NAD 533 TurnTables

NAD 533 TurnTables 

USER REVIEWS

Showing 21-27 of 27  
[Nov 24, 2000]
music fan
Audiophile

Strength:

none at the price.

This is a follow-up.

I replaced the factoryiunstalled Goldring Elektra cart. (very listenable for the price), with the Goldring G1042.

WOW! Now it really SINGS! Compared with many CD reissues. The original LPs blowned the CD reissues away most of the time. The 1042 is an excellent upgrade for this deck. at reasonable costs. (Mail order from overseas. Save BIG! Even factored in Air delivery.) :-)

The Goldring 1042 is one of the very best buy in MM cart.

Don't forget to align the cart., and set the tracking force correctly by using an accurate tracking force gague like the Shure SFG-2 (@$20)

Also tried the Sumiko BPS - Hard and edgy sounding.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[May 12, 2000]
Colin
Audio Enthusiast

Weakness:

Interconnects and Isolation

Hello All, I have some new great news on this turntable. Aside from the tweaks I have mentioned before in my other submition I have come across a great discovery that will more than double the sound quality value of this table. In one word it is simple "Vibrapods", I just tried these on the NAD table a week ago and the sound improvement was almost undescribable. Better Bass, Greater clarity, Much wider soundstage, etc. I cut out a slab of 3/4 MDF to the size of the NAD and placed 7 #1 vibrapods, Three a side and one in the back middle just because the tables heaviest part is where the motor is located. Each pod will support between 2-3 lbs a piece with a recommended weight range of 2 1/2 lbs each. Check out these if you havent heard at www.vibrapod.com. This is a 42 USD investment that is worth atleast a grand in quality!!!. Lets put it this way, this turntable isnt going anywhere soon, I LOVE IT!. With the vibrapods its definately worth 5 stars!

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Feb 18, 2000]
Slint
Audiophile

Strength:

Great sound for money!

Weakness:

Can't change that dang interconnect...

I just upgraded to the Rega Planar 25. A nice improvement, but the NAD more than holds it's own in comparison. It is an AMAZING value at $350.

Similar Products Used:

Rega Planar 25

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[May 12, 2000]
Matthew
Audiophile

Strength:

Warm and musical, untiring. Great value.

Weakness:

Cheap interconnect attached (judging by its appearance, anyway)

I bought this used for $260 (could be gotten cheaper, I'm sure, it not having much re-sale value, but I wanted to support local business). I haven't the slightest regret about buying it. In summary, I have been listening to a lot of vinyl the past few weeks. I was using a Technics SL-1350 (an older model with record-stacking, the early 80's equivalent of the CD changer), which worked fine, but sounded rather brittle, plus I didn't like having my records dropped several inches every time I played them; auto-stop was a nice feature, though). The NAD 533 sounds lovely. I never get tired of listening to it. This is worthy of comment, since my Bryston pre-amp and amplifier are not known for being forgiving of harsh sounding equipment. Like the Rega 2, which it is, this table is a stunning piece of artistic engineering. I have not tried any of the tweaks suggested below, nor have I upgraded the cartridge. I have learned the hard way that you should wait until you are dissatisfied with the sound of your equipment before trying to improve it; otherwise, you forget what you were trying to achieve in the first place. Anyway, the turntable is not as detailed or precise as the MSB Link DAC I'm using for CD's. But, to my ears, it is truer to the spirit of the music. It swings plenty. Relative to the DAC, the soundstage is further back--it starts just in front of the speakers and extends back from there; I think I prefer it this way, since it allows me to listen into the music, rather than having the music plant itself in my ears. Anyway, this turntable is a great buy, new or used. And I feel so much better about myself buying records rather than CD's.

Similar Products Used:

Technics SL-1350

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jun 14, 2000]
Scott
Audio Enthusiast

I admit, I am not much into vinyl and know very little about it. I originally purchased a VPI 19-Jr which I used to play the handful of LPs I had that I, at the time, did not have on CD. I eventually traded the VPI in because I had little use for vinyl. Overtime, I realized that I do occasionally like to spin vinyl so I opted to buy an inexpensive turntable which is where the NAD came in. If my memory serves me right, I really don't think there is much of a difference in sound between the two tables. The phono stage I use with the NAD is from the Spectral DMC-20 Series 2 preamplifier which can lay claim to being state-of-the-art. Certainly, the NAD/Spectral combo is musically engaging and enjoyable. I really have had no desire to upgrade as I am pretty satisfied with the sound. However, I do not believe, like some, that vinyl is the mode of choice of true audiophiles. In my, less than humble, opinion the best digital outperforms the best vinyl (which I have heard at various dealers). What I will say is that the NAD/Spectral combo performs well enough that I don't mind listening to vinyl instead of digital. As a result, I feel that the NAD is a genuine bargain.

Similar Products Used:

VPI 19-Jr

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jun 15, 2000]
Jon
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Excellent value.

Weakness:

Crappy stock cartridge.

This turntable is a fantastic bargain for the price, but do yourself a huge favor and upgrade the stock Goldring Elektra cartridge. I replaced it with a Sumiko Blue Point Special and the difference was HUGE. My analog rig now sounds better than my Pioneer PD-65 CD player. Hotter signal, better highs, more detail without being strident.

Similar Products Used:

AR EB-101

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Oct 05, 2000]
music fan
Audiophile

Strength:

Everything.

Weakness:

Your knees will go weak after listening to this baby.
And the dust cover can be better.

Set up:
NAD T760 receiver.
B&W DM 603 S2 speakers.
NAD TT533 record deck, w standard issue cartidge.
NAD PP-1 Phono preamp.

Album (vinyl) played: Vangelis (Can't tell you the album's title. It's written in Latin/Grecian. Polydor release from the 80's. I can't read Grecian/Latin.)

Man! The dynamic, details, depth, texture and timbres are sooooooo real... it sent tingles up my spin.

The sound quality is at least on par, with HDCD from my HDCD 24bit/96kHz player.

And the soundstage and imaging is sooooo expansive, it sounds like a good DTS 5.1 surround without the ping-pong effects. All from TWO speakers!

It's dead quiet, no rumbles or noise at all.

If you still have a vinyl collection. Buy this puppy.

If you are new to analog. Audition this one first. Even if you have more money to spend, check this out before buying anything.

It sounds better than most CD player @$1,000USD, with good recording.

I'm listening to music again, instead of just sound.
(And I haven't replaced anything that came with it yet.)

For the price (record deck, cartidge and the phono preamp. A few pennies over $500, including tax.) It's a STEAL!

JUST BUY IT!





Similar Products Used:

Thorens TD125/SME 3009, Dual 1019, Acoustic Research (forgot the model, the 2 speed full manual one from the 70's.)

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
Showing 21-27 of 27  

(C) Copyright 1996-2018. All Rights Reserved.

audioreview.com and the ConsumerReview Network are business units of Invenda Corporation

Other Web Sites in the ConsumerReview Network:

mtbr.com | roadbikereview.com | carreview.com | photographyreview.com | audioreview.com