Upgrade your audio with McIntosh’s Portable Decoding Amplifier

Having a bottomless library of generation-spanning music in your pocket is awesome, obviously, but it’s difficult to escape that nagging feeling that it could sound a lot better. That’s where McIntosh’s pleasingly portable MHA50 Portable Decoding Amplifier comes in. A 32-bit DAC, it supports 32-bit/192kHz hi-res audio, DSD64, DSD128, DSD256, DXD352.8, DXD384 files and asynchronous USB audio, decoding pretty much anything you throw at it and spitting out a much improved version to your cans. There’s wired connectivity for Apple, Android, Mac and PC, and McIntosh promises the 3000mAh rechargeable battery will give you six hours of playback if you opt instead to hook up your device via Bluetooth. A no-brainer for on-the-go audiophiles – provided they can stomach the eye-watering £895 asking price.

Matt Tate Contributor

About

I'm fascinated by all things tech, but if you were going to leave me on a desert island, I'd probably ask for my Nintendo Switch, a drone, and a pair of noise-cancelling cans to block out the relentless seagull racket. When I'm not on Stuff duty you'll probably find me subscribing to too many podcasts, playing too many video games, or telling anyone who will listen that Spurs are going to win a trophy this season.

Areas of expertise

Video games, VR, smartwatches, headphones, smart speakers, bizarre Kickstarter campaigns