NAD’s M66 pre-amplifier (€5995) is a step other than most pre-amplifiers. It supplies acquire, quantity management and supply choice – as most pre-amplifiers do – however the M66’s ins and outs are so quite a few that it may additionally deal with phono pre-amplification (through separated MM and MC inputs), multitudinous streaming protocols due to the mainboard’s BluOS module, useful enlargement through a pair of MDC 2.0 improve card slots, D/A conversion courtesy of ESS Labs’ 9038PRO silicon, headphone amplification, subwoofer management (as much as 4 of ’em!) and Dirac Reside room compensation with Dirac Reside Bass Management optionally taking up subwoofer crossover design duties from BluOS. Phew.
However the M66, because it stands proper now, isn’t with out a few wrinkles. It’s a Future-Fi pre-amplifier whose coin flips two methods: {hardware} and software program. The {hardware} has been locked down since NAD’s preliminary tease at Munich Excessive-Finish in Could of final yr however the unit’s ongoing software program growth pushed its delivery date from This autumn 2023 to Q1 2024. Solely now are correct evaluation models starting to roll however with a brief ‘to-do’ record on the software program facet.
My NAD contact tells me that Roon Readiness has but to be licensed and that switching from one pattern charge to a different might trigger a small audible pop. I typically (however not all the time) hear that pop when chopping over from Tidal’s CD-quality streaming (44.1kHz) to an HDMI ARC feed from TV (48kHz) however it’s very low-level.
To totally perceive the complexity of the M66’s software program growth timeline, we have to remind ourselves of its key level of distinction from the Dirac-loaded merchandise beforehand served up by NAD.
Contained in the M66, an ADC strikes analogue indicators arriving at its line-level and phono inputs into the digital area prepared for BluOS/Dirac processing, VU meter show virtualisation and, ultimately, decoding again to analogue through the ESS DAC circuit. That is how NAD’s M33 and M10 integrateds deal with all analogue indicators.
Nonetheless, purists rejoice (!), for the M66’s digital step is bypassable through an ‘analogue direct’ mode that places a second model of every enter contained in the supply choice menu i.e. Line 2 (which is the DSP-d model) and the Line 2 Analogue Bypass (which I counsel they rename to ‘Line 2 Analogue Direct’). Based on NAD, a forthcoming software program replace will simplify entry to analogue direct, which successfully signifies that all incoming analogue indicators will stay within the analogue area from enter to output; no Dirac, no bass administration, no VU meters. I have already got a PS Audio BHK Signature pre-amplifier ready within the wings for a price-appropriate all-analogue pre-amplifier comparability.
As all the time, any side-by-side comparisons will come from a hard and fast menu derived from the gear I’ve handy throughout the evaluation window. The M66 has already been linked through balanced XLR cables to its stablemate, the Eingentakt-loaded NAD M23 energy amplifier (€3999) which in flip drives a pair of KEF R3 Meta standmounts. I’ve positioned a single PSB BP8 subwoofer at both finish of my 7m x 4m listening room to see how successfully Dirac Reside Bass Management will mix their output with the KEFs.
On that, I requested NAD if the subwoofer outputs on the again of the M66 are unbiased. Their reply: “Sure, all 4 subwoofer outputs are unbiased, so time alignment is catered for by Dirac Reside. Not solely does it do time alignment but additionally in-band part alignment with the opposite subwoofers and the primary audio system. It’s this that makes for a seamless integration of subwoofers with fundamental audio system.”
The Rosson RAD-0 and Closing D8000 Professional headphones paired with an RME ADI-2 DAC FS will give context to the M66’s DAC and headphone amplifier efficiency while the MC phono stage constructed into the Cambridge Audio Alva TT2 turntable will go side-by-side towards the MC phono stage constructed into the M66. I’ll then wrap issues up with a bow by evaluating the M66 + M23 – a €10K pre-power combo – to the €11K Hegel 590 built-in.
The stage is ready with the video attributable to land in 4 – 5 weeks, which can give NAD somewhat extra time to iron out among the aforementioned software program quirks.
Additional info: NAD
