When you have a CD player- or turntable-fronted system you like however need to add music abilities streaming to it, your want is NAD’s command. The Canadian hi-fi model has launched the CS1, an reasonably priced hi-res music streamer designed to bless conventional hi-fi set-ups with streaming powers or be paired with lively audio system to make up a contemporary, space-efficient system.
Whereas the CS1’s £299 / $349 value places it on the lower-priced finish of the streamer market, appropriate for equally finances electronics, NAD is promising “audiophile-grade streaming” right here due to its inclusion of “audiophile-grade parts”. A type of is a digital stage based mostly on Texas Devices’ PCM5141 DAC, a design NAD says is “recognized for its extraordinarily low noise, glorious dynamic efficiency, and immunity to clock jitter”.
NAD has an arsenal of standalone streamers and streaming amplifiers in its arsenal which are based mostly on the BluOS multi-room streaming platform from sister model Bluesound, although the CS1 is solely an endpoint, solely supporting third-party streaming protocols akin to Google Forged, Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Join and Tidal Join. This more and more well-liked route signifies that music might be streamed to the CS1 immediately from Apple, Android and Google gadgets and native music service apps, as a substitute of by means of a devoted product app. As is typical for music streamers, connection to the web is by way of your alternative of wi-fi or Ethernet.
DLNA assist permits for the playback of networked music information – the CS1 helps high-resolution audio as much as 24-bit/192kHz and may render MQA information/streams – whereas Bluetooth is onboard for fast and simple offline streaming. Roon can be handily supported for subscribers to that library administration platform.
As for hooking it to your system, the CS1 has RCA outputs for stereo amplifiers or powered audio system, in addition to optical and coaxial outputs for exterior DACs or as various technique of connection to amplifiers and powered audio system with digital inputs – so it actually can simply slip into present methods.
When you’re seeking to simply and affordably make your system streaming-savvy and might wait till March (when the NAD CS1 turns into obtainable), this might effectively be a robust possibility certainly.
MORE:
See our listing of the finest music streamers
Methods to add a music streamer to your hi-fi system
Hello-res music streaming providers in contrast: which do you have to join?
