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A New Kind of Stereo ComponentThe NAD C 658 is a new kind of stereo component, one that at once changes preconceptions and opens new possibilities for audio reproduction. As we move deeper into the 21st century, the way music is distributed and enjoyed continues to evolve away from physical media to streaming. It also has moved away from analog to digital. The C 658 has incorporated these fundamental truths to create an entirely new type of component that combines a Network Streamer, a state-of-the art DAC, and many aspects of the traditional preamplifier into a single highly cost effective package. And thanks to NAD’s exclusive Modular Design Construction, it will keep pace with the latest technology, not yet introduced, but inevitably coming in the future. In fact, an optional HDMI 4k switcher module is available now allowing the best sound from any of the many HDMI sources available (like game consoles and video STBs). While the C 658 immediately replaces (or adds) your Streamer, DAC, and Preamp, it also adds many new features you may not be aware of, like a Bluetooth aptX HD transmitter to use with your wireless headphones. The highly flexible outputs allow for a true balanced connection to powered speakers or amplifiers. Single-ended connections for amplifiers and subwoofers are also provided and include an adjustable subwoofer crossover executed perfectly in the digital domain. A highly sophisticated MM Phono input is also included along with line inputs for legacy analog components. BluOS EnabledAlso on board is BluOS, the most sophisticated High Res streaming system available. BluOS natively supports over 15 streaming music services and indexing of over 250,000 tracks from local network sources. The C 658 becomes a node in the BluOS ecosystem allowing high res network streaming to 64 zones and control options for iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac OS phones, tablets, and desk top devices. BluOS also supports all major smart home controllers and is available in a wide range of products making it easy to create a whole house audio system with the C 658 at its heart. High Resolution in Every DetailMost NAD components have been 'high res' for 45 years with very wide bandwidth, low distortion, and ultra-low noise. We just never had high resolution source material to play. With high res digital recording and streaming, combined with advanced technology like MQA, record companies are opening their vaults and releasing Studio Master Quality recordings. MQA decoding is available on all digital inputs in addition to BluOS streaming content. The C 658 is pure High Res from input to output and features the ESS Sabre 32-bit DAC, one of the best performing DACs on the market today with its 118dB Dynamic Range and incredibly low jitter spec. All preamp functions are executed in the digital domain, including the same wide range non-truncating digital volume control used in NAD's Masters Series components. This offers an incredibly short analog signal path that, rather uniquely, is identical for all volume settings. Sophisticated active power supplies provide super clean voltages to all circuits to keep noise and distortion at the edge of measurability. Making Your Speakers DisappearThe C 658 is also the first NAD stereo component to feature Dirac Live room correction, the most sophisticated and effective room correction available. Dirac corrects the impulse response of your speakers, in addition to the frequency response of your room, for a truly transparent window into the musical performance. When the room resonances are tamed and the transient response is corrected, the result is magical. You have never heard your speakers sound this invisible or this good! Note: These features will be implemented via future software upgrades. The C 658 will include a license for Dirac Live with the option for advanced users to upgrade to a Dirac Live Full Frequency version. Master Quality AuthenticatedMaster Quality Authenticated (MQA) is a revolutionary end-to-end technology built into every BluOS Enabled amplifier to capture and deliver MQA music to your speakers in the purest quality. All BluOS Enabled players and systems include a powerful decoder and audio renderer for the millions of the MQA encoded songs, The MQA logo shown in the BluOS app indicates that the unit is decoding and playing an MQA stream or file, and lets you know that you are hearing exactly what the artist recorded and approved in the studio. Traditional NAD Performance and ValueThe C 658 is part of NAD's Classic Series of components which have an enviable reputation for giving music lovers more enjoyment for less money. If you want a solid block of hand–crafted aluminum with gold plated accents, you’ll need to look elsewhere. If you want state-of-the-art performance and features in a sturdy no-nonsense package, then you have the right address.
