NAD M33 Streaming Amplifier Review

[anmpr1]

If firsts count for something then this is the first time I've seen it in an integrated amplifier, but at the same time I can honestly say that I never ever wanted to know the temperature of my heat sinks.

 

[Helicopter]

Our initial budget for our last vacation in Hawaii was $5k.

But we came back having spent $7k.

Darn submarine rides....

Mine was 10K. Blasted Axis deer and Polynesian boar combo hunts!

 

[Vivek]

A rookie question but relevant here : The NAD used
Purifi Eigentakt amplifier is this different from Purifi 1ET400A or just simply optics to put the italian inventors name on the amplifier by NAD and Purify

 

[Vini darko]

Seems decent , lot's of usful in a nice box. Certainly not aimed at skinflints like me .

 

[wje]

NAD seem to add a very hefty price premium for the word digital.

I was thinking something similar about this yesterday. I wonder what the profit margins are like for the company on their digital amplifier products vs. their traditional amplifier products? Sure, there are the R&D costs, but they're using a slightly modified design of a standardized component for amplification. Then again, this is from NAD's Master series, so there will be a bit of a price premium because it's a level up in the NAD lineup.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

A rookie question but relevant here : The NAD used
Purifi Eigentakt amplifier is this different from Purifi 1ET400A or just simply optics to put the italian inventors name on the amplifier by NAD and Purify

I am not certain what you are asking but the Purifi amp modules in the M33 are built by NAD under license.

 

[Vivek]

I was asking are these purify amp module Purifi 1ET400A and Purifi Eigentakt are one and the same. I have now found out that they are and the whole name of the module is Purifi Eigentakt 1ET400A

 

[kukocz]

I am not certain what you are asking but the Purifi amp modules in the M33 are built by NAD under license.

And here is the question. It's been announced that NAD uses modules built based on Purifi's license. What we could see in NAD M28 - i looks like Purifi 1ET400A modules are exactly the same we can order directly from Purifi.

 

[Jukebox]

I'm the opposite.

It did better than I expected.

I never expected it to do as well as separates -- it's an all in one box.

Exactly my thought also; better than expected

 

[myatfrak]

@amirm Not sure if you noticed but there is a source settings menu to switch between the different ADC sample rates for each source. You can choose between 48K, 96K and 192K. The default is 48K

 

[brandall10]

Well this saved me $5k. I've been going back and forth between spending the big $$ for 8351b and associated components to get that to work as a normal 2 channel home setup, to the Buchardt A500, to the Kef LS50 II w/ a sub... to possibly this and some Revels (putting me back in the Genelec territory).

Will only be using as a normal 2.1 system driven by a roon core w/ TV hooked up, and can do room correction w/ REW and Roon convolution. If I want less than top-tier performance the Kef's have me covered at far less $$.

 

[myatfrak]

Phono mm is 56kohms. Which should be perfectly OK. Still, the ADC sampling rate choice of 44.1kHz seems strange. Does that also mean if you use Dirac everything will be resampled to that, or the analog will be resampled again to something else?

I don't think the ADC sample rate is 44.1 see my previous answer. It is actually selectable from the source menu...

 

[nick-v]

Does this unit do it's Dirac Live correction at 96KHz?

 

[rodtor]

View attachment 91821

Top to bottom:

BluSound Node 2- used as a streamer and connects digitally.

RME ADI-2 (v2) Dac/preamp

Minidsp DDRC-22D - Dirac digital DSP of the digital signal from the Node.

Purifi 1ET400A stereo amp (Eval1 board and Ghent case).

The signal is Node digital out->Minidsp digital out->RME ADI2-> Amp

Well, @AndrewDavis, you have the system I have been dreaming of, and working towards. I've had the Blusound Node for a while, and I find the Blusound firmware to be very convenient. I just bought the RME, and like the fact that it includes an excellent headphone amp. The next task is to start using the parametric EQ to get best performance from my headphones. I don't have the bottom two yet -- but the DDRC-22D clearly stands out as the best way to get DIRAC room correction when you don't want a laptop in the signal path, and also don't want to use the streaming option that Minidsp offers, or its DACs, which have not measured especially well here. And then the Purifi amp. I'm waiting to see what the power amp that Topping is developing turns out like before making that decision, but the Purifi clearly is a great option -- somewhat lower specs than the Benchmark, though not likely audibly, but cheaper and with more power. So, a great system, and I really think this particular NAD product is not to be preferred at all to what you have.

 

[Vasr]

NAD seem to add a very hefty price premium for the word digital.

I wonder what the profit margins are like for the company on their digital amplifier products vs. their traditional amplifier products? Sure, there are the R&D costs, but they're using a slightly modified design of a standardized component for amplification. Then again, this is from NAD's Master series, so there will be a bit of a price premium because it's a level up in the NAD lineup.

The margins are likely to be the same across their product line (which is not unusual in most companies) but the math will be different in cost and retail pricing.

NAD has a different business model with these units than their traditional amps as so many things are out-sourced at a module level (which is much more expensive than buying individual electronic components as they come with IP). Even the box design for the Masters series is out-sourced. It is more of an integrator-like model than a vertical. Unlike their own amp designs, there are a lot more per unit costs in licensing fees while the small amount of internal R&D will be similar to their own vertical designs (which have not evolved much in technology and so incremental R&D required is small).

So, the retail pricing has to be higher to keep the same margins. They have attempted to justify that by going upscale in look and feel and with all-in-one boxes into the life-style category than just the traditional pure amps and AVRs.

Most of the new NAD is (not to say this in a negative way for this engineering-dominated forum) marketing and product management innovation than technical innovation. This will likely continue and as I have said before likely a successful strategy for the brand to survive in this industry.

 

[AndrewDavis]

I can only name 2 of the boxes. What are the others and their approximative specs?

Thank you for asking! Top to bottom:

1. Blusound Node - Used for digital streaming only
2. RME ADI 2 (V2) DAC and Preamp - Reviewed here.
3. MiniDSP DDRC-22D. This is a Dirac DSP processor. Measured here.
4. Purifi 1ET400A Amp (Eval1 with Ghent Case). Reviewed here.

The signal goes Node - digital to the MiniDSP- digital to the RME DAC - analog to the amp.

 

[watchnerd]

View attachment 91824
Thank you for asking! Top to bottom:

1. Blusound Node 2 - Used for digital streaming only
2. RME ADI 2 (V2) DAC and Preamp - Reviewed here.
3. MiniDSP DDRC-22D. This is a Dirac DSP processor. Measured here.
4. Purifi 1ET400A Amp (Eval1 with Ghent Case). Reviewed here.

The signal goes Node digital to the MiniDSP, digital to the RME DAC, analog to the amp.

I think that's really great for a digital-only system.

In my case, though, I also have analog sources (TT, reel to reel) that I'd like to do DRC on.

 

[AndrewDavis]

I think that's really great for a digital-only system.

In my case, though, I also have analog sources (TT, reel to reel) that I'd like to do DRC on.

Thank you, and you're absolutely right. I am a child of the CD era so everything I listen to is digital in one form or another. If I had any analog sources my stack wouldn't cut it.

 

[watchnerd]

Absolutely. I am a child of the CD era so everything I listen to is digital in one form or another. If I had any analog sources my stack wouldn't cut it.

I'm also a child of the CD era.

I didn't acquire analog sources until post 2010.

 

[The Jniac]

It is nice to see competent engineering coming from a Canadian company. Still, that price makes it a very difficult sell, especially since it is not actually made here. I wonder if anybody can send Amir some Paradigm speakers to verify the performance claims you find in the specs.