptop is running a Plex music server.

bert Mar 25, 2020

The DacMagic 100 does not have Bluetooth capability.

greg Mar 25, 2020

eont know, i returned mine . bought a new preamp with built in dac

gilbert Mar 25, 2020

No it does not. If you want bluetooth you need to upgrade to Dacmagic Plus and order the Cambridge Audio BT100.

stan Mar 25, 2020

bernardo Mar 25, 2020

Can I go from an iphone streaming spotify to the DAC with Stereo mini to stereo RCA adapter?

todd Mar 24, 2020

4 answers

not because the dac only processes digital signals

eliezer Mar 28, 2020

Yes, you can go with that

tuan Mar 24, 2020

If you want your DAC. To do what you really want I would use your usb charging cable and use the USB input of the DAC. The rca connections are for output TO your stereo

louis Mar 24, 2020

Yes and works great running in through an old marantz 2330 great sound

web Mar 24, 2020

If I plug my tv audio output into this via an optical audio cable, will all of the components plugged into my tv via hdmi send the audio through to this DAC? Or do the components have to be individually plugged in directly to the DAC and then from the DAC to the TV?

alexander Dec 13, 2017

3 answers

Yes. But remember to change the audio settings on all the devices being used to PCM audio

bernardo Mar 25, 2020

Yes, this will improve your overall sound. Make sure your RCA cables are of high quality from the Dac 100 outfput to your amp or receiver or integrated amp input

stephen Dec 15, 2017

I can't give you a definitive answer, because I don't fully understand what you mean by "optical audio cable". What kind of cable is it; video + audio (e.g. HDMI)? If it's an HDMI cable you will need to separate the video component from the audio component via an adapter. Then you should be able to feed just the audio component into the Cambridge DAC and convert the sound from digital to analog, which can then go to a traditional stereo amplifier. To be safe you'd better seek advice from Crutchfield specialists before you make assumptions that might damage your Cambridge DAC.

edward s. Dec 15, 2017

I have an onkyo DVD player and I play my standard CDs on. I bought the DAC magic 100 to improve the quality of my music, but I could not tell any difference in the sound. The frequency (with the DAC) stays at 44.1. It doesn't go up to 192, there is no increase whatsoever. Any advice on what I can to fix this problem? What would be the problem that is causing this? Also, if I bought a CD player with a built in DAC, would that work? Would that increase the frequency and sound? Thank you in advance!

lauren s. Feb 18, 2014

9 answers

Hi. I think I might have your answer or solution. Do you have an A/V receiver? I if you do, I would connect your audio jacks from your DAC magic 100 to your receiver. Then use your downloaded music on your lap top computer. By doing this, you must connect the usb connecter from your computer your the DAC. This get 192khz, you have to download software from the Cambridge Audio website. This is how I have mine hooked up. Hope this helps.

brian Feb 24, 2014

E'lauren I run my music straight from my iMac back into the Cambridge DAC Magic. So it's USB out to the DAC then optical cable to my receiver and oxygen free copper cables back to the DAC Magic. You can use any sort of computer-based music library, iTunes certainly works. I have a eliminated CDs altogether and taken my changers out of my system loop so I just loaded everything from CDs into my iMac music library. You should See an up convert to 96. You won't see 192 unless you're buying a high-resolution music file like an HDTracks. You should see a significant increase in Fidelity using this kind of process. The key is you need to make sure that you bypass the DAC and you were receiver or CD changer. Try running from your laptop or desktop into the DAC and then out to receiver and see if that doesn't make a significant difference for you.

john Feb 20, 2014

It is possible the DACs in your Onkyo DVD player are already of high quality, so adding an external DAC will might not result in improved fidelity. Also the ability to actually hear any difference would depend on the quality of the rest of your system (amplifiers, speakers, etc). Often you need really hi end stuff (esp speakers) before you *think* you can hear a difference. As for the DAC staying at 44.1, that is not up to the DAC but rather the media you are playing. Audio CD's are only encoded at 44.1 and therefore the DVD player is only going to send a 44.1 signal to the DAC (and that is what the DAC will show). You might be able get higher sampling rate from a DVD-Audio disc if your DVD player is compatible, likely 48kHz or 96kHz. I use my DacMagic 100 to play downloaded HD music from a PC via USB. This music is usually sampled in 24bit and 96kHz or 192 kHz and almost always sounds better than CDs of the same performances Also the DacMagic 100 is much better than the audio out on the PC which usually have very low quality DACs.

