NAD Wireless USB DAC 2 Review

[Timcognito]

NAD can do this, but the c658 (https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/nad-c658-streaming-dac-review.12090/) and bluesound node (same parent company: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/bluesound-node-review-streamer.25578/) can’t manage CD quality from their DACs?

Beat me to it. Thanks to Amir I added a Topping E30 to my Node.

 

[sarumbear]

In the rare situation where you think you want even better performance, you can use the Coax to drive an external DAC.

An odd thing to say.

 

[sarumbear]

No standard USB Type B input connector found on most DACs and RF range will likely be inferior to wifi. Can't imagine why someone would want this? Most streaming is coming from internet anyway so it's not like wifi is uncommon? Raspberry Pi offers more ports, streaming protocols and options for the same or less money.

How do you propose sending hi-def audio from an iPhone or iPad running the streaming apps to a USB desktop app, wirelessly?

 

[sarumbear]

What a cool little product. Totally unexpected performance for the price. Thanks @amirm for another great 'hidden gem' review. Prices will skyrocket on the back of the review...

Just bought one!

 

[PeteL]

If true (none on eBay five minutes ago), what does that say about NAD's stated MSRP? Hyper inflated?

It says that they overestimated the demand. I see comments on Amazon dating back to 2017... Not a new product, probably end of life. Five years in you would expect any manufacturer to liquidate. They probably really like what they read here tough...

 

[Timcognito]

Reading reviews a lot of these heat up and die after a year or so. So maybe NAD got tired of replacing a $250 product.

 

[PeteL]

No filter measurment in this review... And no heated debate on Nyquist... Only love... What we don't know don't hurt right?

 

[Cote Dazur]

Canadians are in luck as the parent company (Lenbrook) has a liquidation channel with refurbished units in stock for $99 CAD https://theaudiofactory.com/product/nad-wireless-usb-dac-2-24-96-point-to-point-digital-streaming/

Thank you, just ordered one, the 99$ includes free shipping, it is remanufactured with 1 year warranty at that price.

Subtotal:	$99.00
Shipping:	Free
Sales Tax:	$14.83
Payment method:	Payment Options
Total:	$113.83

It appears it's out of stock now.

just ordered one, no problem.

 

[pseudoid]

SINAD is limited by distortion with its highest component very close to threshold of hearing

That sentence should have started as "NAD's SINAD is limited...."

I had an AudioEngine D2 Music Streamer which achieved similar goals using selective WiFi frequency-hopping (72MHz@37Channels w/2MHz spacing) techniques.
It was said to be 24bit/96kHz [95.2kHz?] S/PDIF@192kHz. Said to achieve performance competing at CD specification levels.
Except that you could not use the system starting around 1800Hours due to the neighborhood WiFi "rush hour"!
Meh!

 

[brial05]

Thanks for the review I have wanted this product but was always skeptical.

 

[formula 977]

No filter measurment in this review... And no heated debate on Nyquist... Only love... What we don't know don't hurt right?

Pssst. Don't say anything about some measurements at less than 0dbfs being squeezed in. Maybe nobody will notice.

 

[beagleman]

Wow, 40 meter range is a very long range. Thank you for the review, it is good to know this exists and most importantly it performs well.

However, besides a garden party, a stadium size listening room or a bizarre field measurement, i struggle to think of a use case for me nowadays. If i have a system in a spot without wifi signal, i would try to fix that and plug a wiim before investing in this device, specially as with this the communication is unidirectional from wherever the source is... Don't know, i am not surprised if there are so many for sale in ebay... but well, use cases are always way more than one can imagine...

Yeah but 40 meters is really not much in reality, as NO device ever seems to really go the entire distance they claim to go.

If you can get 25 consider yourself lucky. It might work that far reliably. Most figures seem to be quite exaggerated and often are about half of what they claim.

 

[PeteL]

That sentence should have started as "NAD's SINAD is limited...."

I had an AudioEngine D2 Music Streamer which achieved similar goals using selective WiFi frequency-hopping (72MHz@37Channels w/2MHz spacing) techniques.
It was said to be 24bit/96kHz [95.2kHz?] S/PDIF@192kHz. Said to achieve performance competing at CD specification levels.
Except that you could not use the system starting around 1800Hours due to the neighborhood WiFi "rush hour"!
Meh!

This is point to point streaming tough, same band but not technically "WIFI". Don't know about the audio engine, and I am not fully sure what tech uses this NAD but there are many wireless microphones systems nowadays that do point to point in the 2.4 GHz band with absolute robustness. What you describe is absolutely not a fatality, the D2 was just a poor design if it behaved that way. I don't know about this one but I don't see this pop up in Amazon's complains. A few units seem to die early tough which could be a concern. The big discount on refurbs suggest a fair amount of returns too but I wouldn't jump to conclusions. Amazon reviews are not Data, unhappy people always are the loudest online it don't give us an idea of the fail rate and general satisfaction looks high.

