Oh, I agree about the touch screen, but from a sales point of view it LOOKS so cool. Add the nice aluminum chassis of the M line and it practically sells itself. And a screaming deal for $4k
-
WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!
NAD C658 Streaming DAC Review
- Thread starter amirm
- Start date
LuvTheMusic
Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2020
- Messages
- 111
- Likes
- 137
Oh, I agree about the touch screen, but from a sales point of view it LOOKS so cool. Add the nice aluminum chassis of the M line and it practically sells itself. And a screaming deal for $4k
Yeah, there is that....
I think this confirms what I already suspected - the M12 replacement would likely be a much more expensive package for mostly inaudible and cosmetic improvements (I don't think a touchscreen adds much from a functional perspective when there is an app).
The only other thing I'd like is an adaptive/automatic Fletcher Munson DSP solution for low volume listening, but that doesn't seem to be a popular idea in the 2 channel world.
The only other thing I'd like is an adaptive/automatic Fletcher Munson DSP solution for low volume listening, but that doesn't seem to be a popular idea in the 2 channel world.
I hope nothing I said made you come to that conclusion. Mine is the most inventive sort of speculation. I have no inside information at all.
I’ll chime in. I bought my C658 in January and I’m very happy. Thought about the SHD but was worried it might be tweaky. When BlueOS added Tidal Direct and Spotify Direct support that sealed it. I also use Roon but it’s hard to justify with Tidal Direct. I use all of the streaming services and move songs and playlists using the Soundiiz web app. TuneIn radio is also nice. I’ve encountered very faint static on two occasions. Restarted and It went away. Internet connection is critical with this unit. I had early issues that went away once I got the mesh router sorted out. I use Magnepan MMGs and Dirac made a huge difference. And I did spring for full range. No volume issues integrating my sub. It did not “take the life out” of the sound. To the contrary. I have a small room and the difference is huge. Remember you can adjust your target curve so you can add salt to taste. I have a special late night curve as well. So the combo of Dirac and BlueOS is a huge value. From the standpoint of the basic hardware I can’t fault it.
Not at all. Realistically, I half expect the M12 replacement to basically be a smaller M33 without the amplifier.
I'm sure all the marketing and design people at NAD are sitting around a boardroom table trying to come up with an innovative new idea for their next "M" digital streamer/preamp, but apart from the small tweaks suggested here I can't imagine how there can be any game-changing improvement to what we already have with the C658
MJR
Member
I have also been very happy with my C658 I purchased for dedicated 2 channel listening paired with NAD C298 amp and Martin Logan 60 XTi speakers. I use it almost exclusively to play FLAC files from hardwired NAS and have no complaints in terms of sonic performance. No extraneous noise or issues at all unless you consider the BlueOS app design... which needs some work, but is entirely serviceable for my needs. I use Dirac and feel it helps substantially with soundstage timing and bass boom below 70hz. I have the full version and decided that my room & speaker combo only needs tweaking below 400hz, so that is where I put my curtain cut off. Overall no complaints
Agreed. I wish that there was another option that offered a similar feature set to compare it to outside of the MiniDSP unit. I need a phono stage and better control options. The IP control of the NAD is very good!I have also been very happy with my C658 I purchased for dedicated 2 channel listening paired with NAD C298 amp and Martin Logan 60 XTi speakers. I use it almost exclusively to play FLAC files from hardwired NAS and have no complaints in terms of sonic performance. No extraneous noise or issues at all unless you consider the BlueOS app design... which needs some work, but is entirely serviceable for my needs. I use Dirac and feel it helps substantially with soundstage timing and bass boom below 70hz. I have the full version and decided that my room & speaker combo only needs tweaking below 400hz, so that is where I put my curtain cut off. Overall no complaints
Regarding the low subwoofer output: got my subwoofer today, and yes the output from the subwoofer out is pretty low. However, I saw this in the manual for my subwoofer (JL Audio Dominion d108): "In the unlikely event that the Auto Turn-On feature is not sensitive enough for a particular system, use a Y-adaptor cable (one female to two male RCA type connectors) to split the incoming signal into both RCA inputs on the Dominion™. This will increase the input level by 6dB. " Could there be any downside to this? I have problems with the Auto Turn-On due to the low output from the C658.
Wish that I could help but I do not run a subwoofer with mine. Is there a level adjustment in the BluOS app?
I would turn on both outputs and feed them into the JL if you get a 6 dB input gain. Personally I don't see a downside to it.
SierraMike
New Member
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2021
- Messages
- 2
- Likes
- 0
Most important to dirac is to set it right,use a very good mic, take care for first point were you sit. Then adjust the curve to geht your drive and moving feets The C658 can be a happymaker! I think i will upgrade end of the year to the M33 . Was shockloved first seen and reading test,including everything good from the C658 with Purifi Eigentakt Sound Power
Once again, the only working solution with excellent is to invest in a MiniDSP 2X4 HD. Connect it between subwoofers outputs and the subwoofers. Then use it to boost and EQ if needed. After that, run Dirac again. This has solved the very low subwoofer output for me.
I used this guide to set my levels. https://mehlau.net/audio/dirac-live-2-mic-speaker-levels/ Subwoofer level is toward the bottom of the page. I have a Rel T5i and all the levels were fine on the first try. Not sure if this guide differs from Dirac’s instructions.
Gianfri
Member
I just added a subwoofer but DIRAC Live does not show it, it only shows the two main speakers. What am I missing? Do I have to change some settings for DIRAC Live to recognize there is now a subwoofer in the system? Thanks! (Using it on a NAD C 658)
Gianfri
Member
BRILLIANT! Thank you SO MUCH! It did not occur to me to try BluOS. I did have to reboot the 658 but eventually DIRAC detected the change. Thanks again!
Gianfri
Member
Except that now I have a different problem. If I select 1 SUBWOOFER in BluOS the sub volume is way too low to be useful (I saw this complaint in multiple online posts), and DIRAC detects the sub but returns an error message that the signal is not loud enough. If I select NO SUBWOOFER the sub receives enough volume and then I can use the Low Pass Filter built into the sub for room adjustment and other tweaks, but then DIRAC will not detect a sub. Can anyone see a solution (short of NAD fixing the obvious bug in their unit)? Thanks.
I didn't have any issues in sub volume using my single REL sub. I followed the instructions for manually setting the sub level prior to running calibrations (in that link that I posted). That's adjusting the sub volume at the sub to the level Dirac asks for after you adjust the levels for the speakers. Then I ran the sweeps. Mine came out fine first try. I think(?) what's happening is Dirac wants to build in some headroom at the sub. Dirac does this automatically with the other speakers since the C658 controls the headroom of the amp. That's why you lose some overall gain using Dirac. If I turn Dirac off, the level from the sub is too high. So I think the key is getting everything sorted in that level screen in Dirac. Once you get it rolling, load some of the Harman curves. I use the 4db bass boost.
Similar threads
