NAD T550 DVD Players

NAD T550 DVD Players 

DESCRIPTION

The NAD T550 is the product many NAD owners have been waiting for — a high-performance, full-featured DVD player with NAD's "Music First" sound quality as well as superb video resolution. Its built-in Dolby Digital decoder means that it can be used with our T750 5.1-capable receiver and other electronics with 5.1 inputs. It is DTS-compatible.

USER REVIEWS

Showing 11-20 of 56  
[Feb 02, 2002]
David
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Very good sonic quality and picture resolution at an excellent price.

Weakness:

Remote.

If you are looking for unit that does both tasks (DVD/CD) quite well, this is the one. This unit has both very good musical sonic capability as well as picture resolution. I was skeptical about using a DVD/CD combo because of the poor musical sonic quality I had heard from most units. This the first unit I had listened to which had very good musical capabilities as well as very good picture resolution. The CD sonic performance sounds as good as many CD-only players at twice the price I paid. Overall, this is a very good unit at an excellent quality to price ratio. The only drawbacks I have noticed are the difficult to use and learn remote and the slow transition speeds from loading to function(s).

Similar Products Used:

No DVD players, but CD units: Nak MB-1, Nak OMS-3

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jul 15, 2000]
Adam
Audio Enthusiast

Weakness:

Design

This is a great piece of hardware, it's just a shame that the first generation was plagued by software bugs. The first T550 I had, had the same problems described by people here, lockups etc. I got a replacement unit without any problems, and it has worked excellent without any lock-ups for 2 months now. I am very satisfied with the sound and video performance. Especially at playing CD's, the T550 is better than any dvd-player I have tried before.
I'd recommend anybody to get the T550. Just make sure not to get the first generation.

Similar Products Used:

Denon DVD-1500

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Mar 22, 2000]
Alan Soon
Casual Listener

Strength:

Simple console.

Weakness:

Hideous remote control.

Just got mine. And unlike the other reviewers of the T550, I haven't (yet) come across any jagged edges. While I haven't tried other of the competitors' products, I must say I'm quite satisfied with the video quality. The audio quality is top notch.

My big gripe is about the remote control... and yes, it's big. Lots of buttons that don't make any sense. I can't figure out why NAD would abandon its style of simplicity for a remote so cumbersome.

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
4
[Apr 20, 2000]
Rob
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Picture and sound

Weakness:

remote

Here I am again. I started off the 1st review with the T550 and I gave it praise. This is my follow up review.

I eventually sent my T550 back to NAD for numerous problems such as:
1.Moving artifacts
2.color disorientation
3.lock up
4.3 to 4 second layer change
5.The multi angle feature will come on and off on certain movies.

I spoke to Nad people in Canada and in the US and they told me it will be a simple "Program Update"
From the experince of sending it back it was not too simple on my part.
I sent my T550 back to where I bought it. I waited 1 week for a RA # to which I had to follow up my self and instuct the dealer that it was ready to go back to NAD.
3 weeks latter I got it back from the dealer.
I must say the update served well I suppose......
The picture is much softer in detail. The colors are smooth but not defined.
The T550 now has the characteristics of the Sony 7700 in picture.
Sound is still above average.

Some quirks still remain but "I will live with it"

The dealer gave me several opportunities to return it for an upgrade.But I stuck it out, mainly because I beleive in the T550 and anyway I have the "Upgrade disease" so bring on the new.

I demoted the T550 1 star across the board for my inconviences of sending it back.

Recomendations to NAD:

1.Practice beter rapore' with its end users.
2.Bench test,Bench test.....
This is the primere of the T550. Program update????
If SGHT (Stereophile Guide to Hometheater)gets a hold of this...I guess they will have to send their unit back for an update too.Not!!
3.Remote needs update as well.
Important buttons are scattered.
4.Fix communication gap btween NAD and its dealers.
5.Web site is detailed, but up to now I did not get any replies since I last emailed back in January.

