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C 390DD Paves Way for Digital Revolution - NAD Electronics
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C 390DD Paves Way for Digital Revolution
December 20, 2011
Audiovideo2day: NAD C 390DD
Review
By Janne Van Rompaey
Audiovideo2day experienced the
introduction of the Class D amp. It
all started with Ice Power
modules, developed by
Bang&Olufsen. That caused a
revolution. Not exactly on the
consumer market, but rather the internal one. An amplifier, as big as a fat computer chip, that can deliver the
power of a rough 500 Watts. Wow! Later on, names such as Tact Audio, NuForce, Lyngdorf Audio and other
appeared... In the latter stages of development, the point was more to give the immense, rough amplifying
power finesse, emotion and musicality. More and more manufacturers succeeded. This is the way to go,
clearly. Compact, a huge amount of power and close to no heat development. Class D amplifiers led the
market to proper, digital amps.
Not so long ago, NAD presented such an amplifier in the Master Series: the M2. With a moderate retail price
of roughly €6.000, this amplifier produces a lot more music than its price suggests. That is why, when you
read our review of the M2, you deal with a Buying Tip. You can surely understand why we were eager when
Cas Oostvogel (Managing Director AND Benelux) asked us to be the first to review the newest digital
amplifier, a direct successor of the M2. "Bring us that NAD C390DD" was yelled throughout the office!
Small M2 with Options
Compared to the innovating M2, the NAD C390DD Direct Digital Powered DAC Amplifier is not in a Master
Series housing, but rather in the well-known, decent housing of the performance hifi- and home cinema
productline of NAD. The housing of the Master Series offers more firmness and deals with interferences
more ferociously (negative influences from outside, such as, e.g. from electromagnetic fields). With a price
setting of less than half an M2 (an NAD C 390DD has a suggested retail price of €2.500), the manufacturer
can obviously not deliver a direct copy of the M2. For instance, an M2 has 2 poweramps per channel in a
BTL (bridge tied load) formaton, to reach the high amount of power. An NAD C 390DD creates music with a
single poweramp per channel. That's why the M2 gives that bit of extra power: 2 x 250 Watt vs. 2 x 150 Watt.
Yet the NAD still manages to keep some genetic information in the C 390DD. And then some... In certain
areas, the brand new C 390DD is even more revolutionary than the mighty M2. I'll call it a small M2 with
options.
Like 17
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C 390DD Paves Way for Digital Revolution - NAD Electronics
Plug and Play
Which options? Players with discs (e.g. cd's) are part of the past, thanks to the C 390DD. And why not? The
present day consumer resolutely chooses for current technology and ultimate user comfort. That same
present day consumer looks at the NAD C390 and sees both united. A modern music set up can, thanks to
the newest of the NAD offspring, only exist out of two things anymore: the NAD C390 and a couple of
speakers. Where does the music come from then, one might ask. What is the source? Just like a Sony
PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, this amplifier is just about completely plug and play. NAD
has been working with modular designs for a while, all in function of the consumer and a technologically
quickly evolving market. I'll explain: on the front is a USB-port, which you can use easily for a USB stick or
key. You can then easily browse your music, select your favourite tracks and play them, all on the highest
quality possible! In the middle of the front is a display that is big and clear enough even from a decent
distance, on which you can clearly follow every action and movement in the menu. An A-B compare between
certain cd-tracks and their equal WAV-brother, played from a USB stick, are, at the very least equally good.
And to think that in this test a high quality player was used, more expensive than the NAD C 390DD itself...
On the back is another USB-port, which is useful to connect a computer or a laptop. Luckily the NAD clock
overrules the PC or laptop one. This is called an asynchronous connection. High quality sound guaranteed!
Presenting HD audiotracks (24-bit/96 kHz)* becomes child's play this way. The source materiel is digital,
signal processing digital, amplification digital... that promises one hell of a listening experience! Lots of
dynamics, very little distortion, lots of resolution and hardly any signal affection. These are a few of NAD's
core ideas made reality.
The NAD C 390DD is mainly a digital machine. Standard wise you'll find a AES/EBU entrance, 2 optical ins
and 1 out, 2 coaxial ins and 1 out. An extra asset is the dubbel subwoofer pre-out and double exectued
speakerclamps for bi-wire options.
