NAD T778 Audio/Video Receiver (AVR) Review

[Doodski]

I am reading about running speakers in series. That seems to degrade them as the internal crossover network will get fouled and xcover frequencies changed. Is that true?

The inductive and capacitive reactance will be in effect with series or parallel configurations.

 

[JoachimStrobel]

The real question should be: why do you think you need two center speakers?

I like to have all the same speakers in a 5.0 setup. They are floorstanders. Putting a single floorstanders in front of the TV is a problem for non-transparent speakers. Hence I place two of them, one on the left and one to the right side of the TV.

 

[JoachimStrobel]

The inductive and capacitive reactance will be in effect with series or parallel configurations.

… are you saying that parallel and in series results in a similar degradation? Would Dirac straighten that out?

 

[Doodski]

… are you saying that parallel and in series results in a similar degradation?

Not similar but it is there happening.

Would Dirac straighten that out?

I don't know. I am not up to speed on Dirac and it's capabilities.

 

[voodooless]

Hence I place two of them, one on the left and one to the right side of the TV.

Normal people call those Left and Right

 

[JoachimStrobel]

Not sure. I look at 4 speakers when I face the TV. L, R & 2xCenter.

 

[JoachimStrobel]

Some updates with my NAD T778 experience:
Hdmi 2 will not output any signal if 4K goes out of Hdmi1 already. But if the 4K thing is off, then a AppleTV will not see a 2k Display on HDMI2 and switch resolution. (hence no AppleTV Atmos w/o 4K display). The NAD does not do anything to the hdmi signal, not even amplify or recondition it as an Oppo or any Chinese box does. Hence the hdmi cable length adds up: Meters in and meters out. The three meter limit where 4 k gets sometimes messed up comes quickly. If the 4 k length is ok, but the cable to a 2k monitor on hdmi 2 is bad, then the hdmi 1 out becomes a gamble. Gets messy quickly. Not even throwing in ARC yet…

Backchannels need to be assigned to the amp output if they are used. If Height2 or Zone is assigned instead, then there will not be any backchannel nowhere.
AirPlay via IOS does not carry an Atmos Signal. (Nor does IOS into a first generation 4K ApppeTV)
Having no Webinterface is a joke. Having an IR remote instead of a wireless is another one. Not being able to save ones NAD setup to an USB stick for retrieval after a factory reset sounds like Stone Age. I guess NAD is short of software engineers...

There are more inputs than source selectors. One would have to bundle HDMI and analog to make all work.
An 12 V trigger signal can not be assigned to the listening mode, like stereo or Dolby, but only to the source.
BlueOS seems to capture a Roon stream and presents it in the App as „his“. I guess the Roon guys do not like it, hence it is „ready“ only. But an incoming Roon connection does not trigger the BlueOS‘s source assignments (listening mode, trigger) but „hangs in the air“ unassigned.
The NAD should stand freely, then the fan stays low

It is a very nice, modern box.

 

[Bren Derlin]

Some updates with my NAD T778 experience:
Hdmi 2 will not output any signal if 4K goes out of Hdmi1 already. But if the 4K thing is off, then a AppleTV will not see a 2k Display on HDMI2 and switch resolution. (hence no AppleTV Atmos w/o 4K display). The NAD does not do anything to the hdmi signal, not even amplify or recondition it as an Oppo or any Chinese box does. Hence the hdmi cable length adds up: Meters in and meters out. The three meter limit where 4 k gets sometimes messed up comes quickly. If the 4 k length is ok, but the cable to a 2k monitor on hdmi 2 is bad, then the hdmi 1 out becomes a gamble. Gets messy quickly. Not even throwing in ARC yet…

Backchannels need to be assigned to the amp output if they are used. If Height2 or Zone is assigned instead, then there will not be any backchannel nowhere.
AirPlay via IOS does not carry an Atmos Signal. (Nor does IOS into a first generation 4K ApppeTV)
Having no Webinterface is a joke. Having an IR remote instead of a wireless is another one. Not being able to save ones NAD setup to an USB stick for retrieval after a factory reset sounds like Stone Age. I guess NAD is short of software engineers...

There are more inputs than source selectors. One would have to bundle HDMI and analog to make all work.
An 12 V trigger signal can not be assigned to the listening mode, like stereo or Dolby, but only to the source.
BlueOS seems to capture a Roon stream and presents it in the App as „his“. I guess the Roon guys do not like it, hence it is „ready“ only. But an incoming Roon connection does not trigger the BlueOS‘s source assignments (listening mode, trigger) but „hangs in the air“ unassigned.
The NAD should stand freely, then the fan stays low

It is a very nice, modern box.

So is this a good update, or bad update? LOL

 

[JoachimStrobel]

Neither, schnull

 

[TahoeGator]

Hello NAD T778 owners!