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2022 Editors’ Choice Award - The Absolute Sound"The C658 and C298 can serve as the heart of a capable and powerful music system. The C658 streaming DAC is loaded with all the features needed in today’s digital streaming world, has expandable inputs to accommodate future interfaces, and the BluOS app provides easy and intuitive control over a music library. The C658 can also serve as the heart of a whole-house wireless system. The C298 amplifier is a powerhouse that will drive virtually any loudspeaker. It also has qualities that are consistent with much more expensive amplifiers, including superb soundstaging, clarity of instrumental line, and good resolution of timbre. Bass and dynamics are spectacular, with excellent rendering of pitch and clarity of bass lines. The overall sound is slightly forward in perspective through the midrange and treble, a character that suggests attention to system matching. I can see the C298 delivering terrific performance when paired with much more expensive components. It’s that good." "I would have recommended this pair without Dirac Live, but this DSP speaker- and room-correction system vaults the performance to a new level, without the sonic compromises I’ve heard from some other DSP systems. The improvement in bass extension, clarity, and dynamics is astounding. The full-frequency version of Dirac brings newfound image specificity along with far more lifelike reproduction of transients." "Considered alone or as a duo, the C658 and C298 deliver exceptional performance and value." - Robert Harley, The Absolute Sound, April 5, 2021 "...it is still absolutely remarkable how much audiophile spirit NAD has managed to pour into the C 658." "The features and sound quality, as well as the convincing operating concept, are remarkable." "...the sound image had a very high dynamic quality, was tonally perfectly suitable for long term use and most importantly: it transported plenty of emotions! A great offer with high value for money!" - Michael Lang, Stereo Magazine, July 30, 2020 "Upfront I will say the NAD C 658 is an excellent music source component." "The sound quality of Tidal through the NAD C 658 is as good as any CD playback – believe me I’ve compared by throwing in a disk and playing the same tracks through the C 658 streamer." "Finding a streamer should be a priority for your system and making it the heart of your digital playback. I made NAD C 658 mine." "The NAD C 658 is incomparable when you consider the features packed into this component. At this price point, there is barely a handful of stand-alone DACs let alone DAC/Streamer/Preamplifier. From a sound standpoint, perhaps the Auralic G1 at about $2,700 will give you comparable playback, again though without many of the features." "I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the C 658 as your primary preamplifier either, making it the heart of any HiFi system." - Piero Gabucci, Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity, February 3, 2020 "This versatile device has all the connections and applications you could wish for and functions flawlessly. The excellent BluOS app and the special Dirac Live software are the two biggest flavors. With suitable amplification or a set of active speakers, you can create a sleek, good sounding set at home. Less is more with the Nad C 658 BluOS Streaming Dac!" - Geoffrey Van Houwaert, Alpha-Audio, January 20, 2020 "It should be obvious by now that I loved almost everything about the NAD Classic C 658. " "The inclusion of Dirac Live room correction is killer. In his reviews on SoundStage! Hi-Fi and SoundStage! Access, Diego Estan has repeatedly sung Dirac Live’s praises, and finds it indispensable. After a month spent with the NAD C 658, I see his point. In my listening room, Dirac Live removed a thick layer of murk I hadn’t known was there -- I’d simply gotten used to it. With Dirac Live active, the C 658 made familiar recordings sound brand new. Now, when I switch off Dirac, it seems I’m listening through molasses." "Finally, there’s the C 658’s extensive feature set: phono stage, headphone amp, subwoofer output with selectable crossover, abundant digital connections, leading-edge network-music capability -- hardly a box is left unchecked." "Enthusiastically recommended." - Gordon Brockhouse, SoundStage! Simplifi, November 1, 2019 "This compelling all-round performer goes the extra mile to offer the most competitive features on the market..." "The NAD C 658 is one of the most fully furnished, future-proofed and intuitive streamers we’ve come across..." " It puts a big, bold tick in a great number of boxes. Nice work, NAD." - What Hi-Fi?, October 2019 NAD Electronics | NAD C 658 BluOS Streaming Preamp DAC
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