Audio Video News

NAD today announced three new products in advance of the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, which opens tomorrow in Denver: a streaming DAC (digital audio converter), an amplifier/DAC, and a belt-drive turntable.

The C 658 streaming DAC ($1,499), due out in December, combines a preamplifier, DAC, and BluOS-enabled streamer in a modular component featuring classic NAD styling; the modular construction includes two slots to simplify future upgrades. Developed by NAD sister brand Bluesound, the app-based BluOS platform supports wireless 24-bit/192-kHz multiroom streaming and provides access to upwards of 20 streaming services and indexing of more than a quarter million tracks from local network sources.

The streamer also supports MQA decoding (on all digital inputs) and two-way Bluetooth/aptX HD for “better-than-CD” quality streaming to and from Bluetooth-enabled devices. The C 658 is also equipped with a “lite” version of the Dirac Live speaker setup/room-correction system and a host of other features, including a moving-magnet phono stage, balanced preamp output, stereo subwoofer outputs, and a dedicated high-current headphone amp with a quarter-inch front-panel jack.

The versatile D 3045 amp/DAC ($699), due out later this month, has a built-in 2 x 60-watt amplifier and combines a 24/192 asynchronous USB input, MQA and DSD decoding, a dedicated headphone amplifier, and a moving-magnet phono stage in a compact chassis that can be oriented vertically or horizontally. It also supports two-way Bluetooth/aptX HD and can accommodate up to eight sources via analog and digital (coaxial and optical) inputs.

Other highlights include a full-range preamp output and subwoofer output for added flexibility plus an Audio Return Channel-enabled HDMI input. The D 3045 includes an infrared (IR) remote control and is described as a cool running, highly efficient design with a standby power consumption of less than 0.5 watts.

The C 588 belt-drive turntable ($799), due out in November, comes pre-fitted with an Ortofon 2M Red moving-magnet phono cartridge and features electronic speed control, an AC motor with an isolated power supply, and a custom 9-inch carbon-fiber tonearm designed to reduce tracking angle errors.

To ensure speed accuracy, NAD converts incoming AC power to clean DC voltage before electronically generating “the precise AC frequency to regulate the synchronous motor.” All rotating parts are made from aluminum alloy “machined to very tight tolerances to eliminate…vibration in the drive system.”

Vertical tracking angle and azimuth adjustments are provided and the turntable base is made of MDF with damping feet to minimize vibration. The C 588 is also equipped with a felt-lined glass platter and a thick non-resonant dust cover.

For more information, visit nadelectronics.com.