As for NAD, "Bonjour and Avoir"

Rob





OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
4
[Aug 28, 2001]
Sam
Casual Listener

Strength:

Audio Quality, Picture Quality, Looks

Weakness:

Remote, Disks must be clean

I payed £300 for the multi region version which is pretty good considering the non multi region version should cost £500. The units strongest point is the sound quality which is closly followed by the picture quality. Its biggest weakness is that if the disk is not perfectly clean you run into problems. Parts of the picture in U-571 started to flicker when i watched after i had just dropped it and not cleaned it. The remote isnt great either. But none of this really bothers me as the machines performance is so good. If your thinking of buying a DVD player that you also want as a CD player then this is definatly the right one.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jul 16, 2000]
Filip
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

audio

Weakness:

picture quality, finish

With respect to audio reproduction, this T550 is in line with other excellent, cd only, NAD cd players. Excellent detail, dynamic range, low range extension. Overall smooth and delicate, detailed sound. As to picture quality and reliability I cannot say the same. After having received an , apparently, 1st generation player it was replaced by a newer model which had its software upgraded.
With the upgraded model picture was slightly better, but still not better than a Sony USD. 300 player(!), I still get random notes on the screen from the menu while playing a movie, resolution and detail is still defficient in my opinion, and CDs or DVDs get jammed while ejecting the disc. Apart from the ridiculously flimsy tray, the signal finally reaches the speakers after 3 to 4 seconds the disc already started to get read.

NAD really threw an unfinished product onto the market, in their rush to get also a damn dvd player on the market asap. I expected much more from NAD.

Bottom line, very nice CD player, but if you are in video, get an other dvd player. 5 stars for music, close to 2 for video.

Similar Products Used:

sony DVDs

OVERALL
RATING
2
VALUE
RATING
2
[Jan 04, 2002]
Eric Cabot
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Audio sounds great

Weakness:

Remote is badly organized and hard to read in dark lighting conditions.
Doesn't support CD-R
Slow to detect CD or DVD
Fast Forward doesn't catch up when I press quickly many times on the arrow button.

When you pay big bucks for a product you expect a lot.
I was disappointed to realize how many weaknesses it has (see above).

But the sound is great, that's for sure.

OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
2
[Jan 15, 2002]
Wade Dwyer
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Sound quality is top notch - best sounding DVD player I've ever heard, video quality is significantly better than mass market Sonys, etc - but my TV is not top quality so I can't judge this as critically.

Weakness:

Won't recognize CD-R(actually only half true, mine does recognize media from www.ioproducts.com). I have no problem with a few seconds for startup time when playing a DVD or CD, but the track forward-barkward time is annoying (moreso for CDs w/o chapter lists). As others have said, the remote is ugly and about useless in the dark

I think this is an incredible machine (especially for a more audio oriented listener like myself). In A/B comparisons with my old Sony and other players on concert DVDs there is absolutely no comparison. I will spare lectures about soundstaging, stereo imaging, and the rest, but I would be very interested to hear a better player for under $1000. It seems the price people pay for these things is really up in the air. Dealtime lists them from $500 to about $650 while people have found closeouts for about $350-$400. At anything under $500 I would not even consider another player. At the full retail price of $800 better players may exist(but not for sound).

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer, Sony, JVC, Hitachi,...

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
4
[Dec 03, 2000]
Chris Dillon
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Ease of use. Perfect integration with NAD T770 Reciever. Top Audio quality.

Weakness:

Remote control buttons can be confusing, as some buttons have dumb labels on them which are not at all logical.

So far no problems with the NAD T550. The surround sound is totally wild. The sound is so real I get tricked between reality and normal sounds around my home.
Although it is quite expensive in Australia compared to other DVD's I think it is well worth it. If you are not Hifi aware then go buy a cheaper brand that will give you cheaper results.
If you have an ear for quality and enjoy living in this digital age then the T550 is for you.

Similar Products Used:

None, this is my first DVD player.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
3
[Nov 14, 2000]
Richard Riley
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Great sound, solid visual design, great picture.

Weakness:

The version I received does not auto-sense region.


I've been using the T550 in conjunction with a T770 and am very happy indeed. Crystal sound, great picture. While the design of the T770 bothers me a little (no dimmer for the LED display, no seperate volume of the different I/O combinations, no nadlink from the remote for operating the DVD/CD T550). There are codes available for multi-zone - they're out there somewhere on the net. I won't give five stars because I don't know enough about competing products - I can only say that I'm a happy customer.

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
4
Showing 11-20 of 56  

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