Stream quality: Spotify Connect = Airplay Mcintosh MX122


I have a Mcintosh MX122 that has Spotify Connect.  I am/was under the impression that means my Spotify signal is NOT being compressed like Airplay or bluetooth.  Basically, the unit is streaming directly from Spotify so I'm getting the highest quality possible that Spotify offers.

I was just told that was not correct by McIntosh Tech Support.  They said that Spotify Connect is a fancy term for Airplay basically and that the signal is being compressed in my MX122.  

How the crap am I supposed to know when I'm getting a crappy compressed signal vs the highest quality the service offers?  Don't say by listening haha.

Also, I downloaded Qobuz and Tidal in search of higher quality streams only to find out my MX122 will not natively stream them.  So is it worthless to use those since I can only stream over Airplay or bluetooth?  Doesn't that totally defeat the purpose of Hi Res, FLAC, or MQA?

Maybe I should take my CXN v2 off Craigslist and use it again idk!
dtximages

Showing 2 responses by lalitk

If you stay with Spotify streaming, I don’t think you can appreciate the difference in streaming sound quality with or without CXN v2.

First off, Spotify taps out at 320kbps. Secondly the DAC in your MX122 is average at best. Both mediocre quality, sorry. McIntosh is not known for high quality DAC’s....they make great sounding preamps, IMHO.

If you really want to upgrade the SQ of streaming, get a component that allows high resolution streaming (Tidal / Qobuz) with a internal high quality DAC. You also needs to ensure a wired Ethernet connection for your streaming device. You can then use analog outputs of your streaming device and go straight into analog inputs on MX122 to enjoy high resolution streaming.
You should try CXN v2 with wired Ethernet Connection and see if it sounds better to your ears. Please do not use Airplay option. Use decent quality analog XLR cables to connect CXN with MX122.