Modular Futureproof
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Whoever thinks of passing their TV sound throughout the amp will not be disappointed with the NAD C
390DD. Or whoever wants to listen to his vinyl collection digitally, has modular options. NAD offers, for a
democratically priced surcharge of €249/module, HDMI and analogue modules. These can be built in from
the start, or later on. Using a difficult term, NAD calls this MDC design. Such a HDMI module adds 3 HDMI
ins and one out. If you add an analogue module, you get a cinch, XLR and phono in. By the way, RIAA
corrections happens completely in the DSP part. The option to have access to modules that have
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19.9.2012

C 390DD Paves Way for Digital Revolution - NAD Electronics
technological possibilities, adapted to the needs of the moment, now and tomorrow, give the consumer a
contact
clear guarantee for the future. This way you get everything out of your musical investment!
Listening Digitally
Listening digitally starts with a USB-key, with some popular songs of Trendmöller, Selah Sue and Youn Sun
Nah. The digital NAD amp completely controls the pair of Bowers&Wilkins CM9. Music is made in a powerful
and dynamic way. A very open and clear sound image is presented inbetween the speakers. The lows on
the Trendmöller tracks sound very tight, with loads of pressure. Voices are placed nicely in the surrounding
space. Because of this, Selah Sue sounds breathtakingly intimate, and later on even bitchy. Musical flavours A member of the
on request. Youn Sun Nah is known for her close micing recordings. This is reflected perfectly with the
display. I close my eyes and I can feel the outlines of her face. Despite the fact that on this level a decent
amount of attention goes into musical details, I feel a hunger for more. The NAD C 390DD has more in
stock, and can't wait to show that off.
Literally and figuratively a level higher, there's a pair of Bowers&Wilkins 800 Diamond, shining in wait.
Curious, but without any high expectations, I connect the NAD C 390DD to these giants. I get the same
sound levels as any other amplifiers, without problems. The amount of control in the lows baffles me. The
fact that the NAD M2 matches with these top of the line speakers in itself is a miracle. Same goes for its little
brother. It creates music vividly and with lots of certainty. The great fun begins when I switch to HD
audiofiles. Yes, the better stuff, 24 bits / 96 kHz*, using USB through the laptop. It seems a whole new world
has opened. This is what digital amplifiers were made for: maximal resolution, maximal information. Great
listening! You just look in and through the music. The Bowers&Wilkins 800 diamond translate everything
flawlessly to my pampered ears. An NAD M2 opens up the display just bit more, with that bit more calmness.
Compare it to a spunky 6-cylinder versus a V8. Nothing but driving fun. Technically the NAD C 390DD is in
perfect capability to control a pair of B&W 800, but they're not the ultimate pair. You'd probably get the best
out of a B&W 805 or 804 diamond with it, now that we are talking about Bowers&Wilkins. Myself, I'm most
pleased about the high resolution and the experience that comes with it. Piano music, for instance, gets
more body, more realness, better timingand more depth. Overall, it seems the display depth has doubled!
The sound display seems to climb higher as well, and the timbres sound so very natural. Voices tend to get
more air, shape and expression. I almost forgot a stronger amount of "layeredness", which makes it easier to
distinguish between different musical components, without the loss of homogenity. Whether we are talking
about the big drums of Kodo, the virtual piano playing of Mari Kodama, the sweet-voiced voice of Sarah K,
the NAD C 390DD brings nothing but musical pleasure.
Nice to know: the digital NAD amp is sensitive to power cables. Investing in a decent powercord almost
certainly leads to an even better experience. Connect your amp to a battery, and the party's on! You get,
respectively, more rest and a pitch-black musical background. You should also experiment with different
USB cables to connect your laptop. The best result is probably obtained with a Audioquest Diamond. These
last thoughts are food for though, especially for audiophiles...
Nothing but Upsides
•
•
•
•
Available power/power reserve
Sound quality
Musical resolution (24 bit/96 kHz via USB)*
Tight design
http://nadelectronics.com/articles/C-390DD-Paves-Way-for-Digital-Revolution
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C 390DD Paves Way for Digital Revolution - NAD Electronics
• Functional display
•
•
•
Plug and play/ease of use
Modular design (MDC)
Price
Conclusion
I, myself, find the NAD C 390DD even more revolutionary than the M2. The apparatus has, technically
speaking, a lot of the M2-genes. Soundwise, this NAD offspring gets the best marks of its class, and even
above that. I would call the high plug and play level at least contemporary. The device is ready for the future,
thanks to its MDC design. Whoever wants to listen to music in a modern and very qualitative way nowadays,
just can't avoid the NAD C 390DD. The label 'Product of the Year' was created especially for exceptional
devices such as this digital NAD amp. Buying Tip and a must have for every music lover! Honestly, I look
forward to the next batch of derived M2 products (e.g. AV receivers)...
For the full online review (available in various languages) on AudioVideo2Day, click here.
* Facts have been corrected from original version
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