Anybody have the chance to compare McIntosh’s DAC1 to its DAC2? The MA-5300 integrated ships only with the earlier model & requires a $1000 dealer-only upgrade to replace it with the DAC2.
That’s frustrating. I see no reason why this upgrade couldn’t be done at the factory when the unit is ordered. Visiting the Mac dealer closest to me would require getting on a plane; and two-way shipping of even the relatively light MA-5300 would run $800-1000. You can buy a pretty nifty little late model HiFi Rose DAC/streamer that offers a much better interface for that kind of money.
It baffles me why the company won't allow users to buy its mid-priced integrateds with the better DAC pre-installed, especially since many live in states that don’t have dealerships. But my threshold question is simpler: Is the difference between the two DACs significant enough to justify a nearly $2000 upgrade?