• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

NAD M33 vs Devialet Expert

watchnerd

Grand Contributor
Joined
Dec 8, 2016
Messages
12,449
Likes
10,409
Location
Seattle Area, USA
The NAD M33 "all in one" DAC/ADC/amp/streamer/phono is now shipping, using Purifi chips, with Diract live built-in.

https://nadelectronics.com/product/m33-bluos-streaming-dac-amplifier/

If the phono is any good, and it can connect to Roon nicely, it might add the room correction that I always wanted from my Devialet Expert, but they never added.

Thoughts?

Upgrade? Sidegrade? Regression?

Or is Dirac not worth the switch?

Oh, yeah, it has MQA, too, to go with my Tidal sub, but.... meh.
 

SIY

Grand Contributor
Technical Expert
Joined
Apr 6, 2018
Messages
10,386
Likes
24,749
Location
Alfred, NY
The NAD M33 "all in one" DAC/ADC/amp/streamer/phono is now shipping, using Purifi chips, with Diract live built-in.

https://nadelectronics.com/product/m33-bluos-streaming-dac-amplifier/

If the phono is any good, and it can connect to Roon nicely, it might add the room correction that I always wanted from my Devialet Expert, but they never added.

Thoughts?

Upgrade? Sidegrade? Regression?

Or is Dirac not worth the switch?

Oh, yeah, it has MQA, too, to go with my Tidal sub, but.... meh.

Dirac is the best thing to happen to my system in 20 years.

My major concern would be the optical and coaxial digital inputs, if you use those.
 
  • Like
Reactions: wje
OP
watchnerd

watchnerd

Grand Contributor
Joined
Dec 8, 2016
Messages
12,449
Likes
10,409
Location
Seattle Area, USA
Dirac is the best thing to happen to my system in 20 years.

My major concern would be the optical and coaxial digital inputs, if you use those.

I don't think it would, or not regularly.

Right now, my Devialet is connected via Ethernet to a WiFi mesh hotspot.

The M33 seems to have an Ethernet input, as well as native WiFi.
 

SIY

Grand Contributor
Technical Expert
Joined
Apr 6, 2018
Messages
10,386
Likes
24,749
Location
Alfred, NY
I don't think it would, or not regularly.

Right now, my Devialet is connected via Ethernet to a WiFi mesh hotspot.

The M33 seems to have an Ethernet input, as well as native WiFi.

I've been promised an M33 for review as soon as an extra unit is available. If it's anything like the M10, the wifi and Ethernet work perfectly, though the former was a challenge to set up initially. Dirac was easy to use and, like I said, remarkably effective.
 
OP
watchnerd

watchnerd

Grand Contributor
Joined
Dec 8, 2016
Messages
12,449
Likes
10,409
Location
Seattle Area, USA
I've been promised an M33 for review as soon as an extra unit is available. If it's anything like the M10, the wifi and Ethernet work perfectly, though the former was a challenge to set up initially. Dirac was easy to use and, like I said, remarkably effective.

Thanks.

Supposedly there is some 'dual subwoofer' upgrade to Dirac available at extra cost. To quote the datasheet:

"Dirac’s advanced* “Bass Control”*.

...which I guess is supposed to provide better capabilities if you have 2 subs, which I do.
 

SIY

Grand Contributor
Technical Expert
Joined
Apr 6, 2018
Messages
10,386
Likes
24,749
Location
Alfred, NY
Thanks.

Supposedly there is some 'dual subwoofer' upgrade to Dirac available at extra cost. To quote the datasheet:

"Dirac’s advanced* “Bass Control”*.

...which I guess is supposed to provide better capabilities if you have 2 subs, which I do.

So do I, and yes, works as advertised.
 

JustJones

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 31, 2020
Messages
1,726
Likes
2,391
Anthem ARC Genesis has dual sub capabilities. The STR integrated doesn't have streaming but I connected a raspberry pi4 as a roon bridge through USB.
 

Matias

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 1, 2019
Messages
5,031
Likes
10,804
Location
São Paulo, Brazil
I think the M33 would be an upgrade to any Devialet after the ASR review....
 

NDC

Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2020
Messages
86
Likes
115
Location
Sydney, Australia
Any measurements released/testing available for this yet? Looks pretty sweet
 
OP
watchnerd

watchnerd

Grand Contributor
Joined
Dec 8, 2016
Messages
12,449
Likes
10,409
Location
Seattle Area, USA
Room correct is always an upgrade over no room correction. If you're willing to do seperates the MiniDSP SHD with a Purifi-based power amplifier of your liking.

That creates a big PITA for phono for me.

And then I'd have to get another box to be the Roon endpoint.

I value ease of use a lot these days.
 
OP
watchnerd

watchnerd

Grand Contributor
Joined
Dec 8, 2016
Messages
12,449
Likes
10,409
Location
Seattle Area, USA
Anthem ARC Genesis has dual sub capabilities. The STR integrated doesn't have streaming but I connected a raspberry pi4 as a roon bridge through USB.

My subs are Martin Logan Dynamos that have the lightweight ARC-for-subs.
 

SIY

Grand Contributor
Technical Expert
Joined
Apr 6, 2018
Messages
10,386
Likes
24,749
Location
Alfred, NY
I assume Dirac can high pass the mains?

And, if so, does it do that automagically, or does one configure the high pass manually?

The NAD has the high-pass function. You choose the crossover point using the BluOS controller, then when setting up Dirac, you choose the speakers plus subwoofers. Very intuitive and easy.
 

Rizzle

Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2020
Messages
82
Likes
117
That creates a big PITA for phono for me.

And then I'd have to get another box to be the Roon endpoint.

I value ease of use a lot these days.
Yeah my bad, in my mind I read Volumio as Roon. There is also the Lyngdorf TDAI-3400. Another one is the Micromega M-150. Should be a nice three way fight.
 

Matias

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 1, 2019
Messages
5,031
Likes
10,804
Location
São Paulo, Brazil
It's just been released, the dealers probably did not receive their demo units yet.
 

JustJones

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 31, 2020
Messages
1,726
Likes
2,391
Yeah my bad, in my mind I read Volumio as Roon. There is also the Lyngdorf TDAI-3400. Another one is the Micromega M-150. Should be a nice three way fight.

You can use Volumio in the Minidsp as a Roon endpoint. I did with a SHD Studio. Room correction with the Micromega isn't on par with Dirac or ARC and the streaming software wasn't very good at least it wasn't a couple of years ago when I tried it, I would hope they've updated it since then.
 
OP
watchnerd

watchnerd

Grand Contributor
Joined
Dec 8, 2016
Messages
12,449
Likes
10,409
Location
Seattle Area, USA
So apparently now that I balked at ordering one sight unseen, the sales dude says the local dealer *is* getting a demo unit in stock...

Sales guys....sheesh...
 
Top Bottom