Outboard DACs

Given that there's no onboard streaming capability in the C2800, the presence of both an Ethernet port and a control app - McIntosh Connect - might seem like overkill. But the app, newly released for both Android and iOS devices, proves a very smooth and flexible way to set up and operate the C2800. It will find the device using Bluetooth, let you set the network connection - after you've pressed the volume control to enter the setup mode - and then allow you to configure, select or bypass inputs and outputs, set bass and treble controls, enable over-the-air software upgrades, and then adjust volume and balance while the product is in use.

Via the amp's bank of control ports, you can also use the app's Source Control page to grapple with other McIntosh components, such as a CD player and/or tuner, or control 'a secondary system connected to one of the C2800's outputs, such as an outdoor system where you will no longer be forced to go inside to control its basic functionality'. For more, see the McIntosh Control app walkthrough video below.