NAD C 700 BluOS Streaming Amplifier

[curiouspeter]

It looks like an M10 Lite, without most features that make the M10 special (e.g. Dirac, Touchscreen).

Does it even bring much to the table over the 2021 Bluesound Powernode?

 

[bloodshoteyed]

well, pricewise it's about the same as the C368 (seems to have the same amp modules) + bluos module, but you do get a streamer and a better screen with it

 

[curiouspeter]

well, pricewise it's about the same as the C368 (seems to have the same amp modules) + bluos module, but you do get a streamer and a better screen with it

Looks like I'm not missing much with the new Powernode then.

 

[VintageFlanker]

It looks like an M10 Lite, without most features that make the M10 special

Above all: with obsolete Hypex UcD instead of M10's Ncore NC252.

 

[curiouspeter]

Above all: with obsolete Hypex UcD instead of M10's Ncore NC252.

I would either stick with the cheaper Powernode or pay more for the M10.

 

[PandaEars]

I am sitting here listening to a barely warmed up NAD C700 and my impression without switching to other NAD/Bluesound products, is that C700 is my preference for speed and dynamics. The past NAD M10, NAD C368, Bluesound PowerNode and PowerNode 2i all have somewhat a darkish tonal balance and varying degrees veiling of the dynamics. In the worst case, the Bluesound PowerNode 2i (older one) puts me to sleep. The C700 is open, dynamic, with great pace and with the ability to listen into the music making of the musicians. Phrasing of solo lines are very good. So good that I am listening to Roy Hargrove "Earfood" and it's got me glued to my seat. I would say I prefer the NAD C700 over the M10. I like what NAD team has done with the new C700. Keep up the good work!

 

[Dj7675]

The past NAD M10, NAD C368, Bluesound PowerNode and PowerNode 2i all have somewhat a darkish tonal balance and varying degrees veiling of the dynamics.

Are you saying the frequency response when measured, the N700 will be different than the M10?

 

[PandaEars]

Amplifiers all sound to a varying degree different to me. They work differently into different speaker loads. Listen to them, if you don't hear a difference, that's great. Buy the cheapest one. What Hi-Fi and Hi-Fi Choice reviewers are not crazy when they say they hear pace, dynamics of differences of different amplifiers. Frequency Response taken of an amplifier usually not hooked up to speaker load but a resistive load and taken at a certain amplitude without modulations with other frequencies. Of course, when you play even just one note from one instrument, there are many harmonic modulations. I suggest reading on some of the the articles on amplifiers from the '70s by Dr. Matti Otala.
Finally, being able to listen to properly reproduced rhythm and pace in music creates the ultimate enjoyment in being able hear the musicians play music with expressiveness.

 

[Dj7675]

What Hi-Fi and Hi-Fi Choice reviewers are not crazy when they say they hear pace, dynamics of differences of different amplifiers.

Or... they are crazy I just did a very quick look at their specs and they are a UCD module based amp which should be much worse than the NC252 modules in the M10 or the Purifi Modules in the M33. Reviews like the ones you mentioned are nothing more than fiction often from reviewers with vested interest and should not be used in any way on what to base a purchase on. Just my opinion of course.

 

[PandaEars]

All I am saying I hear an audible difference and I prefer the NAD C700. Let's leave it at that. Even if they are the same amp-module, power supplies contribute to the sound quality.

 

[ahofer]

Never have figured out what a “pace” difference is.

 

[Dj7675]

All I am saying I hear an audible difference and I prefer the NAD C700. Let's leave it at that. Even if they are the same amp-module, power supplies contribute to the sound quality.

Just giving you a hard time. Although, here you should probably expect to be asked things like...
-Did you level match amps
-Did you have a friend help with blind testing (no peeking etc)
Differences tend to completely disappear if you don’t know which one is playing.
But with all that said, glad you like your new amp! New stuff is always fun.

 

[MaxBuck]

Never have figured out what a “pace” difference is.

It's like when the turntable runs at 34.6 rpm.

 

[ahofer]

It's like when the turntable runs at 34.6 rpm.

Heh. Or “wow”, or something.

”You’ve got wow on your top and flutter on yer bottom” - Michael Flanders.

 

[Dreamslayer]

I'm interested in the C700 as my Parasound is just so big and I'd like to simplify my setup and put the amp on my desk.

I'm glad to see one user liked it but only enough to make 3 comments on the same day they signed up...

I guess Crutchfield has a liberal return policy so if I hate it, I can send it back.

Having integrated bluetooth aptx/hd (2 way) would be a big quality of life feature - I play a lot of pod casts from my android phone and I have a wireless headset that supports aptx.

I got the Parasound because it has a true crossover for bass management (even if it's analog) - the C700 seems to have a crossover as well so I can roll off my speakers. Most stereo receivers with a sub out don't seem to have a high pass filter for the main speakers.

