McIntosh MB100 - Media Bridge

Mike

Mike

Audioshark
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Apr 2, 2013
Messages
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Location
Sarasota, FL
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With music now being created, stored and distributed in an assortment of ways, you need a simple yet sophisticated device to manage it all. The MB100 Media Bridge does just that by connecting you to all your favorite web based and hard drive stored digital music and allows it all - including uncompressed, lossless 24-bit/192kHz files - to be enjoyed in legendary McIntosh sound.

With all of its onboard storage and external connection capabilities, it can easily serve as the hub for all your digital media. A 1TB internal hard drive is included for content storage, while four USB ports and one eSata port allows you to connect additional external hard drives or flash drives full of content. The high speed network port connects you to your preferred online streaming services such as Pandora®, SiriusXM®, Spotify®, Rhapsody and TuneIn (subscriptions may be required), while additional streaming services may be added in the future. You can also add your favorite internet radio stations as presets. Two analog or two digital outputs connect the MB100 to the rest of your audio system, or connect it via USB to any of your other McIntosh products that accept USB audio. Creating two independent zones of audio is available when using the USB connection in combination with the analog or digital outputs.

The MB100 can automatically synchronize the content stored on your networked computers so it is readily accessible and playable. Guests can stream music from their personal iOS devices to the MB100 via AirPlay®. When connected to a video monitor, you can watch a slideshow of your favorite photos while playing the music of your choice.

All of your content can be backed up to the Amazon Cloud Drive or Apple iCloud. This also allows for your music to be synchronized across multiple homes or locations. The MB100 can even be configured so that your new music purchases from either cloud service can be automatically added to your library for easy enjoyment.

The MB100 utilizes the same highly regarded 8 channel, 32-bit, 192kHz DAC with wide dynamic range and extremely low distortion as our D100 digital preamp. The DAC is isolated from the motherboard, ensuring music at all levels is reproduced with extreme precision and elegance. The operating system and music player are housed on a state-of-the-art solid state hard drive for fast response times, quiet operation and durability. The MB100 is controlled via an iOS or Android app, a web browser, or a remote control with TV interface and is compatible with many popular home automation systems allowing for easy integration into your existing setup.


MB100 Media Bridge powered by Autonomic.

*AirPlay requires iTunes 10.1 or later and iPhone, iPad or iPod touch with iOS 4.3.3 or later. To wirelessly stream music to the MB100, a wireless router is required. Router not included.

AirPlay and the AirPlay logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.



ELECTRONIC SPECIFICATIONS
ULTRA LOW DISTORTION
0.005%
FREQUENCY RESPONSE ±1DB
2Hz to 22,000Hz
MAXIMUM VOLTS OUT (BALANCED / UNBALANCED)
4/2 V RMS
SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO
102dB
OUTPUT IMPEDANCE
600 ohms (Balanced / Unbalanced)
DYNAMIC RANGE
96dB
CONNECTIVITY
OUTPUTS UNBALANCED
1 Stereo
OUTPUTS BALANCED
1 Stereo
DIGITAL COAXIAL OUTPUT
1
DIGITAL OPTICAL OUTPUT
1
DIGITAL USB INPUT
4 (2 USB 2.0 / 2 USB 3.0)
DIGITAL USB AUDIO OUTPUT
1 (compatible only with McIntosh products that accept USB audio)
NETWORK CONNECTION
1 (10/100/1000)
DVI OUTPUT
1 (for GUI only)
HDMI OUTPUT
1 (for GUI only)
ESATA INPUT
1
DIGITAL AUDIO SPECIFICATIONS
DIGITAL OUTPUT FORMAT
SPDIF (PCM)
DIGITAL OUTPUT SAMPLE RATE
Up to 24-Bit/192kHz
CONTROL
POWER CONTROL INPUT
1
POWER CONTROL OUTPUT
1
REAR PANEL DATA INPUT
1
REAR PANEL IR SENSOR INPUT
1
WEIGHTS & DIMENSIONS
DIMENSIONS (W X H X D)
17.5" (44.45cm) x 3-7/8" (9.8cm) x 16" (40.64cm)
WEIGHT
13.5 lbs (6.1kg)
SHIPPING WEIGHT
28 lbs (12.7kg)
 
This product has a place & marketing it as a bridge is good product positioning. I'm thinking that I want to use my Windows Surface RT or Pro or my Windows Phone. IOS is losing it's steam & I want to do my own thing outside of the Apple eco system.
 
Steve said:
IOS is losing it's steam
Click to expand...

Steve, maybe for you. But the MB100 is displayed part-n-parcel with an iPad. dunno?

If the price of the MB100 is too much, there is the autonomic model, that it's based on, for less. Next, you can build/buy a computer and set-up to replicate the features. Lastly, a hardware box like Sonos Connect achieves almost all of the MB100's capability when paired with a D100 or like Digital to Analog converter.
 
o0OBillO0o said:
Steve, maybe for you. But the MB100 is displayed part-n-parcel with an iPad. dunno?

If the price of the MB100 is too much, there is the autonomic model, that it's based on, for less. Next, you can build/buy a computer and set-up to replicate the features. Lastly, a hardware box like Sonos Connect achieves almost all of the MB100's capability when paired with a D100 or like Digital to Analog converter.
Click to expand...

