NAD M33 Streaming Amplifier Review

[Hear Here]

Thanks for the responses guys!

Today I will take the M33 from the store, the one that looked the day before. After the M32, I decided to try Lyngdorf, I bought the younger 1120, I wrote about this device in the last year on the forum. I wanted to buy a top Lingdorf 3400, but changed my mind. I was confused by its technical design. in terms of the element base, in particular, the use of the tas5508c pwm controller, which was released 13 years ago. Lyngdorf has no other option but to use this, or similar chip in the next model if they want to keep their proprietary Full Digital Equibity Amplification topology. Therefore, I decided to return to NAD with M33.

Wise move!

3 years ago I home demo'd a dozen amps or all-in-ones for use with my Avantgarde speakers after deciding to move from tubes to ss.

Included in the amps selected were Class A (Accuphase, Sugden, etc), ABs (including Mark Levinson and others) and D (including NAD M32 and others). Also the Lyngdorf 3400 that is raved about on one forum that I suspect may act as a Lyngdorf Fan Club!

I didn't like the Lyngdorf as it's RoomPerfect made the sound far worse and the front panel screen was more like a dot matrix printer than the laser printer screen in the M32 / M33!

Of these £3-8K amps, I was expecting a Class A to win me over, but I went for the M32. Great amp when fitted with the BluOS streamer module. Later I upgraded to the M33. This is subtly better all round, has the streamer built in and has Dirac Live, although I prefer the sound without the signal passing through this complex processor. If you are a sub user (I'm not) the M33 isn't quite as flexible with it's XO cutoffs as the M32 or M12, but that's a minor point.

Overall, I've very happy with the M33. I'm considering an upgrade but I know it'll cost me £12+K to achieve any noticeable sound improvement. Enjoy your M33. Peter

 

[Hear Here]

Did NAD do anything to fix this subout issue?

I'm not sure what "problem" you refer to, but I've experimentally used the M33's sub outs to power the active bass units in my Avantgarde speakers. No problem, although I prefer to keep things simple so now use speaker-level out to the speaker's binding posts - as Avantgarde recommends.

The M33's Trigger out will wake up other kit such as active speakers. I had to get a Y splitter so it can wake up both my speakers' amps.

 

[Melting735]

Good to know these. Thanks!

What about the audio delay issue (>300ms) when output from TV that some ppl experienced here?

 

[Hear Here]

Good to know these. Thanks!

What about the audio delay issue (>300ms) when output from TV that some ppl experienced here?

Within Settings, a delay of between 50 and 150 ms can be set to achieve lip sync if "A/V Mode" is selected for that digital input.

 

[fcracer]

Good to know these. Thanks!

What about the audio delay issue (>300ms) when output from TV that some ppl experienced here?

When I had delay and lip synch issues, I opened a support ticket with NAD. They suggested using HDMI ARC instead of optical. Making that switch solved my synch issues forever.

 

[Hear Here]

When I had delay and lip synch issues, I opened a support ticket with NAD. They suggested using HDMI ARC instead of optical. Making that switch solved my synch issues forever.

Also using HDMI ARC improves the sound quality compared with optical..

Unfortunately when ARC is used, the TV "takes over" the amp such that changing TV volume on the remote changes the amp volume. In fact even turning on the TV will change the amp's source to HDMI. This is often OK, but what about when the TV is on (silent) while you are listening to music,eg when waiting for a TV programme to start? I find ARC so frustrating I keep the cable in place but disconnected at one end and use the grotty (but better behaved) optical for when I want TV sound through my audio system. When there's a worthwhile concert or similar on TV, I connect the HDMI cable to link the TV with the amp. P.I.A.

 

[pogo]

This is often OK, but what about when the TV is on (silent) while you are listening to music,eg when waiting for a TV programme to start?

With a Bluesound HUB you could eliminate the need to reconnect the HDMI cable by only connecting it when you need it

 

[pogo]

They suggested using HDMI ARC instead of optical.

Is there an explanation for this?
The same BluOS restriction of min. 50ms applies here as for all other inputs!?

 

[AlfaHolic]

Also using HDMI ARC improves the sound quality compared with optical..

Unfortunately when ARC is used, the TV "takes over" the amp such that changing TV volume on the remote changes the amp volume. In fact even turning on the TV will change the amp's source to HDMI. This is often OK, but what about when the TV is on (silent) while you are listening to music,eg when waiting for a TV programme to start? I find ARC so frustrating I keep the cable in place but disconnected at one end and use the grotty (but better behaved) optical for when I want TV sound through my audio system. When there's a worthwhile concert or similar on TV, I connect the HDMI cable to link the TV with the amp. P.I.A.

Hear Here: try turning off the “auto sense” setting for the HDMI input on the M33. That should prevent your TV from taking control of the M33 when the TV is turned on.

 

[Hear Here]

Hear Here: try turning off the “auto sense” setting for the HDMI input on the M33. That should prevent your TV from taking control of the M33 when the TV is turned on.

Well, I've realised the real reason I have difficulties with ARC. If the amp is Off, there's no way of getting sound from my TV's own speakers, therefore the amp always has to be On. If the Auto Sense is engaged, turning on the TV also turns on the amp.

The trouble is that I don't want this amp on most of the time I'm watching TV and also the volume via ARC (or optical for that matter) from the TV us much lower than from other sources. Therefore I get blasted if I listen to music after using the TV. Similarly I have to turn up the amp's volume if I want the TV sound via the amp after listening to music!

