Disc Players

While the MP 200 remains the focus of our review it is, arguably, best auditioned/tested with T+A's partnering DAC 200 to which it brings both CD-playing and wired/wireless network audio functionality. The duo is reinforced by T+A's proprietary 'SYS Out/In' connection, maintaining both audio data and independent clock feeds between the digital source and sink (over RJ45 and USB). Looking for differences with the DAC 200 tested direct via S/PDIF or USB [HFN May '22] versus the same inputs routed via the MP 200 and the SYS link, means first looking in the right places...

So, the maximum unclipped 15.2V output ('–02' on the volume display) is unchanged, as is the 0.0029% peak level distortion, the latter impressively consistent with frequency at 0dBFs. The trend of THD versus level is unchanged too, reaching a minimum of ~0.0001%/1kHz and ~0.0004/20kHz at –20dBFs [see Graph 1]. T+A's six digital filter options also remain untouched – the traditional linear-phase FIR Long and Short trading treble extension and stopband rejection (–0.1dB vs –3.6dB/20kHz and 102dB vs. just 7.5dB, respectively) for much reduced ringing in the latter, Short, filter. The Bezier and 'NOS' filters trade poor-to-zero stopband rejection, phase distortion and greatly reduced time domain/ringing distortions, but all are better experimented with using higher sample rate material.

What else? Low-level linearity holds good to within ±0.2dB over a full 110dB dynamic range while jitter is fully suppressed to ~6psec across all inputs and sample rates. This marks a very slight improvement over the 'raw' DAC 200 which achieves ~10psec, the MP 200/DAC 200 combo showing a similarly minute reduction in random noise-like jitter [see Graph 2] and A-wtd S/N ratio – 116.8dB vs. 116.1dB (balanced). PM