NAD M10 Streaming Amplifier Review

[pjug]

So I will take the "like" panther and a ~100 SINAD all day long.

That's for the DAC/preamp, right? Amp SINAD is 86dB @5W (see Amir's chart below). It would make a nice streamer/digital-preamp into a better power amp. Expensive though.

 

[Daniel0]

When you consider the feature set and integration as well as the performance being on a "good enough" level you might want to look at it positive.
But when you see the price tag, the measured performance as well as the issues in design and software with a NAD label on it you will probably be disappointed.
It seems there is a great disparity between the AVR discussions and this device, especially when you consider pricing and features.
I don't understand how some people here can forgive NAD these flaws for nearly 3000 USD but even with a lot of goodwill I wouldn't give this a recommended label.

 

[REK2575]

A Bluesound Node +DAC w/volume control + NC252MP would work well and perform better.

In fact, Node(or rasberry pi)+Soncoz SGD1 + any Ncore based amp is an amazing value streamer/preamp/amp setup.

This is essentially what I wound up doing. I bought an M10 in 2019 and wound up returning it. The deal-breaker was the discovery that it can't be used with wired headphones. I tried hooking the Pre-Out up to a HP amp. It only worked if I disconnected the speakers, which was not a practicable work-around. NAD's response was that the device is intended to be used with Bluetooth headphones.

I wound up replacing with a Bluesound Node 2i and Sabaj D5 DAC/HP amp. Much cheaper solution.

 

[jae]

I wonder how the dac on the m33 performs. Hopefully this is not an indication

 

[Alexanderc]

Hopefully this is not an indication

I agree, but I'm more worried about the overall functionality than the DAC. If the DAC of the M33 does this well, I think that would be good enough for me. I'm worried that the amplifier section won't be nearly as good as an off the shelf Purifi or that some of the inputs won't work.

 

[Vasr]

The company that did the case/display design for this unit

http://df-id.com/

 

[Vasr]

@amirm Can you perform a multitone test on this please?

I second this request. Why not do this to get a full picture like for any other unit?

Also, I am not sure why the SINAD for an nCore based amp is just meh. It is above average for all amps but falls far below most Class D designs and under many Class AB designs.

 

[PeteL]

What a cheapskate..

If Topping or SMSL were to clone this feature set (not clone the Intellectual Property) with Dirac licensing, they would probably be able to bring it to market around the SHD pricing around $1200, max $1500.

The thing is, they don't. Topping and SMSL are not to this day in the business or software developpment an R&D, they are amazing integrators and designers, just not developpers, this is what it is, that doesn't make them irrelevant or inferior, that's just not what they do. And this is what network streaming is about. The few OEM solutions that are available are all crazy expensive EXCEPT the Raspberry PI/open source soft route, which is OK for some, but it will always appeal the tech oriented crowd, but not the general public. Again, SMSL and Topping are not really, to this day fans of OEM/Licence based solutions neither. We don't see a Topping Ncore or THX amps right? So this If at the beginning of your sentence is very theoritical, I don't see this happening, but we never know, Enterprise missions most of the time, to be succesful, should be focused, but it doesn't mean it can't change over time.

 

[EJ3]

It is very compact and due to use of switching amplifier, runs very cool. These two things you won't find in an AVR.

But yes, I wish they had paid more attention to the design and created something with much better performance.

Yep, disappointed in NAD's execution of this unit, Especially when I think about the results of my NAD 2200 (yes, it was modernized a bit but this should be a good bit better than it is)!

 

[Harmonie]

Then why wouldn't you buy the C658 which is a dedicated preamp/Dac/streamer +Dirac, BluOS ... for half the price.
I didn't (thanks to this place).
Strange that Audio Advisor had 3 units (C658) at a discounted price since March/April (maybe still in stock) - but did not sell any

 

[PeteL]

I second this request. Why not do this to get a full picture like for any other unit?

Also, I am not sure why the SINAD for an nCore based amp is just meh. It is above average for all amps but falls far below most Class D designs and under many Class AB designs.

The performance of NCore modules depends a lot of the power supply, but there might be other issues. Many inputs and it's a complex design for such a small box. Doesn't mean it's acceptable.

 

[iLoveCats]

Another thought on the pricing. BluOS is a highly functional and intuitive software interface. It's the only thing I liked about my Node 2i and helped lead me to the M10.

 

[Deleted member 19195]

unfortunately in Asia where I’m at the Sonos retails for 800 USD with the Powernode 2i at 950 USD.

at these prices seems like the Bluesound would be a better choice

the Sonos has double the wattage output (125w/ch v 60w/ch) for $150 USD less. I don't know if you have any need for that much power.

The only advantage I can see the Bluesound having is Bluetooth AptX HD capability.

In my opinion, MQA or "High Res" streaming is of no practical use to me or any other human beings that I know of. The Sonos can stream lossless 16/44.

