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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Canada Post Number: 3488 Registered: Jun-07 | http://nadelectronics.com/videos/6/C-446-Digital-Media-Tuner-Beaming-and-Streami ng NAD has a digital player now similar to the Bryston unit. These are so easy to build I really have to get around to building myself one. Good to see the Hi Fi companies going this route though. This would mean that NAD must have a DAC coming soon. |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 4770 Registered: Feb-07 | Interesting. You'd think they focus on developing a DAC before (or at least in parallel) a music streamer. |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Canada Post Number: 3496 Registered: Jun-07 | lol yeah you would think so. I am thinking DAC before end of summer. I think they have a cd player 565bee that comes with a outboard DAC built in as well. I could be wrong. But appears that you can hook up a PC through it. Weird. Or I am just mistaken. |
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Platinum Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 14427 Registered: Feb-05 | Yep the C565BEE has a digital in. The new music C446 Digital Media Tuner is interesting. Not sure they approached correctly. It will be interesting to read about it as it gets some reviews. |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittStamford, Connecticut USA Post Number: 4422 Registered: May-05 | Cambridge has had a similar unit out for a little while now. It's got Wolfson DAC chips in it, but word on the street is it doesn't sound as good as the Dac Magic. And it needs a NAS rather than an ordinary external hard drive. Does the NAD unit have an internal DAC and does it also need a NAS? |
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Platinum Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 14431 Registered: Feb-05 | You'll have to check the website because I haven't the foggiest what you are talking about...lol! |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Canada Post Number: 3499 Registered: Jun-07 | I dont think it has a DAC stu. Based on PC technology that is currently on the market I cant see it being possible (yet) to integrate a DAC on one of these units and have it sound overly well. But its coming. I would think within the next year or two. The NAD however does appear to work with USB devices such as regular hard drives and usb thumb drives. To only allow NAS devices as an attachment is rediculous IMO. 99 percent of the population would never figure out how to properly configure a NAS. Nucks unit is an NAS, ask him how easy it was for me to hook it up. LOL. Did anybody read if you need a display on the NAD or not? Or did I see a small display on it? |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Canada Post Number: 3500 Registered: Jun-07 | It has its own display nevermind. Art - Do you not have the 565bee with the latest 326bee? If so you technially have a dac/zone system currently in your home. The 326 if I am not mistaken has an MP3/IPOD connection on it. Roupted through the 565bee DAC can be used as a streaming solution. Also, if you have a PC with optical or coax out you can use your cdp as just a DAC. Pretty nifty. |
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Platinum Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 14433 Registered: Feb-05 | No I have the 326 and the 545. I had the HRT Music Streamer connected to it but a friend gifted me the matching tuner for the NAD gear and so I connected it and I couldn't get but 2 FM stations...disconnected the Streamer (and consequently the cable internet) and I could get 20 FM stations, that was of far greater value as we have some fabulous FM stations in the Willamette Valley. Tomorrow a 20 amp dedicated circuit goes in to my listening room...yippie! I think that the NAD unit in question has a display. |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Canada Post Number: 3501 Registered: Jun-07 | Cool Art. When we did our basement recently I had a dedicated 20 amp circuit installed as well. Its nice. No more ground loop work around with the cable box either.lol |
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Platinum Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 14437 Registered: Feb-05 | He's here now!!! |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittStamford, Connecticut USA Post Number: 4426 Registered: May-05 | How's it sound Art? I've heard a dedicated line once or twice, it it made a huge difference. Component upgrade difference IMO. Nick, I wasn't referring to digital inputs on the NAD unit, I was referring to an internal DAC, meaning analogs outs instead of just a digital output. The unit has it, and also has regular USB capability. I can't figure out why the Cambridge unit is limited to an NAS. Very stupid IMO. It looked pretty interesting and I was contemplating hearing one, as it would look cooler in my rack and not be limited to my ATV's small hard drive. I'll have to pass on it. Not sure how serious I was about it anyway! I think the NAD CDP's iPod input is analog. I also think it's digital inputs are limited to a single optical or something like that. Not like the Cambridge CDP that has several connections. Maybe I'm wrong. |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittStamford, Connecticut USA Post Number: 4427 Registered: May-05 | Oh yeah... I can't be bothered with an NAS. No desire to try to figure it out, no need for one, and no need for the extra cost of something that'll not be used for much else. It's not like it's the holy grail of audio or anything. |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittStamford, Connecticut USA Post Number: 4428 Registered: May-05 | Damnit... I keep posting before I finish. What happened to Nuck Audio? |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 4771 Registered: Feb-07 | Nuck Audio is on sabbatical for a bit. Nuck is going through a house renovation/sale and is crazy busy. |
