Looks tasty and interesting! It has its own proprietary DAC chip and a sampling rate of 844KHz
http://nadelectronics.com/products/masters-series/M51-Direct-Digital-DAC (http://nadelectronics.com/products/masters-series/M51-Direct-Digital-DAC)
Anyone hear it yet?
Not yet, not yet. But a few guys out my way here in Aus have heard it and are very impressed - check out:
http://www.digitalaudioreview.net.au/index.php/news-blog-and-showcase/john-darkos-blog/item/354-nad-m51-digital-direct-dac-initial-impressions (http://www.digitalaudioreview.net.au/index.php/news-blog-and-showcase/john-darkos-blog/item/354-nad-m51-digital-direct-dac-initial-impressions)
Because of that I have ordered one to add to my cadre of DAC's which now includes a Playback Designs MPD3 and newer model PDX (the one in the comparison above was I am pretty sure an older model).
However it is in short supply right now here in Aus and it will take a little while to get one into my hot little hands.
There is also a long thread about it here in Aus:
http://www.stereo.net.au/forums/index.php?/topic/40613-nad-m51-listening-impressions/ (http://www.stereo.net.au/forums/index.php?/topic/40613-nad-m51-listening-impressions/)
Thanks
Bill
I am not really into digital but you guys should check out the Wavelength Brick Dac, very close to analogue.
Another nice Dac I heard was the Lindeman, about a grand and very nice sounding, cooler, more solid state sounding than the Brick but well worth the money. I really only play records but if I had to buy a dac it would be the Brick, Gordon Rankon knows his digital.
Not trying to torpedo this review just throwin out some options that maybe you guys have heard and could comment/compare?
Mike
Wild specs!
I like the idea of high bitrate upsampling. I'd love to hear it.
Still haven't heard the M2 amp either. Thanks for posting it Mike
Im in almost buying mode, scouring every Forum, learning Polish to read reviews... haha... I think my Bryston BDA-1 is getting a little long in the tooth and really its the center of my system. I don't spin records, or have a cd player.
There is also a new plugin for the Squeezebox that allows you to output musing via the USB and use the async capabilities of the modern DAC, which has been garnering great results... from the forums Ive been reading.
Its the M51 not M52..
M
I bought a NAD M51. It was the last one, and will be sold out for months I'm told. Will do a nice compare against the Bryston BDA-1
M
Cool!! That is exciting. When will it arrive?
Ships today, should be here by Wednesday. Early Birthday present. ;)
Quote from: machinehead on April 20, 2012, 11:07:53 AM
Ships today, should be here by Wednesday. Early Birthday present. ;)
Great to hear. Your impressions will be much appreciated to add to the incredible scuttlebutt this DAC is generating.
Thanks
Bill
Quote from: richidoo on April 19, 2012, 05:58:40 PMStill haven't heard the M2 amp either.
Hi Rich
Neither have I but with the short supply of the M51 and the mate I am staying with at the moment wanting a new amp we decided to get its little brother a NAD C390DD to check out which should prove interesting.
I think I will do a separate post about it.
Thanks
Bill
Quote from: topround on April 19, 2012, 05:04:37 PMNot trying to torpedo this review just throwin out some options that maybe you guys have heard and could comment/compare?
Hi Mike
As Rich said thanks for posting.
I haven't had the pleasure of hearing the Brick but have heard the Wavelength USB converter - very nice - second only to my Off-Ramp and a smidgen ahead of the Berkeley.
Thanks
Bill
Emil and Mike,
I'm very curious to hear what you guys think of your new Dacs.
-Mike: How do you plan on using yours, as a dac/pre or just a dac? Wondering if the days of the preamp as we know it are coming to a close...
Thanks
mfsoa, having compared the preamp section of the DAC-2 to the W4S STP-SE preamp, I'd say those days may be soon. The STP-SE does make a better preamp, but it's not a significant difference.
Quote from: mfsoa on April 21, 2012, 11:02:53 AMWondering if the days of the preamp as we know it are coming to a close...
IMHO yes - nearly all DAC's I have checked out (and I have checked quite a few) sound better direct connected and using the volume control in a player on the computer. The few where it doesn't like the Tranquility benefit from the impedance matching of a device like the Truth pre-amp I have - the Tranquility for example uses a capacitor output of a value such that some bass roll-off will occur into low impedance amp loads.
