McIntosh MCD350 SACD/CD Player

A Dedicated Player for SACD and CD

The McIntosh MCD350 SACD/CD Player is designed around a straightforward idea: get the best possible performance from your physical music collection.

Rather than loading the player with streaming features and additional digital inputs, McIntosh focuses the MCD350 on high-quality SACD and CD playback, combining a precision disc mechanism with a balanced 32-bit DAC and both analog and digital output options.

For listeners with a substantial collection of CDs and SACDs, the MCD350 provides a dedicated source component worthy of the rest of a high-end McIntosh system.

32-Bit Digital-to-Analog Conversion

At the heart of the MCD350 is a balanced 2-channel, 32-bit/192kHz DAC responsible for converting the digital information stored on a disc into the analog signal sent to your audio system.

Both balanced and unbalanced fixed analog outputs are provided, allowing the MCD350 to connect directly to a preamplifier or integrated amplifier.

For an all-McIntosh system, the balanced outputs provide a natural connection to compatible McIntosh electronics.

Use the Internal DAC—or Your Own

McIntosh also gives you the option of using the MCD350 purely as a digital disc source.

Both coaxial and optical digital outputs are provided, allowing the digital signal to be sent to an external DAC, compatible preamplifier or home theater processor.

That flexibility is particularly valuable as a system evolves.

You can enjoy the MCD350's internal DAC today while retaining the option to use a different digital conversion stage in the future.

Engineered for SACD and CD

SACDs and CDs require different optical technologies to be read properly.

The MCD350 uses a twin-laser optical pickup with a single objective lens and two separate laser units. Each operates at a wavelength optimized for its respective disc format.

It's a purpose-built approach designed to give both SACDs and conventional CDs the attention they deserve.

Read the Disc Faster. Play It More Accurately.

The MCD350 reads discs at 2x normal speed.

Rather than immediately playing information directly from the disc, the higher-speed reading process allows data to be stored in buffer memory, providing additional opportunity for tracking and error correction.

The disc itself sits in a rigid die-cast aluminum tray, giving the transport mechanism the substantial construction expected from a dedicated McIntosh source component.

The entire process is designed around one goal: accurately recover the music stored on the disc before it reaches the conversion stage.

Built for a Serious Physical Music Collection

Streaming may dominate the way new music is consumed, but that doesn't make a carefully assembled CD or SACD collection obsolete.

Many listeners have spent decades collecting specific masterings, limited releases, imports and SACDs that they still want to enjoy at the highest level their system can deliver.

That's exactly where the MCD350 fits.

It doesn't try to replace those discs with another service or platform. It gives them a dedicated high-end playback component.

Classic McIntosh Design

The MCD350 uses the traditional McIntosh design language that allows it to sit naturally alongside the company's amplifiers, preamplifiers and integrated amplifiers.

The signature black-glass front panel, illuminated McIntosh logo and aluminum end caps give the MCD350 the unmistakable appearance of a full-size McIntosh component.

Gold-plated connections are also used on the analog outputs and digital coaxial output for corrosion resistance and a reliable long-term connection.

The Grid's Take on the McIntosh MCD350

The MCD350 is for someone who wants a serious disc player without trying to make it something it isn't.

That's what separates it from the MCD85.

The MCD85 adds USB audio, multiple digital inputs and the ability to function as a DAC for other sources. The MCD350 takes the more traditional route: put in an SACD or CD and play it exceptionally well.

We also like that McIntosh provides both analog and digital outputs. You can use the MCD350's internal 32-bit DAC and connect directly to your preamp, or send the digital signal to another DAC if that's how your system is configured.

For someone with a significant SACD and CD library, there's still a lot to be said for a dedicated player built specifically for the job.

At The Grid HiFi & Home Theater, we can help integrate the MCD350 into an existing system or build a complete McIntosh system around your physical music collection.