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Platinum Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 14440 Registered: Feb-05 | You heard right, Stu... The money I have in cables and power cords is now paying off + with the dedicated line! |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Canada Post Number: 3502 Registered: Jun-07 | Nice Art. Stu- I agree. I think your right about the NAD too, its fully limited to Optical by the looks of the pics. Yeah not a smart move by Cambridge about limiting to NAS units. I am sure they will come out with something else in near time. Like Dave said the Server at Nucks is unplugged until his reno's are done. |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittStamford, Connecticut USA Post Number: 4430 Registered: May-05 | How is it that these companies come up with a great idea and then mess up a make or break detail? Not that I'm an engineer or anything close to it, but I can't imagine it would've been too difficult to put a coax digital out on the damn thing. Same goes for the CA unit. How hard would it have been to include standard drive reading? Both companies seem like they thought of everything else Idiots I tell 'ya. Idiots. |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittStamford, Connecticut USA Post Number: 4431 Registered: May-05 | Then again, maybe the NAD CDP with digital inputs only has an optical input. Again, idiots. Do they honestly think that no one would use a different DAC and/or maybe their AVR? Who are these clowns consulting during product development? Do they not have some sort of beta testing or surveying of a target audience to determine things people want that they may have overlooked? Pretty stupid way to run a company that makes a product IMO. I doubt that would cost any money, as the Internet is loaded with people on forums that would gladly test out a one-off version of pretty much anything. |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Canada Post Number: 3503 Registered: Jun-07 | I agree Stu. Not sure what is behind some of these engineers ideas. Perhaps they don't design anything and just use whats easily available to them? I am not sure. Selling 10 or so units for just a bit over cost would be nice to get test units out there. Or in NAD/Cambridge's case 100 units. Sell them as 'beta' versions or something. Get lots of feedback from users on connectivity, flexibility and ease of use. |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittStamford, Connecticut USA Post Number: 4433 Registered: May-05 | NAD and/or CA could send out 100 units for free and recoup their cost. It would be built into the R&D portion of their budget. They wouldn't lose any money. Send units to well trusted and respected long-time dealers and let them play around with them, and let a customer or two take it home for a few weeks while the factory is tooling up. The manufacturer would be in communication with the user regarding strengths and weaknesses. I'm not sure if you were around there parts when Tim sent his Ling speakers around for people to evaluate, but this is basically what he did. I don't know if this is common or not in any industry. It should be though. |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittStamford, Connecticut USA Post Number: 4434 Registered: May-05 | James Tanner does something similar on the Bryston Circle, but I don't think he sends anything out. When he's got a prototype of something new, he usually tells people what he's workin on and asks people what they're looking for. He did that with the BDA and BDP. |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Canada Post Number: 3504 Registered: Jun-07 | Stu - It should is right. At Sentry we send multi-thousand dollar hand built video surveillance systems to dealers for play with all the time. Free of charge. I do not see why Hi Fi companies couldnt do the same. James Tanner is a class act. In person he is right down to earth and just loves to talk shop. |
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Gold Member Username: MagfanUSA Post Number: 2353 Registered: Oct-07 | Didn't OPPO do something similar with the first BR.....the '83? Sent out a bunch of 'beta' units and munched thru the feedback and problems.....issued corrections and soft/ firm ware and went to town. |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 4772 Registered: Feb-07 | That's the Microsoft model! Using their paying customers as Beta testers. |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Canada Post Number: 3505 Registered: Jun-07 | LOL!! I was testing Windows 7 before i was even allowed to be. haha |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 4773 Registered: Feb-07 | So were all of us Nick ;-) |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Canada Post Number: 3506 Registered: Jun-07 | lol True David. |
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Gold Member Username: MagfanUSA Post Number: 2356 Registered: Oct-07 | At least OPPO let you know in advance. And I think they limited the total number to 100 persons. You volunteered to be 'on the list'. Also, in 'the real world' things NEVER work like they do in the lab. The only real way to know is to get real people to use something, be that software or hardware....on a day-2-day basis. I'm going to say something NICE about microsoft. At least they are reacting to problems. The regular update schedule is good. Given the number of jerks always looking for holes, it's a wonder they even keep up as well as they do. No way to issue a 'perfect' OS and expect it to stay they way for more than 48 hours. Something BAD about microsoft. Above objections are right. There was NO REASON to EVER ship Windows ME. NONE. Well.....money...... |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Canada Post Number: 3507 Registered: Jun-07 | lol I full on agree with both statements Leo. ME was hands down the worse OS ever. Well there are some versions of Linux I would put up there with it, but ME on a wide scale takes the cake for Worse OS of all time IMO. It was horrible. Right behind ME was Vista. Although Vista can be maintained into being a good OS if your an expert, that doesn't help 99.9 percent of the world that are not. Microsoft knew they were in for it with another bad OS launch which is why they put so much effort into 7. It paid off for them, but lets hope they dont get lazy again. Everytime Microsoft release a decent OS then come out with 2 or 3 bad ones shortly after. I personally love 7. The Google OS in development looks very promising. Good on Oppo for doing what they do by the way. |