NAD C 446 Digital Media Player Preview

[admin]

The NAD C 446 looks to pick up the streaming ball dropped by some of their recent receiver offerings. With on board FM/AM tuner (with optimized performance and transcoding to optical digital output), UPnP and DLNA compatibility, Last.fm and vTuner support, the C 446 is a good start. Unfortunately, that's all it has. With manufacturers offering receivers at around the same price as the NAD C 446 ($800 MSRP) with better streaming options and a full receiver to boot, it's hard to see how consumers are supposed to get excited by this offering.

Discuss "NAD C 446 Digital Media Player Preview" here. Read the article.

 

[bikemig]

I like NAD products but this is very disappointing given the price and the competition. There are plenty of other streaming options that cost a heck of a lot less (starting with the SB Touch at around $300) or that cost around the same also support airplay (like the Marantz NA7004). Denon has a streamer coming out with a MSRP of $500 that looks, at least with specs, to be a good streaming product that has a free airplay upgrade as well as the usual internet radio stations, http://usa.denon.com/us/product/pages/Product-Detail.aspx?Catid=f234eea1-3300-4537-8f59-f6cd2f3441d6&SubId=&ProductId=2ed39f43-34af-40d8-85f5-c406bf6a9c86.

 

[anamorphic96]

This product does seem a bit lost. I would rather see NAD working on a USB DAC thats inexpensive. Maybe 200 to 300. This would probably sell much better than C446.

 

[Casey01]

I believe the problem with companies like NAD is that despite the knowledge of anyone that knows anything about recent consumer electronics offerings and especially now given where the vast majority of this stuff is manufactured, is they still think they can charge a premium just because of their name! An idea whose ship has sailed long ago.

 

[gene]

yikes the inside of that box is embarrassing but not atypical for a so called "high end" product.

 

[gliz]

as my daughter would say "epic fail!"

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Besided the funny looking and almost empty box I'm really annoyed by usb cable - it looks really taut; That's not a good sign for "hi-end" product => bad design

 

[m_vanmeter]

wow, the inside photo reminds me of walking into a "computer room" long ago, filled with fileing cabinet sized IBM mainframe computers....until you open a door on one and saw a single power supply in the bottom and one circuit board about half way up. They were selling cabinets full of "air" and so is NAD.

 

[jeffsg4mac]

Companies like NAD, Adcom, Parasound etc. have been behind the curve on technolgy for awhile. While NAD receivers rocked in the late 80's early 90's, to have a home theater receiver now without Audyssey or an equivalent is embarrassing to say the least. If Emotiva would offer a pre/pro with Audyssey Multi-EQ XT it would buy it tomorrow.

 

[FlyhiG]

Nad not the same

Shame NAD seems too be falling behind. Always thought of them as a taste of the high end without all the needless bling.

Thanks for your honest review. Nice to read reviews that take a real world look a gear and whether it is worth the bucks.