Does Mcintosh MDA1000 work with DCS Purcell ?

Your questions are a bit confusing. The only way to get SACD playback through the dCS system is by using the Verdi, just as the only way to get it in the EMM system is by using both the EMM transport and EMM DAC. I use two Esoteric players, the X-01 and DV-50, both of which are hooked up by their digital outputs to a Purcell DSD and Elgar Plus. Both output redbook CD to the Purcell and Elgar, which can either be upsampled to 24/192 or converted to DSD (which sounds much better). Neither can output DSD to the Elgar Plus, and their digital outputs are muted on SACDs, so SACD listening has to be only through the players, not the Elgar. DVD-A is played through the DV-50 only. Since a DVD-A PCM datastream can be outputted, including to the Purcell, you can play a DVD-A disc through the Purcell and Elgar Plus, but as the equivalent of upconverted CD, not DVD-A. If you use the Mac transport you lose the Elgar's SACD function. If you substitute the Mac DAC, you can upconvert to 24/96, but (unless Mac does something I haven't heard about), not 24/192, and you lose the Purcell to Elgar Plus PCM to DSD conversion ability. Hope that answers your questions.

Emile: If the X-01 has a firewire output I don't know it. I'll recheck the manual tonight, but so far as I know only the new three box Esoteric unit has it. M. Gottlieb

Well, since I wrote the above I looked the X-01 over. It has a sealed port, for future output of DSD, according to the manual, and while I don't know what's under there, the fact that the new three box Esoteric units provide firewire connections suggests that the X-01 has been provided with one also. Compatible with the Elgar Plus? Who knows. Very interesting....