Great Value, great aesthetics.

Just like the 520, the C521 doesn''t display time left for single tracks.

I''m in the middle of upgrading my home setup and needed a good CD player with value in mind. After reading the reviews on the NAD 520 and testing out the new C521 at a local dealer, I went for the NAD C521. Based on the previous reviews I can tell you that the loading tray problem is now solved. The new tray feels and sounds very sturdy. I''ve played original copies, CD-R''s and scratched CDs with no problem at all. If you''re looking for a great value player, then look no further than this british machine. At the moment, my setup includes: ADCOM GFP-555 preamp Audiosource Amp Two (80wpc) NAD C521 Paradigm Titans Older Kyocera CD player AIWA tape deck

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Old Kyocera Player

Good sound detail, stereo imaging on par with models costing almost twice the price

Lack of program function and well a flimsy looking CD tray(not that this detracts from itsfantastic sound production)

Well after having a Sony M-33 for 7years, i upgraded to the AMC CD6 in June 99. No complaints there though, the CD6 blew away the Sony when it came to sound staging and detail of reproduction.On March 00, the NAD C520 was advertised in the local newspapers. I was awaiting this model with anticipation due to the rave reviews in the audio media.

This is also coupled to the fact that no NAD product has ever let me down! I started with the NAD310 amp which i later upgraded to the NAD304. No problems there in fact i have derived many hours of pleasant listening.

The NAD C520 comes very close to the AMC in terms sound quality being reproduced and(sorry)despite being a great player i feel the AMC still has an edge especially in the reproduction of clasical(and complex) music. This does not mean that the NAD is any worse, well after very careful listening I have come to this conclusion. No I DO NOT REGRET PURCHSING THE C520 I think for the price being asked it is a steal like most NAD products.

I fell NAD should have included the program function which would have been a boon to relaxed listening.The CD tray appeares flimsy however this is only a matter of opinion. You must understand that I am comparing the NAD to the AMC CD6 which is built like a tank. The CD tray in the AMC has a very robust feel like the rest of the set.

Well NAD has certainly succeeded in introducing a very attractive entry level set. The emphasis on sound quality and internal circitury (a trend by NAD and of course AMC)rather than useless gizmos should be a lesson well heeded by the other manufacturers.

The C520 deserves the 5stars awarded by What hi-fi magazine.

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AMC CD6, Sony CDP-M33

Treble very clear, yet soft; can't get tiresome.
Bass very solid and clear. Buttons high quality feeling.

Transport feels flimsy.

It's a bargain! I've been using CD players since the 80:s ending, and this player just shows how a digital player should sound; it just crushed the Philips 8xx I had before in overall sound quality.

It's just the transport that fells a bit cheap.

Brand name, simplicity

amplifier after the D/A converter

I bought this thinking that I would upgrade my CD player on my 2-channel music system (also have separate home theater system). Within 10 or 20 minutes of listening I was very disappointed with the sound compared to my 2-year-old Denon DCM-360. I have now learned that it is not just the D/A conversion (here they use Burr Brown's) that matters, but also the analog circuit downstream from the D/A's. I found that the C520 had slower transient response, especially in the mid and upper bass (drums and percussion was fuzzy) but human voices sounded very, very good. In summary, I packed the unit up and returned it to the dealer. I ended up re-installing my beautifully sounding Denon and buying a cheaper Sony player with digital output for my home theater system. I am told that the NAD 550 sounds better but I have no more patience with this. I own several other NAD products (receiver and amps) and I am happy with them. I just plan to stay away from their CD players.

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Denon DCM-360

Good Sound

I have problems with the cd door, it closes by itself.

I think that product is great. I have NAD amp C320 and superone NHT with my NAD C520. I get an excellent sound. But, I have one problem: the cd door closes by itself. I have to push the open button several times until it opens completely.

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Sony

Value for money. Detail & neutral sound

Precarious looking tray; treble occationally harsh, but not really an issue.

Quite frankly, if this is your budget for a CD player, get the NAD C521. Overall the sound is neutral, crisp and detailed. I wouldn't recommend it for a bright system, as the treble can be, occationally, on the sharp side, but that's not to accuse this CDP of 'brightness'. In general I find the sound to be well balanced. Jazz sounds great, the dynamics of orchestral music are good, the midrange is well presented, and basslines are full and reasonably well defined.

Relative to the price it's really hard to justify any major complaints. Yes, the remote is a dog to use but, frigate, who cares.

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Lo-fi Pioneer changer

detail, especially midrange price

as noted many times - flimsy tray

The build is absolutely atrocious. I would never let anyone under 25 touch the damn thing. Definately do not want it if your current abode is a dorm room. Although it has not been tempermental with bad discs or skipping problems as others have experienced. The sound on the other hand is quite respectable. It is very detailed and that is a definate attribute in the midrange. The treble can be a smidgen irritating, especially on poor recordings. In heavy side by side comparisons with the Cambridge entry level player (D300) the NAD won with male vocals and the Cambridge with female. Since this model has been replaced (521) I doubt many are inclined to read this review but I believe the new 521 is pretty much the same but purportedly has a more robust transport. By the way, if any of your friends insist the CD players are all the same, do a side by side with an early CD player and any decent current piece playing the shrill Garth Brooks, "Beaches of Cheyene". If they can say that terms such as bright are riduculous after this, they must have been working at the mill too long w/o earplugs.