Thanks
Bill
I'm going to try the M51 as both a Dac and pre. Hopefully they don't call it the masters series for nothing. Lol.
M
Quote from: machinehead on April 21, 2012, 06:43:07 PM
I'm going to try the M51 as both a Dac and pre. Hopefully they don't call it the masters series for nothing. Lol.
M
Maybe it's the standard among professional golfers? ;)
lol...
Its here! I mean its there... at home while I am at work.. I wonder if the wife has taken a hammer to my new toy! "Uh honey yeah the Fedex guy launched your new DAC from his truck, meanwhile she is donning a power saw..."
hehe.
ooh... ahhh... mother will she break my heart...
nice pre. very neutral. huuge sound stage huuge!
Don't lose that remote and keep some spare batteries around or youse gots no volume control!
Looking forward to hearing more impressions, Mike - CONGRATS!!
-Mike
True... Your pretty much screwed w/o the remote. It's gorgeous though.
M
In my second system, I notice a big difference. Big top end airiness, nice decay, attack.
Detail is really good too.
This DAC won't improve your bad recordings. Instead of pulling all the recordings to a nice comfy middle place where most music will sound good, your music stays truer to the recording quality. Flat recordings sound flat. At least when using the DAc and pre functions.
What's in your system now Mike? Still have the Manleys?
The DAC is still in my 2nd system.
My main system is Manley Mahi Mahis, Supratek Sauvignon pre, soon the NAD M51(replacing Bryston BDA-1), Merlin VSM MX, SB Touch, Velodyne Sub , Petes Powercords, Triode Wire Labs, and all grover Huffman interconnects, a couple versions ago?, 1 version ago. he has a lot of versions! lol
Nice...
Are you breaking it in before the big system debut?
Thats what I was thinking of doing, but folks on head-fi are saying that they discerned no sound difference or break in effects.
You'll hear it on your system, whatever little there is.
Pic, on top of a 20+ year old adcom
The soundstage is deep and wide and the top end and mids are layered with detail and body. Its still in my second system and I can't really say anything about the lows, but what Im hearing it seems pretty spectacular. I feel it outdoes the highs in extension, detail, air, layering, depth. Mids will be a bit closer to each other, between Bryston and NAD. The highs are pretty special though.
Still in your second system?
What the hell are you waiting for!!!!!!! :lol:
It's my DAC version of the Frycoder! Dammit ;)
So it's in my main system... A couple comparisons to the Bryston.. Bryston is warmer sounding and more laid back. I'd say the Bryston is still a pretty neutral sounding Dac though. The Nad is not forward sounding either. The Nad makes instruments sound far more real, especially piano. The Nad has less bass, more detail and control than the Bryston. I notice great separation between left and right. Mids are nice. I think you notice more because their is less bass bloom. It doesn't sound thin, but is very different in presentation. The Dac is very fast and captures a ridiculous amount of detail, it's still musical though.
This is just listening to it as a Dac, without the pre function.
Imaging seems a bit sharper too.
Which one sounds "better" subjectively given the type of music you like to listen to?
Well it definitely helps in that there is no bass overload. More controlled, also the Bryston seems a bit grainy so I'd have to give the win to the Nad. The Bryston is a tad warmer and is like an old sock :) comfy, but you only have one and when you put two feet in it rips. Wah.
NAD went back to dealer. Remote doesn't work. I mean the remote works but the DAC locks up or overheats. I tested using supplied remote and Universal... Logitech. No now I am Dacless. I put in an old Theta Chroma 396.. ugh what a piece of crap.
Nads are sold out everywhere. Have to wait until June. wah.
Well, that sucks. Bryston gone?
Bryston is going...
Maybe the saying is true - NAD stands for Nearly Always Defective.
Hope you get your dac back soon!
I heard that. And so it was... Lol
Review from HiFi News is out...
http://nadelectronics.com/articles/Hi-Fi-News-and-Record-Reviews-Highly-Recommend-NAD-M51-Direct-Digital-DAC (http://nadelectronics.com/articles/Hi-Fi-News-and-Record-Reviews-Highly-Recommend-NAD-M51-Direct-Digital-DAC)