NAD M10 Streaming Amplifier Review

[pablolie]

Telling you now as M10 was released five years ago. Still updated.

Best little box I've ever had, the functionality with stable Bluesound streamer with long support, Dirac and two sub outs is just great.
M10v1 goes for about 1000€ used which makes it an absolute steal.

Actually the D7050 has better SINAD as an amp (for some odd reason, ASR lists the DAC rather than the amp section SINAD for these hybrid NAD products). Then again, the D7050's direct Spotify support died just a few years into its lifetime.

PS: The measurement using the coax input was better for the M10, clocking in at 86dB.

PS2: single exceptions don't prove a truth

 

[Verig]

@pablolie 7050 is nowhere near comparable to M10 so I'm not sure what you're saying here. Spotify direct in 7050 has very little to do with M10 with Bluesound.

It's not a single case. Bluesound updates apply to the Bluesound family. 7050 is the single case here. This is one point why you'd buy a higher end model.

M10 analog input measurements could be better but then again they don't matter to me as I only use the input for turntable which has inherent noise of about 65dB floor. Being able to drive TT through Dirac makes sinad moot anyway.

Digital inputs are good to have for longevity and if you just want to use different streamer. But at this point I see no reason for that. M10 is a one box solution and as such works wonderfully.

As time passed, sure, there will be a day when M10 Bluesound module is outdated. But this happens to all streamers. For modular NAD's you can buy a new card. For M10 you need to buy a new streamer, that's always the price of integration.
In practical terms not a problem for me. This is a hobby and I like toys so I'll change gear anyway.

 

[chefffe]

With M10 I dont need anything external to connect to it, except USB Stick and tell me that you would be able to hear worse sounding from M10 compared to 7050...
I assume also in 10 years (if it didnt die before) it will be able to play USB

I dont see a bad thing to buy a new one after that time ... If the world still turns , I am most likely happy to swap it after 10 years.

 

[pogo]

M10 analog input measurements could be better but then again they don't matter to me as I only use the input for turntable which has inherent noise of about 65dB floor.

Add a Bluesound HUB and you are fine.

 

[Verig]

@pogo I'm happy as is but thanks for the tip, somehow I never realized the hub has MM phono.

 

[pogo]

The phono input also sounds really good. Here is my test setup: Link

 

[keith_h]

@SIY Question, after 4 years ownership. Have you or anyone else here noticed any degradation with that fancy
touch screen. Either with pixels burning out or going dim or the touch feature getting wonky? That's one thing that does tend to worry me about these modern guys. IME its these things that do tend to fail on older units where a mechanical switch or level pot may last 50-100 years with a bit of cleaning ?

I never touch the screen, unit lives in a cabinet behind a door out of sight and is driven from a mobile device. Screen is actually turned off or on sleep mode or some such.

 

[Antônio Souza]

Hello,
Does the M10v2's Dirac function adjust the time delay between mains and subs. This is a deal breaker feature for me!
Any help is welcome!
Thanks
Antônio

 

[Moonbase]

Dirac will correctly adjust a single sub and correctly time align, but this is not really a single sub issue. Many subwoofers are better managed by the additional DLBC. Now thats not on the NAD M10, maybe the option is already in the basic live software included? (I am not sure on that one). The question is do you only want the bass time aligned when Dirac is active? I personally have speakers volumes and distances (time alignment) setup prior to setting up Dirac. That makes the process smoother and you can turn Dirac on/off if you like. REW will time align and I would always check the output of DIRAC using REW. Dirac will only show estimates of what will happen and not what really happened.

 

[Verig]

Hello,
Does the M10v2's Dirac function adjust the time delay between mains and subs. This is a deal breaker feature for me!

Of course, it's a complete room correction software. Works fine.

 

[Verig]

... I would always check the output of DIRAC using REW. Dirac will only show estimates of what will happen and not what really happened.

I don't see the need for this but out of curiosity has Dirac been wrong many times?

 

[chefffe]

Not at all ... cannot be an issue ...

 

[Antônio Souza]

Dirac will correctly adjust a single sub and correctly time align, but this is not really a single sub issue. Many subwoofers are better managed by the additional DLBC. Now thats not on the NAD M10, maybe the option is already in the basic live software included? (I am not sure on that one). The question is do you only want the bass time aligned when Dirac is active? I personally have speakers volumes and distances (time alignment) setup prior to setting up Dirac. That makes the process smoother and you can turn Dirac on/off if you like. REW will time align and I would always check the output of DIRAC using REW. Dirac will only show estimates of what will happen and not what really happened.

Hi,
Thanks for your reply.
Regarding your comment to adjust time alignment before Dirac , I don't see where I can adjust time delay inside m10v2 before using Dirac. Does the m10v2 has time delay adjustments outside Dirac???
I can try adjust manually into the sub phase control, but not in the speakers!!
I would appreciate if could elaborate!
Thanks again

 

[Moonbase]

I was thinking simply to adjust the phase/volume on the Sub. A common issue many encounter without realising, is the sub voluming being to high/low. Dirac will simply try and correct it by pumping up the left/right channel.

 

[Antlestxp]

I was thinking simply to adjust the phase/volume on the Sub. A common issue many encounter without realising, is the sub voluming being to high/low. Dirac will simply try and correct it by pumping up the left/right channel.

It does more that bumping the levels. It does timing corrections as well

 

[chefffe]

Be careful with last update 4.4.11. It has Dirac Bug.
NAD provided already fix with 4.4.12.

 

[Antlestxp]

Be careful with last update 4.4.11. It has Dirac Bug.
NAD provided already fix with 4.4.12.

That was shockingly quick patchwork. I go the update before I knew there was a problem

 

[chefffe]

Imagine my shock, I realized the issue as well immediately.
It looks like nearly all NAD BluOs devices with Dirac had it, so they had a lot of feedback and rushed to get the root cause

 

[pogo]

All stereo devices except the M66 needed the fix after a DL implementation change.
• DIRAC updates.
• This release applies to the NAD M10, M10v2, C389, C399, C 3050, C658 and M33 only.
It looks like DLBC will be rolled out soon

 

[JGQC]

All stereo devices except the M66 needed the fix after a DL implementation change.
• DIRAC updates.
• This release applies to the NAD M10, M10v2, C389, C399, C 3050, C658 and M33 only.
It looks like DLBC will be rolled out soon

Interesting observation, you really think so?