franklin Feb 20, 2014

I think it's set to process standard CD's at 44.1. So far I am very happy with mine. I notice a deffinete improvement in bass responce. It will not prossess SACD'S, so I process those through my Marantz universal player. What it is really good at is processing downloaded misic. I have I-Tunes, so I use my computer as a music player. The downloads sound as good as any origional CD.

thomas r Feb 18, 2014

cd rate is standard at 16/44.1, so no increase in quality their. the Cambridge DAC will convert the dig to ani better than without, but you can't hear the difference. try this and discuss with folks. I ripped all my cd's into "Apple Lossless" (many other formats to choose but Apple Lossless is very universal and is free and works great). when ripping, rip to the increased bit rate 24/196.....then when you play the tracks from your PC hard drive thru the DAC via a USB A-B cable, you will be up-sampling to the highest rate and you WILL hear a difference. the sound opens up and becomes warm, sort of like vinyl. easy to do but takes hours of time ripping the cd's.....well worth it. you also end up with a huge library that you can play tracks any way you want...flexible. good luck.

michael z Feb 18, 2014

All standard CDs play at 44.1k so the Cambridge should show 44.1k when playing CDs. In order to get 192k resolution you will have to buy high rez downloads at online stores such as HDTracks. When playing back these high rez files from your PC the DAC will light up 192k. If you are using Windows you will need to download the driver for the Cambridge DAC at Cambridge Audio website. If you use windows 7, then download driver 1.43 Windows will not play files at 192k without the driver. If you use an Apple PC then no driver is needed but I do not think Apple will play 192k files, but I can be wrong about that. So you cannot get standard CDs to play any higher than 44.1k, you must purchase high rez files to get music at higher frequency than 44.1k. HDTracks will let you download high rez files in AIFF, ALAC. FLAC or WAV formats from 96k up to 192k.

jerry Feb 18, 2014

Hey, Chances are this DAC is better than the one with your Onkyo. However, it may not be. If your are feeding it cd's, the rate is 44.1. Set your DAC to take the digital output from your Onkyo into the Dacmagic, and then set the analog outputs from the DAC to your speakers and/or amp. BTW, all CD's and DVD's have a DAC built in. If you use the digital output from your DVD player and input it into a home theater receiver (for example) the DAC in the receiver will be used to convert to analog. But sooner or later, the digital to will be converted to analog. Whether your optical drive does it, your DAC does it, or your HT receiver does it.

jack Feb 18, 2014

Couple questions and some guidance. Standard CDs are all sampled at 44.1 - you will not see the rate go up to 192 etc. for a CD source. Can you share how you are connecting the DVD player to the DAC and then how you are connecting your DAC to amplifier. Also, what is the brand and model number of your amp? Finally, what problem are you trying to solve? Confused by "increasing the frequency and sound" is something not working or sounding poorly? Be patient right now for a little bit - the DAC Magic is an excellent DAC.

chris Feb 18, 2014

CD's are all encoded at 44.1. To utilize a higher sample rate you have to use a higher resolution format such as audiophile music downloads or SACD.

john Feb 18, 2014

SHOW MORESHOW LESS

Loading articles...

Our hours

Shop smart & save time when you connect with an advisor

Our hours

Shop smart & save time when you connect with an advisor

Thank you. You are in line to receive a call from .

It's your turn. will be calling you shortly at .

Cambridge Audio DacMagic 100 Stereo DAC with asynchronous USB input (Silver)

Overview

About the Cambridge Audio DacMagic 100

Add a little magic to your music

Add a little magic to your music

There's magic on the inside

Asynchronous USB means better sound from your computer

Enjoy full-resolution USB audio

Plenty of connections for your gear

Product highlights:

What's in the box:

Featured review

Reviews (141)

Customer reviews for Cambridge Audio DacMagic 100

Filter by rating

Customer photos

Details

More details on the Cambridge Audio DacMagic 100

Features & specs

Product Research

Features

Controls

Connections

Accessories

Customer Q&A

10 questions already asked

Articles

Your Advisor