WORLD EXCLUSIVE! Cambridge Audio unveils £199.95 DacMagic 100

Here it is folks! Cambridge Audio's DacMagic 100, the replacement for the original DacMagic launched in 2008, will make its world debut at CES 2012 in Las Vegas next week.

We've been given exclusive advanced information prior to the launch in Vegas next week. Available from late February, the DacMagic 100 costs £30 less than the old model – £199.95.

The DacMagic 100 is equipped with Cambridge Audio's latest USB audio input which allows studio master, uncompressed 24-bit/192kHz files to be played back from any Windows or Apple computer.

With an additional three digital connections, the DacMagic 100 is also designed to improve the audio performance of a wide range of products including TVs, media streamers, DVD and Blu-ray players.

It's been engineered to partner digital iPad and iPhone docks such as the Cambridge Audio iD100 (right).

Developed at Cambridge Audio's London R&D centre, the unit is said to deliver a "vibrant, detailed sound that's remarkably free from jitter – a problem which normally degrades music stored on hard drives or sent across networks".

The full technical spec is as follows:

• New Wolfson WM8742 24-bit DAC

• New 24-bit/96kHz driverless USB audio input – or up to 24-bit/192kHz using the free Cambridge Audio driver available from the company's website

• Three digital inputs: one optical, two coaxial

• RCA analogue phono outputs

• Incoming sampling rate indicator for 32/44.1/48/88.2/96/192kHz

• Full metal chassis and wraparound casework with aluminium front panel

The Cambridge Audio DacMagic 100 will be available in black or silver from Richer Sounds stores next month.

We have an exclusive First Test of the 100's bigger brother, the DacMagic Plus (£350), in our February 2012 issue, on sale January 12th.

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Andy Clough

Andy is Global Brand Director of What Hi-Fi? and has been a technology journalist for 30 years. During that time he has covered everything from VHS and Betamax, MiniDisc and DCC to CDi, Laserdisc and 3D TV, and any number of other formats that have come and gone. He loves nothing better than a good old format war. Andy edited several hi-fi and home cinema magazines before relaunching whathifi.com in 2008 and helping turn it into the global success it is today. When not listening to music or watching TV, he spends far too much of his time reading about cars he can't afford to buy.