NAD M23 Stereo Amplifier Review

[Drew]

I have literally felt a lot more welcome in a Ferrari dealership than a stereo store.

Never tried out a Ferari dealership. You need a fitted shirt and stink of privilege I guess.

I research a few nice items and order online and keep forever.

 

[Bob101]

Never tried out a Ferari dealership. You need a fitted shirt and stink of privilege I guess.

I research a few nice items and order online and keep forever.

Good thought. I'd suggest some EQ or saturation effects if that's what you are looking for. Much cheaper than a new DAC, way more flexible, and reliably changes the sound.

Or change yourself. Try some THC. Magnifies "envelopment" dramatically.

Serious Question: How can DAC's have a SOUND SIGNATURE if they measure as transparent? Are that many confused?

I know there are people out there that think cables affect sound, which is much worse, but there really is no response to something like that, but just to smile and nod. But what about people who talk about DACS as if they were headphone drivers or speakers, and talk about the SOUNDSTAGE...

www.audiosciencereview.com

The only tweak that truly widens and deepens the soundstage on any soundsystem is indeed THC.

 

[mimoza]

Hello, please help me to choose between m23, c298 and audiphonic HPA-S400ET.

it will be the power amp for a home theater, my avr is cinema 50 with 5.2.4 channels, my LR speakers are Davis Courbet 7,

I want a power amp for better stereo listing quality, my room is small 15m2

thanks in advance if you can help

 

[ahofer]

Hello, please help me to choose between m23, c298 and audiphonic HPA-S400ET.

it will be the power amp for a home theater, my avr is cinema 50 with 5.2.4 channels, my LR speakers are Davis Courbet 7,

I want a power amp for better stereo listing quality, my room is small 15m2

thanks in advance if you can help

Whichever is cheaper. I have a c298 and it’s great.

 

[WaterFlame]

Hello, please help me to choose between m23, c298 and audiphonic HPA-S400ET.

it will be the power amp for a home theater, my avr is cinema 50 with 5.2.4 channels, my LR speakers are Davis Courbet 7,

I want a power amp for better stereo listing quality, my room is small 15m2

thanks in advance if you can help

Hi,

I do not have experience with HPA-S400ET but have had nad c298, nad m23, and Boxem 4215/e2. All of them were excellent in terms of sound, Boxem and Nad m23 were more aesthetically pleasing to me. Both c298 and m23 can deliver a bit more continuous and peak power than Boxem but differences are negligible. Also in Norway, we get a 6 year warranty for NAD.

M23 is a bit overpriced, in my opinion, without a discount. Good luck, you cannot go wrong with any of them.

 

[PJ 1]

Purify modules benefit greatly from good power supply, and one in M23 is definetly better. Also with C298 I will surely have upgrade itch)
M23 will close amplification question.
Nevertheless C298 is still a great option.

What did you go with? M23? I'm debating the M23 with the M66 (if it ever comes out) and some KEF Reference 3 Metas. That or Perlisten R7t but I like the tweeter and looks of the KEF more and will integrate at least 2 subs.

 

[ahofer]

M23 will close amplification question.

I doubt that.

 

[WaterFlame]

What did you go with? M23? I'm debating the M23 with the M66 (if it ever comes out) and some KEF Reference 3 Metas. That or Perlisten R7t but I like the tweeter and looks of the KEF more and will integrate at least 2 subs.

I kept m23 but then sold it to finance Kef LS60 wireless
What you have listed will be a killer setup, I am jealous.

 

[PJ 1]

I kept m23 but then sold it to finance Kef LS60 wireless
What you have listed will be a killer setup, I am jealous.

How are they? I love that simplicity and those LS60s were just on sale and I was SO TEMPTED. But I just can't let go of the thought of sandwiching a Technics table between the M66 and M23. I LOVE 2ch listening again. I love streamlined living room/entertainment areas. I do not want a Atmos theater anymore. BUT, I have heard really well done systems playing music in Atmos. It's just the few albums I would like in Atmos don't justify the massive amount of speakers and "stuff" in my living room. To each their own but I bet them LS60s are killer. Congrats!

 

[WaterFlame]

How are they? I love that simplicity and those LS60s were just on sale and I was SO TEMPTED. But I just can't let go of the thought of sandwiching a Technics table between the M66 and M23. I LOVE 2ch listening again. I love streamlined living room/entertainment areas. I do not want a Atmos theater anymore. BUT, I have heard really well done systems playing music in Atmos. It's just the few albums I would like in Atmos don't justify the massive amount of speakers and "stuff" in my living room. To each their own but I bet them LS60s are killer. Congrats!