Although I am currently typing this on the latest iPad Mini, I am going on the anti. I'm a Microsoft Surface guy given choice....It might be time to bring my little CAPs project online...

Watching shifting vendor alliances is always interesting. At least they have an Android offering also. Android currently has the biggest slice of pie. Next year, the market share has the potential to shift again to reflect what's hot & what's not.

A relative of mine is Apple mad. He has Sonos too. He has a C2300, a pair of MC601s, an MVP891 & a 20GB Synology 1513+ still in boxes for well over a year! Maybe if I convince him to buy this MB100, his McIntosh gear may actually see the light of day. I have a go at him all the time about the boxes, the warranty & his loss of musical enjoyment in this life. :sigh:
 
Steve, if you get one, please share to the group on how your MB100 sounds via USB to your MCD1100 vs C1000T Analog in. Thanks.
 
Shall consider. If I get one, will post both AB hookup options. I have the wire including a WireWorld Platinum G7 USB waiting to be used. :D
 
rrwmd said:
Does the MB100 use the same DAC as the D100? And is it the same as the C50/C2500?
Click to expand...

Both MCD1100 & MVP891 have ES9018 DAC. The MB100/D100 have the ES9016. MCD500 has ES9012. C2500/C50 have Burr Brown 32/192.

The MCD1100 apparently still has the best implementation & of course does native DSD from disc.

Even though they are 32 bit DACs, external inputs are 24/192 PCM. No DSD.

Arrrrggggh, DAC happy Mac.
 
Zero DSD capability which makes it a non-starter for me.
 
Given that this product is an outsourced rebadge, its guts not to the usual McIntosh standards & that it is latched to a closed system, I think I would pass giving the MB100 further consideration. For me, a "Media Bridge" should have no moving parts. No fans, no spinning HDD.

I'm confident a Windows 8.1 Silent PC based on a CAPs 3 concept if properly done would run rings around the Autonomic based media bridge.

I'm waiting for a Windows Surface Pro 3 delivery as soon as it ships at the end of this month. Let's see what it can do with its battery, JRiver installed on it & a WireWorld Platinum Eclipse G7 USB tethered to a McIntosh MCD1100... It might just blow everything else away including a CAPs. Then there is a docking station for this device coming too...
 
The MB100 is for the McIntosh 'Completest' - you get power and data control in/out, matching glass, & decent analog/digital output. We all know McIntosh isn't free. Similar product is the MT-10, in tems of an outsourced and matching component despite there are other brand options.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
o0OBillO0o said:
The MB100 is for the McIntosh 'Completest' - you get power and data control in/out, matching glass, & decent analog/digital output. We all know McIntosh isn't free. Similar product is the MT-10, in tems of an outsourced and matching component despite there are other brand options.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Sure McIntosh have outsourced many elements of their sources. Building source is McIntosh's weakness. MT10/MT5 are beefed up Clearaudio's, the MVP891 has its video, DSP & firmware from Denon/Marantz based on the Mediatek SDK. MX121 is also based on a Denon/Marantz.

It will be interesting what the MX160 project turns out to be as that began under the D&M Holding umbrella too. Don't get me wrong, Denon have the capacity to make exceptional reference products, but they only tend to release something really special once a decade.

The MB100 is Autonomic with a beautiful facia. I don't think much more effort was given. If I were to buy it, I would be pulling the 2nd HDD drive out & replacing it with a 1TB Samsung SSD & experimenting with SATA filters. But for the price with no DSD makes it a real stretch.
 
Sounds like you want an original idea from a McIntosh Source. I.e. Most of their tuners. If that is the case, I, as well, would like to see some original thoughts from the engineers in Binghamton, NY, USA! This does not include their amps, pre amps and speakers.

Now, pulling the HD and using a SSD is a great idea, if you increase the sound quality, data speeds, and disk reliability.

DSD: If you look at the distribution of music in terms of format, Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) is how a majority of music is made and distributed. While I have had great results with DSD, the content is limited. Most of all, for me, its about the music and Content for Content I will take Spotify's quantity of music over DSD quality of music. I feel that this want part of the decision analysis done at Mcintosh. You are weighting DSD very heavily as a factor.
 
Well, I've been waiting for this product since they announced it to complete my system... Hopes and aspirations were very high as an "8 channel, 32-bit, 192kHz DAC" should definately mean something... I'm not sure what they did wrong. I had an A-B test at my dealer comparing it to a similarly priced combo (player+DAC, I'm new here and not sure whether it's OK to name competing products) using components identical to my system (MA 7900+B&W 804D) and the results were a little frastrating. Functionality is great, but the sound... Overall impression is pretty good if you walk around your house while the music is on, i.e. tonal balance is nice and pleasant, natural. Rythm and character is in place. However, once you decide to actually listen to it in your system's sweet spot you realize that the stage lacks details and refinement. Localization of instruments is way below expectations and competitive performance. I was listening to hi-res files (FLAC and AIFF) and low quality CD-rips. Well, the beter the quality of the recording the bigger the frastration with the MB100... It does play low resolution files better as they have no stage... :)

I than took it home and compared it with my Laptop running through USB cable (Transparaent) into MA 7900's internal DAC. To my great surprise the staging and localization was better when the system was fed by my laptop. I just had to order the competing product...
 
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