NAD C658

BluOs network player - preamplifier - DAC

The NAD C658 is a versatile device that includes a preamplifier with plenty of connections, a DA converter with high-quality ESS Saber converters, a Bluesound (BluOS) network player, and a Dirac Live room equalizer. You can also add connections to the device with the modular structure. The high-quality MM-Phono input also enables the connection of a record player. Balanced XLR outputs in addition to RCA outputs.

The NAD C658 redefines the architecture of Hi-Fi reproduction

As we move from the turn of the millennium to today, we have come to the threshold of a new kind of era. The way we listen and record music has changed. Physical recordings have turned into curiosities as we learn to record music digitally. Various music streaming services have replaced the need for physical recordings.

From these starting points, NAD has cost-effectively designed a completely new type of hi-fi device by combining a modern network player, a DA converter representing the latest technology, and a top-quality front amplifier, without forgetting the fans of traditional audio recordings. The end result is a new, brave C658 front amplifier.

Thanks to its modular design, the C658 is also ready for future challenges. The 4k-ready HDMI module MDC HDM-2 is now available, which also has eARC support.

The C658 amplifier also has two-way aptX HD Bluetooth capability, which enables both receiving and sending music. It allows you to smoothly use, for example, wireless BT headphones.

The NAD C658 preamp has both RCA and balanced XLR output connections. It is also possible to share these connections through the device's built-in, digitally implemented band-pass filter, in which case the RCA connection can be used to control subwoofers, for example. The device also has two pieces of traditional line-level input connections and a sophisticated input for a moving magnet (MM) sound box

BluOS™ Compatible

BluOS is the most advanced operating system available for network streaming and multi-room use. BluOS supports more than fifteen music sharing services and can also index up to 250,000 music tracks from local files. The NAD C658 can be connected as part of a high-resolution BluOS multi-room system with up to 64 separate players. BluOS works on all major platforms. It can be controlled just as well with Windows, as with the Apple iOS system, as well as with Android and iPhone applications. BluOS can also be connected as part of the home automation system of any major manufacturer.  

Recognized NAD quality and performance

The C 658 is part of NAD's famous Classic collection. The Classic collection has always enjoyed a high reputation among music lovers thanks to its sound quality, performance and price-quality ratio. Some enthusiasts appreciate devices turned from a single block of aluminum with golden rings, and others simply just unbeatable performance without unnecessary frills. NAD's Classic series is definitely for the latter enthusiasts.

High resolution in every detail

Most NAD products have met high resolution quality requirements for 45 years. High bandwidth, low distortion and extremely low noise level have always been our key design goals. It's just that we haven't used such high-quality recording material before that the performance of the devices would have been seriously tested. Now there are those available. Listening to HiRes recordings and streaming services combined with MQA technology is possible with the BluOS network player. That's why NAD has invested in top-class components.

Among other things, the C658 uses one of the finest DA converters of the moment, the 32-bit ESS Saber, which has a dynamic range of 118 decibels and ultra-low jitter. All functions of the amplifier, including the volume control, have been implemented digitally - in the same way as in the Masters series devices. Thanks to this, the device has an extremely short analog signal path. Sophisticated active power supplies produce precise and clean voltages for all electronic circuits, ensuring their performance and at the same time setting new challenges for the performance of measuring devices.

Dirac Live room repair makes the speakers disappear in front of the music!

The C 658 is NAD's first two-channel hi-fi system equipped with Dirac Live room correction. Dirac Live is the most advanced and effective program on the market for correcting room acoustic problems. Dirac Live not only corrects the frequency response but also the impulse response of the speakers. When the room resonances are tamed and the Repetitive Response is smoothed, the end result is magically good. It could be described with the phrase: The speakers disappear and the music remains. The sound image becomes completely transparent.

Note! The NAD C 658 includes a basic Dirac Live license. Advanced enthusiasts can upgrade the system to a full-band version if they wish.

Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) recordings

MQA is a revolutionary technology that enables the transmission of music with studio-level sound quality. All BluOS-capable devices are capable of playing MQA recordings at their full resolution. MQA makes it possible to listen to recordings exactly as the artist has defined them himself in a top-class studio. There are already thousands and thousands of MQA recordings available, and it is possible to listen to them on the NAD C 658.

Link: Learn more about Dirac Live here

SOFTWARE UPDATES: HERE

Technical information:

• BluOS operating system (Bluesound) network player with MQA decoding and multi-room features
• ESS Saber DAC
• Dirac Live professional computer-based room correction system (coming in the end of January update).
• Gigabit Ethernet
• Dual Band Wi-Fi a/c/n
• 2-way aptx HD bluetooth enabling e.g. the use of bluetooth headphones
• 2 MDC module slots for extensions, e.g. HDMI 4K/ARC module
• Turntable connection (MM)
• 2 line entrances
• 2 optical digital inputs
• 2 coaxial digital inputs
• Also balanced (XLR) output connections
• Subwoofer output connection
• High-quality High Current headphone amplifier
• USB input
• IR In / Out
• Trigger In / Out
• Dimensions 43.5 x 10.0 x 40.5 cm (width x height x depth)
• Weight 10.1kg