 

[tjf]

How do you propose sending hi-def audio from an iPhone or iPad running the streaming apps to a USB desktop app, wirelessly?

Sounds like we're back to the Airplay argument....
That is -- why would someone not use a streamer device with it's own Network interface and SOC processor, and it's own audio interface (Chromecast Audio, WiiM, Node, Sonos Port, et al) controlled by an "App" that turns your mobile device into a remote control -- so you don't need to use the iPhone/iPad as the "streamer" (network interface + processor), then finding a way to "point" the "file data" from your iPhone/iPad via WiFi to an "endpoint" for "rendering" (playback as an analog signal or SPDIF) -- I think this NAD device is from quite a few years back when NAD thought the "Computer Audiophile" would have their audio system far removed from their desk/home office, things have moved on since this DAC was introduced...

 

[The Jniac]

My jaw hit the floor looking at those performance graphs. A $250 wireless device hitting almost 110dB SINAD is the kind of thing that I would not believe if I saw it advertised. Whoever is responsible for this should get a nice raise.

 

[sarumbear]

Sounds like we're back to the Airplay argument....
That is -- why would someone not use a streamer device with it's own Network interface and SOC processor, and it's own audio interface (Chromecast Audio, WiiM, Node, Sonos Port, et al) controlled by an "App" that turns your mobile device into a remote control -- so you don't need to use the iPhone/iPad as the "streamer" (network interface + processor), then finding a way to "point" the "file data" from your iPhone/iPad via WiFi to an "endpoint" for "rendering" (playback as an analog signal or SPDIF) -- I think this NAD device is from quite a few years back when NAD thought the "Computer Audiophile" would have their audio system far removed from their desk/home office, things have moved on since this DAC was introduced...

The hardware streamer with their dedicated app is useless to me. How am I going to find new artists and playlists, read track/artist notes, view stream numbers on a hardware streamer?

I refuse to sit in front of computer, on a desk chair, while listening music. Comfort aside, the computer screen is an acoustical hindrance. To me that is the worst way to listen to music.

Until hi-def audio arrived AirPlay was all I needed. It’s ubiquitous and totally sufficient for CD quality. The entire world use it, hence everything is compatible.

It’s when I need more than CD quality that I’m stuck and have to use wires. Now though with this device feeding my DAC I’m hoping I’m sorted.

 

[pseudoid]

My multi-zone home distribution has moved away from wireless (FM/WiFi/BlueTooth) efforts to AES67 AoIP (Dante networked audio dongles) with near CD quality results.

 

[PeteL]

The hardware streamer with their dedicated app is useless to me. How am I going to find new artists and playlists, read track/artist notes, view stream numbers on a hardware streamer?

I refuse to sit in front of computer, on a desk chair, while listening music. Comfort aside, the computer screen is an acoustical hindrance. To me that is the worst way to listen to music.

Until hi-def audio arrived AirPlay was all I needed. It’s ubiquitous and totally sufficient for CD quality. The entire world use it, hence everything is compatible.

It’s when I need more than CD quality that I’m stuck and have to use wires. Now though with this device feeding my DAC I’m hoping I’m sorted.

I don't understand what you are saying, You say you don't want your computer, but this is a computer soundcard, I't's meant to stream music from a computer. With your computer player. Or your computer Browser. You say "How am I going to find new artists find playlists, etc on a hardware streamer?" Hardware streamer do just that, not needing a computer, but instead being able to get musing from the cloud or any hard drive,be remote controlled from a phone or tablet, browse trough streaming services playlist, etc. Are you sure you purchased the right product?

 

[sarumbear]

I don't understand what you are saying, You say you don't want your computer, but this is a computer soundcard, I't's meant to stream music from a computer. With your computer player. Or your computer Browser. You say "How am I going to find new artists find playlists, etc on a hardware streamer?" Hardware streamer do just that, not needing you to sit in front of your computer, but instead being able to be remote controlled from a phone or tablet, browse trough streaming services playlist, etc. Are you sure you purchased the right product?

It’s a USB sound module, computers are not only desktop or laptop type. iPad is a computer too, so is an iPhone. If they have implemented properly an USB DAC doesn’t require a separate driver. I am hoping that it will work with an iPad.

Please open Spotify and/or Apple Music then enter “88” in the search. See the options offered to me. Can you replicate that functionality on a dedicated streamer?

 

[PeteL]

It’s a USB sound card, and computers are not only desktop or laptop type. iPad is a computer too, so is an iPhone. If they have implemented properly an USB DAC doesn’t require a separate driver. I am hoping that it will work with an iPad.

Open Spotify and/or Apple Music then enter “88” in the search. See the options offered to me. Can you replicate that functionality on a dedicated streamer?

To be honest I doubt it. They would advertise it if it had IOS compatibility. It's not the norm. Maybe.