For a bespoke sound bar, this is a great arrangement as it's used solely with the TV to always bypass the TV's grotty speakers. But for me, using the same amp for music and TV, it's a mess. That's why I keep the HDMI cable disconnected at one end unless there's a worthwhile concert. If I just want better TV sound, I use optical but also have to manually reduce TV sound to 0 and adjust via the amp's remote.

The nice feature of ARC is that the amp squirts the album's artwork to the TV when playing streamed or HD stored music.

 

[Hear Here]

With a Bluesound HUB you could eliminate the need to reconnect the HDMI cable by only connecting it when you need it

I can of course do that with my NAD simply by unplugging one end of the cable, but how do you do it with a Bluesound Hub? Thanks

 

[Oski1928]

Well, I've realised the real reason I have difficulties with ARC. If the amp is Off, there's no way of getting sound from my TV's own speakers, therefore the amp always has to be On. If the Auto Sense is engaged, turning on the TV also turns on the amp.

The trouble is that I don't want this amp on most of the time I'm watching TV and also the volume via ARC (or optical for that matter) from the TV us much lower than from other sources. Therefore I get blasted if I listen to music after using the TV. Similarly I have to turn up the amp's volume if I want the TV sound via the amp after listening to music!

For a bespoke sound bar, this is a great arrangement as it's used solely with the TV to always bypass the TV's grotty speakers. But for me, using the same amp for music and TV, it's a mess. That's why I keep the HDMI cable disconnected at one end unless there's a worthwhile concert. If I just want better TV sound, I use optical but also have to manually reduce TV sound to 0 and adjust via the amp's remote.

The nice feature of ARC is that the amp squirts the album's artwork to the TV when playing streamed or HD stored music.

Try turning off the CEC settings with your tv. This might solve your problem

 

[fcracer]

Is there an explanation for this?
The same BluOS restriction of min. 50ms applies here as for all other inputs!?

Their support desk said that the optical input requires additional processing which adds delay. I don‘t know whether the HDMI has the 50ms delay.

 

[pogo]

how do you do it with a Bluesound Hub?

Integrate a Bluesound HUB into your BluOS system.
Connect the HDMI cable to the HUB. If you want to listen via HDMI, you just have to switch on the HUB, i.e. supply it with power.

 

[Baki]

If the amp is Off, there's no way of getting sound from my TV's own speakers, therefore the amp always has to be On.

You can control this on your TV settings by choosing a TV speaker instead Home Theatre speaker option somewhere in the sound settings. At least this is how it works on my 4 years old Panasonic. I am doing that every night before going to bed.

 

[janbth]

Unfortunately when ARC is used, the TV "takes over" the amp such that changing TV volume on the remote changes the amp volume. In fact even turning on the TV will change the amp's source to HDMI. This is often OK, but what about when the TV is on (silent) while you are listening to music,eg when waiting for a TV programme to start? I find ARC so frustrating I keep the cable in place but disconnected at one end and use the grotty (but better behaved) optical for when I want TV sound through my audio system. When there's a worthwhile concert or similar on TV, I connect the HDMI cable to link the TV with the amp. P.I.A.

Hear Here: try turning off the “auto sense” setting for the HDMI input on the M33. That should prevent your TV from taking control of the M33 when the TV is turned on.

I have a similar problem with my M33. I'm a Roon user, and I use my TV as display for Roon via Chromecast. So if my TV is connected to the M33 with HDMI, then when I start playing from Roon, the M33 will start playing, the display on my TV will kick in, and the M33 switches to HDMI. Not very useful. Turning off Auto Sense for HDMI should solve this in theory, but it is not possible to select HDMI as input source from the remote control. Yes, that's right: The fancy remote control delivered with the M33 does not have the ability to choose HDMI as source! (I have confirmed this with NAD customer support.) My solution to this is to use optical for TV, since optical can be selected from the remote control.

 

[pogo]

it is not possible to select HDMI as input source from the remote control

With a Bluesound RC1 it works and you can even use a preset memory 1-10 for it that matches the BluOS app.

 

[Beershaun]

I have a similar problem with my M33. I'm a Roon user, and I use my TV as display for Roon via Chromecast. So if my TV is connected to the M33 with HDMI, then when I start playing from Roon, the M33 will start playing, the display on my TV will kick in, and the M33 switches to HDMI. Not very useful. Turning off Auto Sense for HDMI should solve this in theory, but it is not possible to select HDMI as input source from the remote control. Yes, that's right: The fancy remote control delivered with the M33 does not have the ability to choose HDMI as source! (I have confirmed this with NAD customer support.) My solution to this is to use optical for TV, since optical can be selected from the remote control.

What...the... heck? You can't choose one of the inputs for this thing from the remote? I would say "what year is it" normally but this is just basic functionality that has been around since the dawn of remote controls...

 

[Hear Here]

Try turning off the CEC settings with your tv. This might solve your problem

Thanks for the suggestion, but what does CEC stand for please? When I know what to look for, I'll certainly try!

 

[Oski1928]

Thanks for the suggestion, but what does CEC stand for please? When I know what to look for, I'll certainly try!

Not sure what it stands for but it has to do with ARC. CEC is what automatically turns on my blu ray player when I switch to the blu ray hdmi input on my tv and allows my tv remote to control the player as well. If I turn it off those features go away.