Sound, internal components, solid reputation

unimpressive appearance

I had been scouring the Internet, speaking with fellow enthusiasts, reading reviews and finally decided on the T550 over the Sony 7700. Well, it arrived and despite NAD's solid reputation I have decided to send it back. I hate that I am going to be contributing to the Sony empire but I am just not happy with the NAD's build quality. Sheet metal mass produced appearance, power cord is flimsy, the drawer opens at a crooked angle and the remote is awkward. I am sure the performance is more than up to snuff but as anyone that is as serious about their equipment as I feel I am can attest, quality is a state of mind and these flaws are too much to accept. I am just a working joe and I need to feel like I am getting the most product for my hard earned buck. Sorry NAD . . . maybe next time.

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Sony 7000
Acurus ACT 3
Acurus A100
Acurus 100X3
Etc, etc,.

Outrageous Sound! Very good picture quality.

Remote. Doesn't read CDR

At this price, I could have got a separate CD player and a DVD - but this would only increase the space taken, as the T550 accomplishes both tasks beautifully, without compromising the aesthetics of the room.
The sound fills in the whole living room. Of course, the B&W CM-2 help, but still, the sound is crisp and clear, the stereo imaging makes me believe of complete separate circuits inside the unit, although I'm not willing to open it and check that out. And what excellent dynamics!
On the downside, I have not been able to find any CDR brand that it can read, no matter at what speed I record them - That's a flaw that I overcome by using CDRW instead (so far, I've tested HP without problems, BASF still don't work).
Anyway, a USD$3500 system is not supposed to play home recorded CDs, right?
Remember: the right CD listening is to be done through the internal DACs, as they are top of line 96KHz/24bit. I don't use digital out for CDs since the T760's DACs are only 44KHz/16bit, according to NAD. And, having being sceptic all my life, the fact of the matter is that I CAN notice the big difference!
On the A/V side, the picture is very good, provided you can get a proper S-Video connection and monitor.
And a good special effects film like The Matrix or Gladiator simply shine by the whole picture and sound ensemble. Never had any problems with any DVD...
It's a pity that NAD doesn't develop a nice and ergonomic learning remote control.
Overall, knowing what I know today, I would still make this choice.

System used:
NAD T550 DVD Player;
NAD T760 Sorround Receiver;
Panasonic TV (100Hz, 16:9);
Roksan interconnects;
B&W CM-2 Front and CM-C center.

Similar Products Used:

None

Darn good CD Player, but I already have a Better sounding NAD CD player.

Makes a better ship's anchor than a DVD player...

This would have been a good value at the list price of $800 (great at the price I paid), had my samples not been plagued with every problem described by other dissatisfied reviewers.

I had two units and sent them both back with no remorse - both were big bright yellow LEMONS. NAD published some white papers stating that as of early 2001, they've updated the software/firmware SEVEN times since this unit hit the market late in 1999.

I'm embarrassed for NAD - this product is a joke - it contradicts everything NAD stands for. To use it is a chore, so slow and clumsy. I thought it looked nice (pretty blue lights, uncluttered face plate), but looks are only skin deep.

NAD, if you can't keep up, you shouldn't play.

Nakamichi, wrap me up a DV-10S, I'll gladly take one.

Similar Products Used:

Sony DVP S7700, Denon 3700, Sony DVP S570, Nakamichi DV-10S

Great CD player, but my primary CD player is even better...

The DVD performance makes this gem a better ship's anchor than a DVD player...

Do my dismay, I returned two of these units, which were both plagued with problems such as poor synchronization of audio/video, slow and clumsy operation and random displays of messages such as angle. I contacted NAD and they provided me with white papers, which informed me that the T550's firmware/software had been updated SEVEN times since the product was introduced late in 1999.

On the positive side, the unit has a clean looking front face plate and pretty blue lights. It looked stellar next to my 218THX amp, 116 pre, 515 cd, Adcom...you get the point. You know what they say - looks are only skin deep. This would have been a decent value at the MSRP of $800, not to mention a great one at the price I paid ($420).

I'm actually still perturbed - NAD should be embarrassed, if not ashamed to release such a piece of junk to the marketplace.

All of the aformentioned NAD/Adcom gear continue to provide me with years of reliable mid-fi service. Of course, the NAD has much lower noise floor due to much bulkier power supplies, etc....

I just got a Nakamichi DV 10S, which performs quite well...Actually, there's no comparison.... There ya have it.

Similar Products Used:

Sony DVP S7700, Denon 3700, Sony DVP S570, Nakamichi DV 10S

High quality CD sound. Reasonable price. Clean-cut look.

Doesn't follow the audiophile rule of scaling cost with performance with weight. Sounds great at it's price, it's just not that heavy (like 8 lbs., maybe).

Strengths:
- Designed for high quality CD sound. I wanted a CD player that could also play DVD's. The NAD website markets the T550 in this manner, the salesman said as much, and I can hear as much, too.
- Reasonable price. It's about an $800 CD player, that also plays DVD. I was looking to get the Rega Planet, but felt the NAD came close to it in a sound comparison.
- Clean-cut look. It really does seem you pay for the parts, not the chassis.

Weaknesses:
- Boring plastic front. You pay for the parts, not the look. But don't go bragging to your friends.
- The "power on" light is really a "power off" light. It's on when the unit is off and vice versa. I imagine this is so when you watch movies in the dark, it's not distracting. But talk about confusing.
- Not heavy enough for the price. I just like heavy equipment. Personal preference, I guess.

Sticking points:
- 2 year warranty. This is better than the 90 day you get on some $2000 Denon and Sony equipment, but it's not half again as good as I'm used to with other quality manufacturers - read: Paradigm 5 yr I think, Parasound >10 yrs!<, Rotel 3 yr?. I have an old Sony CD player from 1988 that's still spinning discs fine, but I've read reviews here that have talked up DVD players that break after a year of use. I can imagine this happening to me.

Overall feelings:
I originally wanted to get a Rega Planet and a cheap no-name $150 DVD player. But I don't need the clutter, and I like movies enough to get a decent DVD player.

I can't argue that the Rega is better or worse than the T550. I haven't listened to either long enough to form an opinion, and besides, it would be opinion anyways (sorry, there are very few hard and fast rules). What I can say is this: every Bose surround setup I've heard and every cheap DVD player I've spent time listening to (two of them) has caused the dreaded LISTENING FATIGUE. After about thirty minutes I get a terrible headache and it hurts to continue listening.

Neither the Rega Planet nor the T550 give me listening fatigue. I listened to the Rega for two hours at a dealer in Des Moines before leaving wishing I had the money on hand. I spent three hours at SoundFX (had to drive to Kansas City - closest NAD dealer to Des Moines) and thoroughly enjoyed what I was listening to.

One last bit before I'm done. The first time I listened to some good audio gear (affordable - Parasound & Paradigm), some two years ago, I got a tickle just sitting there. It was great. The music sounded so real.

The T550 delivers a little of that tickle feeling. A Sony DVD player I auditioned did nothing for me. I'm sure the feeling could be more tangible if I spent more ... but I have other things to spend my money on.

Grade:
Notice how I haven't said much about the DVD playing ability. Since it does that part well enough (the video looks great on a 27" TV, dunno about larger), my grade for it is based mostly on its sound reproduction. My grade would be worse if it glitched severely on DVD's or some such, but it hasn't yet. The sound is amazing, and the price is right, so 5's on both counts.


CD List -
As far as I know, this whole review gets printed, so here's a list of what I consider to be good recordings that put a good player to the test:
Dracula Soundtrack by Chronos Quartet
Mutations by Beck
Ecstasy by Lou Reed
Down Here by Tracy Bonham
Bach Harpsichord Concertos released by Naxos

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Sony, JVC, all kinds of other equipment in the Best Borg (Buy) lineup.

sound and picture

no important weaknesses

Although the price in the Netherlands is high compared to other brands, I love this player. Other people complain about the remote control or the sometimes strange behaviour of this player, but the only issue that really matters is the quality of sound and picture, and it's VERY, VERY, VERY good!!!!

If you really like a good sound (in both CD and DVD) and picture and don't care about "backlit remotes" or "noisy trays" or other stuff that you must pay for, don't look any further. This is the one for you. If you like to push buttons and do other stuff with a player where it's not designed for, don't buy it.

By the way, it’s possible to change the region of this player, simply with the remote control. And I do not use CD-r's because I only listen to legal music. Please buy CD’s if you like them and do not copy them from a friend.

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none

CD playback, remote

Video / DVD playback

Ordered the NAD to replace / upgrade my Pioneer. Although the CD sound was pretty good it is not as good as my old Pioneer PD-52 dedicated CD player.
I was most unhappy with it's performance on DVD. First the sound continually cuts out during the first few seconds of DVD play and cuts out again every time you skip or chapter search. It never does this on CD so I can only assume it's related to DVD or video processing speed.
Although the color was vivid it was not as sharp as the Pioneer 525.
The other big complaint is it won'y play any CD-R or CD-RW which the Pioneer will do just fine.
In conclusion, although I paid only $500 for this unit(List $800), I cannot recommend it at all compared to the Pioneer DV525 which is only $180 now. The Pioneer does it all better

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Pioneer DV525

Fantastic audio/typical NAD quality/Excellent picture

Lousy interconnects/no S Video cable as suggested in manual

What a great unit! Fantastic audio quality and a very sharp picture. I am running mine into a NAD770 and a NAD 218THX Amp.and the DD is much clearer and refined then from my old Proscan DVD. This is a sharp unit and well worth the wait.

Complaints: OK, I know NAD concentrates on the "innards" but come on-for a DVD player in this price class we get lousy interconnects! I received better cables with my Proscan. Single strand RCA connects? No S Video cable(even though the manual says a S Video cable is supplied)? Either do it right or not at all!Still, all is forgiven once it is hooked up!

NB: I might add that I have used NAD components since 1982 and have found them to be solid and their customer service is second to none.

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Proscan DVDs-various models

Sound, Sound, sound, did I mention Sound?

Picture?

I've been a NAD user for years and was excited to get their DVD player. After a month of use I believe this player is hands down the best sounding DVD player available, but, the picture quality is suspect. I've noticed extreme jagged edges on some DVD's and have discovered that if you pause and resume during a scene with these jaggies they disappear! I have tried this repeatedly and it works every time. Some DVD's seem fine wrt picture, so could this be due to a bad DVD? It seems that the horizontal lines decrease in resolution, as the picture seems coarse at times. Again, this may be due to a bad DVD, but, I've played the same DVD's on my Pioneer 525 with no obvious problems...what gives NAD? I've also had lock-up problems (twice) after pausing, a horrible buzzing noise followed by a manual shutdown. I'm connecting through a T770 using Monster M series cables into a Mitsubishi 35in TV. At this point I will give NAD a second chance and exchange for another T550.

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Pioneer DV 525

Excellent sound, aesthetic beauty of all NAD gear.

Horrible picture quality.

This post is a follow-up on preview review.

I finally got fed-up with the picture quality of this unit and brought it back to the place I bought it. I demo'd their unit again to make sure it wasn't just a fautly unit, and I saw the same bad picture on their unit. It's just not clean at all. Very bad jagged edges make it very hard to watch. My unit also had skipping problems, which the hi-fi store guy attributed to a cheap transport.

I demo'd a few other products at the store - the Marantz DV7000, Toshiba 3109, and Sony DVP-7700 .. They all had better pictures than the NAD, but only the Marantz didn't make me want to tear out my eyes. So I came home with that, and I'm even more pleased with it at home than I was in the store. The picture is much cleaner than the NAD and the sound is pretty good as well (although the NAD clearly excelled in that area, which makes me very sad about the picture quality).

I wouldn't recommend this unit unless NAD fixes the picture quality.

For the record, my equipment is as follows:

NAD T770 Reciever,
DefTech ProTower 400s, Procenter C2, BP2X surrounds,
Crappy 20" Toshiba TV (soon to be replaced),
Nordost Optix composite video cables.

Similar Products Used:

Marantz DV7000, Sony DVP-S330