Audio Video News

NAD Electronics has announced plans to expand its Masters Series product line. The M32 digital integrated amplifier ($3,499) will join the line in June, followed by the M50.2 digital music player ($3,999) in August.

The M32 is rated to deliver 2 x 150 watts while the M50.2 combines high resolution music listening, multi-room wireless streaming to other BluOS-enabled speakers, 24/192 storage, and CD ripping in one component.

NAD describes the M32 as a “a true digital amp (not just Class D) that is computer controlled and amplifies entirely in the digital domain, converting to analog at the speaker terminals” for the shortest possible signal path.

Key features include NAD’s DirectDigital amplifier design, which combines pre-amplification and power amplification into one stage, a phono input, dedicated headphone amplifier, and modular construction with four 24/192-capable slots for customization and expandability. The optional BluOS module, for example, adds high-resolution multiroom capability. The M32 has coaxial and optical inputs, USB A and USB B ports, two sets of speaker outputs, and a subwoofer output with a digital crossover.

The M50.2 is NAD’s new top-of-the-line, BluOS-enabled player. It builds on the company’s 40th anniversary M50/M51/M52 Digital Music Suite by combining the functions of the M50 music player and M52 Digital Music Vault into one component.

Key features include:
• Wireless (Wi-Fi) and gigabit Ethernet inputs
• Automatic ripping of CD to internal RAID of two 2-terabyte hard drives
• Real time playback of CDs
• Decodes FLAC, ALAC, MP3, WMA, AAC, Ogg
• Coaxial and optical inputs
• SPDIF outputs • HDMI output
• USB output (mass storage mode)
• USB inputs, 1 front (host), 1 rear (device)
• RS-232 for external control
• IR in/out
• IR remote control
• Bluetooth AptX

Sister company Bluesound also announced that its wireless speakers and digital music players have been designated as Hi-Res Audio (HRA) products by the Japan Audio Society.

“We are very honored to be recognized by the Japan Audio Society as one of the trailblazers for hi-res audio in the wireless multi-room streaming category,” said John Banks, chief brand officer. “Bluesound takes an end-to-end approach to acoustic design, eliminating weak links in the audio chain. Every component in the signal path reaches the stringent standards required to achieve the rigorous demands of high-resolution audio.”