Review and Measurements of NAD M17 V2 Pre/Pro

[amirm]

Anal? Really?

It is a term we use in US for someone who is very picky and will not compromise. From the dictionary:

I usually try to user terms in my reviews that translate well into other languages but I can see I may have failed here.

 

[digitalfrost]

<- smiles in german

 

[BDWoody]

I would almost bet my 20 year old Krell pre-pro in the basement has better numbers...
It's only 7.1, no hdmi, no Dirac and no atmos, but it does have a fairly decent built in custom EQ/filter system, 7.1 analog direct in, balanced out, and still works perfectly...
I'm just going to continue to use it with my TV or Shield as the Video Source, with optical or USB out respectively, and wait for this crap to get better.

Thanks to those who send these heavy boxes for testing...shipping isn't free.

 

[Blumlein 88]

I would almost bet my 20 year old Krell pre-pro in the basement has better numbers...
It's only 7.1, no hdmi, no Dirac and no atmos, but it does have a fairly decent built in custom EQ/filter system, 7.1 analog direct in, balanced out, and still works perfectly...
I'm just going to continue to use it with my TV or Shield as the Video Source, with optical or USB out respectively, and wait for this crap to get better.

Thanks to those who send these heavy boxes for testing...shipping isn't free.

Krell still makes pre/pros at not much more money than the subject of this thread. Of course the paucity of specs given is troubling.
http://www.krellonline.com/processors.html

From the owner's manual:

 

[DownUnderGazza]

Definitely. The UDP-205 is so much better than these that you can't put them in the same sentence...

Eventually someone will wake up, approach Oppo and licence or buy the rights to the circuit boards for the 205 and repackage it as a top performing stripped down PrePro...

 

[Blumlein 88]

Eventually someone will wake up, approach Oppo and licence or buy the rights to the circuit boards for the 205 and repackage it as a top performing stripped down PrePro...

Lexicon put an Oppo chassis and all inside their own re-badged case for only $3500. No changes other than cosmetic

https://www.audioholics.com/blu-ray...-ray-oppo-clone/oppo-inside-lexicon-outside-1

Theta did the same thing claiming improved power supplies for $5000.

Ayre did the same thing more or less claiming additional improvements for $10k.

 

[RichB]

Eventually someone will wake up, approach Oppo and licence or buy the rights to the circuit boards for the 205 and repackage it as a top performing stripped down PrePro...

I commented many times on the Oppo forum about the utility of the 7.1 analog outs, attempting to get a multi-channel USB input, remove the optical drive and make a streamer, and make a basic pre-pro. After all, they know how to make HDMI inputs work. DACs was a good business but I don't think headphones and wireless speakers made any sense.

Oppo digital was a subsidiary of Oppo (phones). To them, Oppo digital's AV business was less than a pimple of a flea's ass (IMO of course).

- Rich

 

[restorer-john]

What's the deal with those mini-XLR surround outputs on the rear panel? And multiple balanced outputs and no balanced inputs?

 

[Blumlein 88]

What's the deal with those mini-XLR surround outputs on the rear panel? And multiple balanced outputs and no balanced inputs?

I think most pre/pros are balanced out and RCA in. I suppose they think few Bluray or other likely sources are XLR. I didn't notice the mini XLR jacks however, sharp eye to notice that.

 

[audimus]

Oppo digital was a subsidiary of Oppo (phones). To them, Oppo digital's AV business was less than a pimple of a flea's ass (IMO of course).

They should have just spun it out as a small company than shutter it.

 

[digicidal]

They should have just spun it out as a small company than shutter it.

That's basically what it was... but for whatever reason they felt it wasn't worth it.

I just wish they would produce everything as component boards and let others handle the casework and customer support - which is where I assume the profitability concerns arose. But as an outsider - it's as likely that I'm totally wrong about all of their thought processes.

 

[audimus]

Is component video still a thing in 2018/2019 models?

 

[digicidal]

Each of these receiver/processor reviews makes me feel slightly better about my 8802A. Slightly.

I feel very similarly about my 8801A's. I've been looking to replace at least one of them with something a little newer and better - but everything looks like just spending money to have the same (or even worse) performance - with no actually necessary features added. It's not like I'm even using all the channels I have now, nor do I envision rebuying movies to have atmos versions - and paying a few thousand for ~1% better isn't interesting at all on the 2ch side.

Is component video still a thing in 2018/2019 models?

I see composite connections there too... so you're all good to go for that 1980's tube TV you've been dying to watch movies on.

I'd love to see someone put out a processor that had nothing but HDMI balanced out and a great DAC section... everything else is just bullet points that next to no one will ever use. But my guess is that the power and processing requirements are part of the reason the digital side (and analog too for that matter) are so noisy. Can't imagine it making things better at the least.

 

[amirm]

What's the deal with those mini-XLR surround outputs on the rear panel?

Apparently a hack to fit them in that modular card to support more channel for Atmos and such.

 

[amirm]

Is component video still a thing in 2018/2019 models?

It is so strange that they put those connectors in there but don't spend a bit more time getting audio fidelity right.

 

[digicidal]

It is so strange that they put those connectors in there but don't spend a bit more time getting audio fidelity right.

I wonder if you took out all the analog video circuitry if that might improve things slightly right there? Don't remember if that had any appreciable effect in the Marantz (Pure Direct mode). Although there would be a difference between removing entirely and just defeating electronically I imagine. At the very least, if they got rid of all that, they'd have more room in the chassis for better separation/shielding.

 

[elnan14]

anal audio performance

lol

 

[BDWoody]

Krell still makes pre/pros at not much more money than the subject of this thread. Of course the paucity of specs given is troubling.
http://www.krellonline.com/processors.html

From the owner's manual:
View attachment 33484

From my 20 year old Krell Showcase processor owners manual:

 

[speedy]

It is so strange that they put those connectors in there but don't spend a bit more time getting audio fidelity right.

The newer models don’t have the component video ports actually

Also, the mini-XLR jacks are used so that they could fit all 4 height channels onto one of NAD’s MDC expansion cards. They include the mini-XLR to XLR adapters in the box.

 

[digicidal]

I'm guessing there wasn't screaming in the streets and burning of villages over the Krell's performance? Shows why companies today are so proud of mediocre results.