LS60 are tricky to set up in a small to a medium-sized room, especially when they are close to the walls. Initially, i got too much bass and had to play a lot with their dsp and wall mode and remeasure in REW until bass response was ok. Functionality of their dsp is limited and also affects lower midrange frequencies. Now i am using wiim pro parametric eq which gives a much better result since i can eliminate specific peaks in the bass that are minimum phase. If LS60 had parametric eq they would have been perfect. They are more holographic than kef r5 i had and have smoother treble.

 

[PJ 1]

LS60 are tricky to set up in a small to a medium-sized room, especially when they are close to the walls. Initially, i got too much bass and had to play a lot with their dsp and wall mode and remeasure in REW until bass response was ok. Functionality of their dsp is limited and also affects lower midrange frequencies. Now i am using wiim pro parametric eq which gives a much better result since i can eliminate specific peaks in the bass that are minimum phase. If LS60 had parametric eq they would have been perfect. They are more holographic than kef r5 i had and have smoother treble.

Glad you got it dialed in! I bet they sound killer. After being on this journey for some time, I'm really of the mind that with so many variables in getting a "good" response IN ROOM, you have to be really good at REW and look to treatments as much as equipment. Sometimes "better sound" really is just a throw rug away. Now, who's going to invent transparent power, speaker, and interconnects? Star Trek IV: "Transparent Aluminum".

 

[Julf]

They are more holographic than kef r5 i had and have smoother treble.

Is this Audio Science Review or some random subjectivist audiophile forum?

 

[WaterFlame]

Is this Audio Science Review or some random subjectivist audiophile forum?

Hehe, regarding amplifiers and dacs, there is a consensus here that all well measuring ones sound the same but no one would be debating that speakers sound different. R5 and ls60 are very different, have very different frequency response, crossover, timing between drivers, the list can go on. I hope no blind test is required to claim differences in sound between those.

 

[Julf]

Hehe, regarding amplifiers and dacs, there is a consensus here that all well measuring ones sound the same but no one would be debating that speakers sound different. R5 and ls60 are very different, have very different frequency response, crossover, timing between drivers, the list can go on. I hope no blind test is required to claim differences in sound between those.

Indeed, but "more holographic" is still an example of prime audiophile terminology...

 

[WaterFlame]

Indeed, but "more holographic" is still an example of prime audiophile terminology...

Did not see in the forum rules that only scientific terminology is permitted here.
If this helps, just for you: "LS60 has a better horizontal and vertical directivity in the treble region and this helps to create an illusion of a deeper soundstage, which is is further amplified by reflections from the floor".

I do not see how all of this discussion is related to NAD M23.
Being a "terminilogy police" and picking on specific words in posts is not the best way to welcome new posters. I expected this forum to be a more friendly place. Have a nice day.

 

[Julf]

Did not see in the forum rules that only scientific terminology is permitted here.

There is nothing about it in the rules, and there is no requirement to use only scientific terminology, but use of flowery, subjective and vague audiophile terminology is usually frowned upon as it doesn't actually convey anything meaningful, and is often a sign of a certain non-scientific belief system.

If this helps, just for you: "LS60 has a better horizontal and vertical directivity in the treble region and this helps to create an illusion of a deeper soundstage, which is is further amplified by reflections from the floor".

That indeed helps, even better is adding "it seems to me that" and "perhaps" unless you have actually verified the effect of directivity.

I do not see how all of this discussion is related to NAD M23.

Neither do I, but I wasn't the one who introduced speakers into the discussion.

Being a "terminilogy police" and picking on specific words in posts is not the best way to welcome new posters. I expected this forum to be a more friendly place. Have a nice day.

Unfortunately the way many of us technical people insist on precise terminology and our direct way of communication can come across as unfriendly to non-technical people. My apologies.

 

[welwynnick]

Indeed, but "more holographic" is still an example of prime audiophile terminology...

Perhaps you should try out Hydrogen Audio instead

 

[Julf]

Perhaps you should try out Hydrogen Audio instead

I was going to point out HA as something much more extreme than ASR - but HA is the way it is for a good reason.

Instead perhaps people should try defending a PHD....

 

[welwynnick]

Is this Audio Science Review or some random subjectivist audiophile forum?

I don't see what's wrong with describing something as holographic. It's one of many desirable attributes of high fidelity. I just can't think of any way of measuring it, though.

 

[Julf]

I don't see what's wrong with describing something as holographic. It's one of many desirable attributes of high fidelity. I just can't think of any way of measuring it, though.

That is exactly the problem with the word - the reason you can't measure it is that we can't define it, and if we can't define it, it is pretty useless... If it can be defined, it can be measured or tested, but how do you test for something that you don't, strictly speaking, know what it is?