 

[WR1]

I don't own this amp, but I've had my eye on it. The M10 is not an integrated amp that you would buy for just the amplification; you'd buy it for the all-in-one feature set. It has full streaming capability to every online music service using ethernet and Wi-Fi. It has Airplay2 (if you use an iPhone) and Bluetooth. It's part of the BluOS multi-room ecosystem, so you can use smartphone and desktop apps to control it. It has Dirac room correction (which wasn't tested). And because it uses an nCore amp, it can put out 200W within an 11lb chassis. By the way, it won the EISA 2019 hi-fi award for best smart amplifier (I guess "smart" means "streaming" or app-connected).



Are you referring to the touch-and-swipe responsiveness? You still had the plastic over the screen, so that would probably explain any lagging.



That is unfortunate, because Dirac Live is one of the main selling points of this unit.

Dirac is absolutely one of the best selling point of this Amp. I've now compared it to a few different Amps and NAD with Dirac ON comes out on top always. I also see people complaining about the touchscreen but mine hasn't had any issue. In fact, its one of the best touch displays I've used outside of my smartphone.

I had Rotel RA-1572 prior to the M10. For reference I am using B&W CM6 S2 speakers. And NAD with Dirac ON handily beats Rotel. Rotel is around $1700 retail and it doesn't have streaming, HDMI (kind of important if you're hooking it up to a TV) or room correction. The only downside of the NAD is that you can't get very loud. I'm in the 90%+ volume when I'm cranking it up. But it's also because of Dirac that I can go that high. Any other amp wouldn't stay composed at those levels (in non-ideal rooms). It is the more refined amp out of the two and you can hear subtleties better on it, even without Dirac. Another plus to the M10 is MQA capability. I usually can't tell the difference between CD quality and Hi-Res, but with MQA I could. This is not something that I can't live without but it's nice to have and I'm guessing that in the future, it will be more prevalent so it's good to know that the Amp won't be outdated anytime soon. NAD is also great with updates. I have had mine for about 3-4 months and it's already been updated twice in that time.

I also compared M10 to Reisong Boyuu A10 Tube amp (using M10 as pre-amp first then just using the M10). And again, M10 came out on top. The sound is just a bit more refined. Everything is better controlled. A10 also doesn't get as loud (only 6.8W per channel). I normally like tubes but the treble was actually smoother using M10 than the A10. Of course A10 is just a fraction of the cost.

Honestly, you'd be hard pressed to find something as functional and as good sounding for the price even if you went separates. I was looking at other units with streaming feature or room correction (don't think I can go without Dirac now) and they all come out to be more than $2000. I got the M10 on discount at about the same cost so really don't think I could have done that much better.

 

[AndrewDavis]

This is essentially what I wound up doing.

I wound up replacing with a Bluesound Node 2i and Sabaj D5 DAC/HP amp. Much cheaper solution.

This thread has me thinking about room correction (again). My setup is BluSound Node->RME ADI-2 -> VTV Purifi Stereo Amp -> Speakers

If I insert MiniDSP DDRC-22D between the Node streamer and the RME I would have the same functionality. I already own these, but purchased new it would pproach the price of the M10- albiet with better measured performance. If I had bought SONCOZ SGD1 instead of the RME it would be better performance for ~$1800.

Not to knock an all-in-one solution like the NAD. Most folks don't have the understanding or interest to piece all these parts together, or want a visually simpler look. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[Brian6751]

This thread has me thinking about room correction (again). My setup is BluSound Node->RME ADI-2 -> VTV Purifi Stereo Amp -> Speakers

If I insert MiniDSP DDRC-22D between the Node streamer and the RME I would have the same functionality but with probably better performance for $2500. If I had bought SONCOZ SGD1 instead of the RME it would be better performance for ~$1800.

Not to knock an all-in-one solution like the NAD. Most folks don't have the understanding or interest to piece all these parts together, or want a visually simpler look. Nothing wrong with that.

I believe the DDRC-22D internal processing for Dirac is 48KHz compared to 96KHz in the M10, if that matters to you

 

[AndrewDavis]

I believe the DDRC-22D internal processing for Dirac is 48KHz compared to 96KHz in the M10, if that matters to you

It would, and I appreciate the info. In my brief research since this review posted I have found conflicting information on that.

 

[Brian6751]

It would, and I appreciate the info. In my breif research since this review posted I have found conflicting information on that.

I would be interested in such info

 

[Vasr]

The thing is, they don't. Topping and SMSL are not to this day in the business or software developpment an R&D,..

I think this missed my point and I wasn't clear. I was only using them as a hypothetical example to set the baseline costs/price even if a low cost/margin vendor were to do this without the high marketing dollars and brand premium.

This was to answer your original question of how much one would pay. For me, it would depend on what it might involve as well as how much it would be worth for me.

The point was that this would be in the $1200-$1500 range even with such a low cost approach, not the sub-thousand price some attributed as what it is worth. So that would make a $1800-$2000 cost for a product that exists without a direct comparable a good value. Anything above that, in my opinion, is a brand premium or the pricing power and positioning of NAD in this market.

 

[amirm]

@amirm Can you perform a multitone test on this please?

Oops. Had run it but forgot to put in the review. It is there now: