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Anyway, I sold my standalone tuner and saw that this had a usb port. So know yo uhave no excuse if you buy this for iPod support based on a bad review. I purchased this unit more for it's form factor than anything else. I'm not sure why the other reviewer mentions this.A call to NAD tech support today confirmed this, memory stick only, no iPod via usb (which as I said I should have remembered). In a dedicated listening room you might hear the cd transport whining away. I had forgotten however the iPods do not have a digital output; one must bypass the internal DAC and use a Wadia or other such device or you'll just get line level audio out of a dock at best which is quite a step up from using the headphone out as a source). A plug or something.
Drawer is loud upon open. As a heavy user of lossless and lossy audio archived on computers, I have a wife who still often prefers to grab a cd and press play (even though can use auto-play on the HTPC). Build quality is okay. In the back of my mind, having forgotten this, I was thinking she could use her iPod on the system, but this is simply not possible. What's this load about 2000 songs etc. Playback of optical media is rather loud. Doesn't feel like the NAD of days gone by.oh well does the trick; a tuner a cd player is about 5" wide.
The NAD does everything well, the most noticeable thing is most of my MP3s and WMA files sound fantastic on this system(almost CD quality, and the tone is very similar). Other systems such as the Yamaha Pianocraft series have a harsher sound, much like most cheap minisystems, obviously clearer than cheapo systems, but definately need a subwoofer to restore some tonal balance, and they don't have a USB input, or ID3 tag reconigition.Overall, This is a high quality system, with a minimalist look, no flashing lights or gimicks, and backs it up with good sound from all sources, with support for the most modern digital inputs, for a price not much higher than your average Sony/Panasonic throw-away system. The other good thing is you can record to USB in WMA/MP3 format from any source, including CD, and you can set a timer recording to record your favourite radio show for instance.
It also pulls out the ID3 Song tags, and scrolls them across the display. It's a great combo for people who have a lot of digitally stored music, as the warmth that is lost when storing music in Mp3 format comes right back with this setup. The decoders used in this system do the job well, and WMA, and MP3 format songs sound great from CD or the USB input.
Radio is clear as a bell.The remote has a heap of buttons, but is simple to use in practice.I matched this system with a set of Energy C-100 speakers (reflex loaded 5 inch woofer, 1 inch tweeter), and the result is smooth and well rounded, and I'm hearing more detail in my music than I ever have. Folder navigation is simple from the remote. The logic is a bit funny when switching sources, but you soon get used to it.
The bass is well balanced to the highs, and I've been going through my music collection and playing everything, and it all sounds amazing with this setup.It's worth noting that a pair of bookshelf speakers isn't going to produce a whole heap of bass in a setup like this, but with careful choice of speakers, you don't need a external sub.
After seeing the demo unit in the store unable to load and read disks, I bot this unit based on NAD's reputation, assuming the problem was a fluke. Guess what, my unit also will not load and read discs, and the one time it did, it howled like a banshee. Despite a premium price tag, this is a cheaply executed product.
Given that current iPod memory is 160 GB, it is unreasonable to think that most consumers trying to play their DMP through the USB port will have less than 2000 files on their player. With less than 2000 files, the system is able to usurp control of your digital music player (DMP), so that you can control it through the system with the remote.
The system sounds great, however there are 2 caveats:1. I just purchased the c715 for use in a small space, coupled with Monitor Audio BR1 speakers.
Apparently, the system cannot handle reading the info on the iPod if there are more than 2000 files (read songs) on it. The receiver struggles to detect a signal where we live (upstate NY, 20-30 miles from any town), even with a TERK antenna.2.
More importantly, the system recognized my iPod when connected to the USB port, but could not play it using this connection. There is a small note to this effect in the user's manual, but it is definitely not advertised anywhere.
If you have more than 2000 files, you will need to play your DMP through the auxilliary inputs (plenty available) in the back of the system, and control the iPod directly, rather than through the receiver.
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