NAD D7050--anyone heard it?


This is the first NAD direct-digital amp at the 1K price point (fully digital right up to the speaker outs), and I've been considering buying one to replace my NAD C372 and Rotel RCD-1072. I've talked to my dealer about getting an in-home audition but have to put that off for a little while while some home renovations go on--meanwhile I'm interested in impressions from those who've heard it.

I'm looking for (hopefully) an upgrade in resolution from what I have (I'll run my MacBook and Sony blu-ray player into the D7050) while still keeping the musicality and ease of my current setup. Also, I'm very interested in the low-impedance, dedicated headphone amp in the D7050 for use with my Sennheiser HD580s. My speakers are Vandersteen 1Ci, so the 50 watts per channel at my 7' listening distance should be plenty. The small form-factor of the D7050 is a plus, too, as my living room is also my listening room--not the most important thing, but simplifying my setup a little would be nice for the WAF (and honestly the SAF: Self Approval Factor). Any impressions from those who've heard this amp (or other direct digital amps) are welcome. Thanks!
ablang

Showing 3 responses by djverne

I had it for about a week. It has a built in crossover and when paired with even a mediocre sub displays fantastic control of low end rhythms. Sound stage is good, top end is smooth, midrange is forgiving. It's not the most refined piece of Hi Fi but it is very musical. I would say the only thing that I didn't like us it powers itself off if there is no signal which is a pain.
If you order one from crutchfiled and decide you don't like it you can just send it back for a full refund.
Do you have any issues with it powering itself down because it was made to be green....this function was so annoying and I was not able to fix it even with the firm ware update. Nice amp other wise. Liked its use of the Hypex boards much better than than the Rogue Sphinx which was very neutral but not very refined, tad bright, and not very musical for my tastes. The Nad had more of a dark sound, which was more musical kind of like the Nad 356 BEE.