I stumbled upon this thread researching a replacement for my T773. Seems this AVR has lots of bugs. Or at least had. Has NAD resolved the reliability / bugginess issues? Wondering if I can buy a new one with confidence or whether I shouid play it safe with a Denon X6700H or the like?

Thanks for any opinions!

 

[JoachimStrobel]

I just bought one, produced in 1/2022. Not a single serious problem. Mostly user error and lots of options to play with.

 

[TahoeGator]

I just bought one, produced in 1/2022. Not a single serious problem. Mostly user error and lots of options to play with.

What do you think of it?

I found a refurbished one that I could add up to a 4 year warranty onto which might offer some reduced risk.

 

[JoachimStrobel]

I heard that the newer T778 have a revised electronics and hence less problems. I do not know since when, but as mine from 1/2022 has no issues, I would as for the serial number. The first digits show the year and month. My fan is rocksteady at 1000rpm with amp temps in the 50s. Place the Nad free standing with lots of air around.
Confusing issues are:
No Hdmi output reconditioning source-NAD-sink is one chain.
No Hdmiout2 output if Hdmi input is 4k
You only get Height2 pre-out if the amp is set to Backchannel (Default). So all this amp switching is kind of senseless.

I have no trouble with the user interface. However, the Nad has no webinterfsce, so you are stuck with a 80’s IR remote. My wife thought that those remotes where for the museum…
Nad keeps a hard grip on the lowest allowed published price. You need to ask in person for “open box” units.

 

[TahoeGator]

I heard that the newer T778 have a revised electronics and hence less problems. I do not know since when, but as mine from 1/2022 has no issues, I would as for the serial number. The first digits show the year and month. My fan is rocksteady at 1000rpm with amp temps in the 50s. Place the Nad free standing with lots of air around.
Confusing issues are:
No Hdmi output reconditioning source-NAD-sink is one chain.
No Hdmiout2 output if Hdmi input is 4k
You only get Height2 pre-out if the amp is set to Backchannel (Default). So all this amp switching is kind of senseless.

I have no trouble with the user interface. However, the Nad has no webinterfsce, so you are stuck with a 80’s IR remote. My wife thought that those remotes where for the museum…
Nad keeps a hard grip on the lowest allowed published price. You need to ask in person for “open box” units.

I’ll be a single input source user — one Apple TV 4K — so my guess (hope) is I’ll be fine with the HDMI issues. It’s the NAD or probably a Denon X6700H which is probably easier to use but maybe less exciting LOL. I thought the Dirac setup uses a web browser (or maybe an app)?

 

[JoachimStrobel]

I’ll be a single input source user — one Apple TV 4K — so my guess (hope) is I’ll be fine with the HDMI issues. It’s the NAD or probably a Denon X6700H which is probably easier to use but maybe less exciting LOL. I thought the Dirac setup uses a web browser (or maybe an app)?

Just keep in mind that the total length of the hdmi cable counts from appletv via the Nad to the tv. Get yourself a 0.3-0.5 m hdmi cable and place the AppleTV next to the NAD. Sure, Dirac setup is via the network. But you can not switch sources or even configure the NAD like an 2013 Oppo player over the net. There is a paid third party app for a very simple functionality. Quite sad.

 

[oli2000]

How good and stable is the roon support now (in 2023)?

It is difficult to find a good avr nowadays, even though the bad review, it seems acceptable and the roon native support seems to be very interesting....

 

[Fillius]

How good and stable is the roon support now (in 2023)?

It is difficult to find a good avr nowadays, even though the bad review, it seems acceptable and the roon native support seems to be very interesting....

Roon works perfectly for me on my T778. I've never had an issue and it sounds amazing.

Roon wakes the NAD when you start playing from the Roon app, volume control works from the app and it displays album art/details on the NAD screen.

 

[nick-v]

How good and stable is the roon support now (in 2023)?

It is difficult to find a good avr nowadays, even though the bad review, it seems acceptable and the roon native support seems to be very interesting....

Roon works perfectly for me on my T778. I've never had an issue and it sounds amazing.

Roon wakes the NAD when you start playing from the Roon app, volume control works from the app and it displays album art/details on the NAD screen.

Same for me. Flawless Roon support.

Keep in mind this relies on your home network. My AVR is hardwired to a gigabit switch with a DHCP reservation in the router.

 

[JoachimStrobel]

How good and stable is the roon support now (in 2023)?

It is difficult to find a good avr nowadays, even though the bad review, it seems acceptable and the roon native support seems to be very interesting....

Works perfect for me too. Roon sort of takes the BluOS door. When Roon streams to the NAD it can be seen in the Bluos app. So you can attach a listening mode to BluOS and Roon takes that when playing. I have mine set to Dolby upmix, starting an external amp via the 12V trigger. Very cool.

 

[JoetheLion]

Works perfect for me too.

Same for me. Flawless Roon support.