NAD: Audiophile Quality on a Budget
Pros:
All of my cds sound new again.
Cons:
None
The Bottom Line:
NAD delivers audiophile quality on a budget yet again.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
Warning: I have been an NAD lover for about ten years. I have owned three of their cd players, two receivers, one preamp, two integrated amps, and one power amp. Currently I own the C-272 power amp, the C-160 preamp, and the C542 cd player.
For previous "quality" CD players, I have owned from the Sony ES line, Cambridge Audio, and for NAD, the 513 and the 517.
On to the review...The physical appearance of the player is quite attractive. I like the simplicity of NAD design. I also really like the feel of the buttons. The drawer operates smoothly and with reasonable authority. It has some nice programming features and the remote is decent. My unit has no issues playing CDRs but I have not yet tried any CDRWs. Upon initial installation of this player I found it to be less fatiguing than any other cd player I've owned. I can listen to my system at much higher volumes with the NAD than I could with the previous players due to the laid back nature. I would describe the sound of the C542 as laid back in the higher freq. Not grating in any way. I have always hoped I would be able to find a cd player that would "deliver" on Joni Mitchell's "Blue" album. I have never found that cd listenable on any cd player, though I love the lp version. "Blue" sounds almost as good as the lp on the c542. Another reference CD is Dire Strait's Brothers in Arms. The 542 plays it with authority and a level of musicality I've never had in a cd player. Wow!