EDIT: I ordered the C700 - shouldn't cost me too much by the time I sell my Parasound Hint...

EDIT 2.0: I am having qualms about the amp quality in the C700 vs my current solution. Feels like I'm going to cancel...

 

[kepernagel]

Above all: with obsolete Hypex UcD instead of M10's Ncore NC252.

Why are you stating UcD is obsolete? It's still used in a lot of products, it's affordable and the sound is very close to that of the ncore (at least to my ears).

The M10 might be ncore based, but the measurements weren't that great due to inferior internal DAC. Maybe they learned something from that.

I would have preferred they had kept the Dirac Live capability though.

 

[VintageFlanker]

Why are you stating UcD is obsolete?

Because it is, when it comes to raw performance against best Class D designs nowadays. NC-MP all-in-one modules are not that pricer than UcD + Hypex SMPS, and perform way better in all cases.

Here are the C700 measured by Hi-Fi News...

This Distortion VS Power is just not great, though power is decent. Compare against the NC252MP in Cambridge Evo150 (I know it is more expensive, yet you may have the same module assembled in a power amp for 490€) :

You may think both are similar, but look at the scale.

Here is a NAD C268 :

Or, for the same price (sometimes cheaper), you can get some NC502 amp...

 

[Dreamslayer]

I'm interested in the C700 as my Parasound is just so big and I'd like to simplify my setup and put the amp on my desk.

I'm glad to see one user liked it but only enough to make 3 comments on the same day they signed up...

I guess Crutchfield has a liberal return policy so if I hate it, I can send it back.

Having integrated bluetooth aptx/hd (2 way) would be a big quality of life feature - I play a lot of pod casts from my android phone and I have a wireless headset that supports aptx.

I got the Parasound because it has a true crossover for bass management (even if it's analog) - the C700 seems to have a crossover as well so I can roll off my speakers. Most stereo receivers with a sub out don't seem to have a high pass filter for the main speakers.

EDIT: I ordered the C700 - shouldn't cost me too much by the time I sell my Parasound Hint...

EDIT 2.0: I am having qualms about the amp quality in the C700 vs my current solution. Feels like I'm going to cancel...

I tried the C700 for a week - I loved the features and wanted to like the amp, but it just had a different sound that I didn't like and I ended up returning it and keeping the Parasound Halo Integrated Amp (the original version) - it's just a very powerful, clean, neutral sounding amp with the features I need.

I decided to use the cash to upgrade from LS50s to LS50 Metas (very pleased) and from an SVS SB12-NSD to a SB3000 Micro... (still in progress)

I think that if I didn't have the comparison, I would have probably been happy with the C700 in my small office, listening at moderate levels.

 

[mr-audio]

I know I'm late to this thread, but I thought I would just give my review of the C 700 having owned it for almost. two years now. The pros are that

• it's a very small form factor
• BluOS is good in general (except for when they do new releases, which are riddled w bugs and inevitably take some time to work out)
• the sound is good enough for a medium system in, say, a living room or for background listening.

The biggest thing to know is that NAD doesn't really seem to support it very well. I've had a couple issues with the C700 that support has just said, "sorry. we recognize that doesn't work and we're not going to fix it." The most notable of this is the fact that if you have the display show your "presets" It does not show the icons. It just shows a blank. standard silly graphic. I also have an M10 and its beautiful when it shows you the presets in icon format. But when I talked to support, they said they just realized it doesn't work on the C700, and they have no plans to fix it on that product.

There are a couple other issues, like the fact that when you upgrade the software on the C700, it resets all your settings (which does not happen on some of the other NAD amps I have)

Another example is recently during an update, the screen is now set to its brightest setting, and you can't change it no matter what you do. This would of course lead to screen burnout.

The sense I get is that the C700 is not treated as well as other gear in the NAD line...even when it does not function as advertised.

So Caveat Emptor

 

[MingChops]

The most notable of this is the fact that if you have the display show your "presets" It does not show the icons. It just shows a blank. standard silly graphic. I also have an M10 and its beautiful when it shows you the presets in icon format. But when I talked to support, they said they just realized it doesn't work on the C700, and they have no plans to fix it on that product.

Hi, could you take a picture to show what you mean? I am currently researching the Powernode vs C700 vs M10, for a desktop amp to power LS50 Meta and a REL Tzero.

The manuals of either don't seem to show there is much difference between the Preset screens - both look generic icons?

C700:

M10:

That said I've got a Node 2i in another setup and never used the Presets! But as this will be on my desk at arms reach I maybe more inclined to do so - and the big appeal of both the NAD's over the Powernode, are the screens so they need to be nice to work with

Cheers