Bought the 515 for a home theater set up, not primary listening system. Replaced a very old $199 Denon. Bought after doing a lot of research but absolutley no auditioning. The NAD 515 is a great cd player for around $400. Have seen it on the net for $385. I paid $425 plus tax locally for piece of mind from an older established midfi dealer. Very warm sounding right out of the box. Have not played even 25 hours yet for the break in. Larry Carlton Collection on GRP sounds very good. The Who, Who's next reissue with extra tracks did not sound near as good. A little grain and boomy bass was noted (John Entwhistle effect). Jimi Hendrix "Woodstock" reissue rocks on this machine. Remote still stinks (see other reviews), delayed response when pushing skip disk button ("wait for it"). Overall, I could not ask for more, just less on the price. A Pioneer Elite 100 disc changer cost less but does not sound near as good. Another caveate, straight from NAD, their own words, the 515 sounds better than their newer, cheaper (by about $50) 5 disc machine. Also for what its worth, machine is made by Phillips for NAD in Singapore.

I brought this unit home this weekend to demo and liked everything about it, except for the fact that it won't play DTS music discs. The other player I'm demoing (Arcam MCD) does, and so does my 10 yr old Yamaha single disc player. The Arcam also sounds a little better, but it retails for twice as much. Has anyone else had this problem? Thanks.

Listening to the likes of Sting and Sarah McLachlan, one cannot help but notice the finest details in the music and in the vocals. No harshness whatsoever. A very warm, natural sounding player with great soundstaging. Mine is used in conjunction with a NAD 705 receiver and Polk Audio RT10's. Having previously owned a NAD 513, this player is by far mechanically superior. I've had no problems whatsoever with the mechanics in the last two years I've owned the changer. Highly recommended.

Ease of use, Bitstream DAC, super clear

Remote, as with almost all NAD products

It's a shame you can't get this unit any more. I've listened to the NAD 523 and while the sonic quality is similar, it's just not the same. This unit uses a Bitstream DAC to convert the digital signal to analog which performs head and shoulders above any Sigma Delta DAC I've heard. (Even better than the Crystal S-D DAC in the NAD T761 receiver.) This was on Stereophile's recommended list for a reason, as others mentioned it's the only component under what, 2 grand? I haven't read up on it in a while. It performs better than most single-CD players. You can change 3 discs while one is playing.

The remote's a POS but go to Rat Shack and get a universal if it bothers you that much. I don't use it much, the T760 remote will control the CD player via NAD-link interconnect, which is also a POS but I just usually let a CD spin to the end.

The 523 is not an upgrade, though it's their "replacement" 5-CD changer. It shows you how many tracks are on the disc in a neat little matrix on the front, and lacks a digital output (the 515 has coax digital out, if you were so inclined to use it.) If you can find a 515, get one. I don't like the chances though, anyone who's got one isn't going to give it up.

Better sound than most singles under $1000. Extremely quick loading/changing mechanism. Clean front panel. Useful "quick play" function.

Crappy remote. Plastic front panel. No gold plated outputs. Primitive VFL display. Recognizable Philips heritage??

Owned and been using it for the last three years. I still love it as much as I'd like to upgrade, I haven't found a single reason to look for anything else.

This product has won rave reviews. It is obvious that to keep costs reasonable, NAD cut some corners (i.e.: plastic front panel, simple display, no gold plating, did I mention the plastic front panel?).

If you can find one, buy it.

Similar Products Used:

Tons

i bought this unit several years ago and it gave me nothing but grief-constant skipping and poor mechanics. nad was very accomodating. they replaced it with the single-disc 5000 monitor series machine, which has been solid throughout.

I've owned my NAD 515 for about two years now. I got it for a song, new, and couldn't be happier. The sound is clean, crisp, and very pleasant. I have this unit connected through my NAD 716AV but will be connecting it to my new T770 very soon.
The remote is lame, as has been mentioned here, but NAD Link to the rescue... I can use the 716AV/T770 remotes, both of which are great.

The unit is solidly built, has a clean aesthetic appearance with none of the horse shit usually found on CD players (no flashing lights or retarded little buttons or gizmos) and is quick to change discs/tracks. It also has good programming, and an edit mode which makes recording to tape a sinch.

This player is damn tough to beat for the money, it sounds great and doesn't fool around. It's classic NAD value, great sound for little money.

--Ev

Very smooth, warm sound

Cheap remote

Bought this player to accompany my NAD C340 after I got tired of hearing the flaws of my JVC 100 disc changer. Immediately the difference in sound was noticable. The 515 sounded much smoother out of the box. The player doesn't exhibit any of that electronic harshness attributed to lesser players at the same price point. A lot of times a player can get tripped up on quick frequecy transitions, and with a good amp and good speakers you can hear it. It sounds like there is static in the song. The 515 has never done this, even on what I consider challenging pieces like Dave Matthews "Live at Red Rock," which used to make me cringe everytime I turned it up. This changer provides a lively signal for my NAD C340 amp to operate, and the two make a great pair. I auditioned a Sony and an Onkyo, but they seemed too colored for me, and at some points exhibited the same harsh sound during quick musical transients. Although I bought the 515 based merely on its reviews, I'm glad I did. It has been a solid performer for me throughout.
One neg- my remote came broken. Thank god for the great service at Q Audio, who promptly showed me the fastest way to correct the problem. Can't get NAD anywhere in Iowa, so if you're facing a similar problem, check these guys out on the net.
At $420 shipped, this player was worth every penny. It competes with players costing much more. Too bad they don't make it anymore. Its been "replaced" by the 523, which I understand to be an inferior player based on reviews.

Similar Products Used:

JVC disc changer, auditioned Sony ES, Onkyo

Simple and plain design.

Loud CD tray

System:
NAD 515
Onkyo Integra 504/304
B&W Nautilus 804

The simple design is a love/hate thing. If you like the design the interior is the best part. There are no "extras" with this deal. Totally clean and basic. I'm hooked. I've never heard it skip. Ever.

Similar Products Used:

Sony, Harmon Kardon