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old Yamaha, Rotel, Cambridge Audio

Sound, build, simplicity, sound, price, features, sound

CD tray seems a little fragile

I purchased the C520 after my 6 yr old Sony crapped out on me. I read the reviews in WhatHiFi magazine and then on this board and I decided to go for it. Thank God I did! This thing is amazing. Like some others I was worried at first, some recordings sounded grainy, ,especially complex ones. I had recently replaced my Aiwa Pro-Logic receiver with a Sony STR-DB830 DD & DTS receiver. This receiver's no slouch, especially for HT users on a budget, but after talking to others with this model and the 930, and seeing reviews in mags, I pointed the blame for the grainy sound on the receiver. It's just not as musical as it should be. So I ended up getting an NAD C340 Amp sooner than I had planned to and hooked the C520 up to it. What a difference! This combo produced potent results with whatever I threw at it. Jeff is spot on, it is a VERY revealing CD player when partnered with equally revealing speakers. It will reveal flawed recordings and present them as just that. It will reveal flaws in components, but it will also reveal aspects of recordings you probably haven't heard before, even though you've listened to the track a thousand times.

I'm a budget guy. I believe there comes a point when spending more on a given component rewards fewer and fewer improvements in the sound, "law of diminishing returns" I believe you could call it. If you are looking for the most bang-for-the-buck you can't go wrong with this player. I believe in NAD's philosophy 100%. Pure and Simple. What you don't get in bells and whistles and features you'd never use you get in build and sound quality characteristic in MUCH more expensive gear.

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Sony 5 disc changer

No nonsense, no excuses, natural sounding near-audiophile quality CD player. Not for everyone - but perfect for many.

See above.

This is an excellent CD player - especially considering the price. Unbelievable price for what you get... no way you could get this quality in anything else in this range. Is it an Arcom 7SE? No. C540? Close. Sony? Thank God, no.

In reading some of the reviews, especially the few posted directly below this one, I wonder what kind of music you guys are listening to. This is a player for Jazz/Classical/Pop - not for Metallica (and who needs a CD player for Metallica when you have Napster?). I'm playing Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" as I write this and it sounds great. The piano sounds natural, I can hear the wood in the bass - all the instruments are very well defined. Nice soundstaging. Sounds live, like a night at the Vanguard. Most unlike my dead Sony ES, which I missed until picking up the C520. The Sony had every feature you could think of: custom file, 5 disk changer, etc.. none of which I miss at all. In fact, I never realized how muddled and 2-dimensional it sounded until I heard this CD520 really open up my system (NAD 7240, Polk Audio 7C).

To address some of the complaints I've read: *yes* it has a brittle sound on *some* recordings. This player makes great recordings sound like they were meant to, and exposes flaws in bad recordings. This is what I mean by "unforgiving." As an example - I have a few Yes remasters where previously I had only heard minor differences between the original CD releases. Now - the difference is as obvious as CD vs. Cassette. The originals sound terrible (worse than on the old Sony) and the remasters (especially The Yes Album) have me rediscovering Yes again after many years.

This player is not an Arcom 7se - which I considered purchasing at $650. However, with the $240 I spent on this player - I think I'll spend the $400 on expanding my CD collection with some great recordings (and therefore enjoying the CD player). Metalheads and other heavy music listeners might want to avoid the C520, everyone else should give it a listen.

Also - get some good interconnects. The cheapies that come with this rob the player of its warmth.

Similar Products Used:

Sony ES Changer, Arcom 7SE, NAD C540, a few DVD players

Price

Terrible Highs

Unlike most people here, I had a terrible experience with this CD player, and I mean sonically. I had a system consisting of a Harman/Kardon FL8300 CD changer, NAD C340 integrated amplifier, PSB Image 4T speakers and Audioquest cables and interconnect. The H/K changer died on me, and I began a search for a new CD player.

Having been satisfied with the C340 amp, I thought I'd get the C520 CD player which had been received well and which would allow me to use a single remote control too. Unfortunately, I discovered that it sounded extremely harsh, contrary to my every expectation. I listened to it for days, breaking it in and trying everything (changing cables too) but it proved very unsatisfactory. And this was in comparison with the H/K player! I borrowed a friend's C520 (which I should have doen *before* buying of course) to confirm that the unit wasn't defective, and indeed it sounded as bad.

I returned it and ordered the more expensive Cambridge Audio D500 which, although brighter than the reticent H/K player, sounds much better to my ears. A review at the Goodsound website suggests that the PSB Image series tend towards a harsh treble, but I was disappointed that a NAD product compounded this tendency (PSB and NAD belong to the same firm), especially after a good experience with the C340. My ears could be overly sensitive to highs, of course, or maybe I am blaming the player for a system-matching issue. But the Cambridge Audio player was so much better that I have to complain about the C520 publicly!

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Harman/Kardon FL8300, Cambridge Audio D500, old Denon model