Digital Music System NAD D 7050 Review (Part 1)

2/23/2014 11:03:15 AM

Digital Music System NAD D 7050 Review (Part 1)

You may think you’ve already seen the D 7050 gracing our review pages in recent months, as it looks strikingly similar to NAD’s D 3020 amp and D 1050 DAC, both of which we tested before. The D 7050 here, however, is an altogether more thorough package, and employs NAD’s Direct Digital circuitry, handed down from the company’s high-end Masters Series. This circuit ensures all preamp functions are performed in the digital domain, which NAD says helps keep unwanted noise low.

NAD D 7050

Being a digital amp means that the D 7050 is bereft of analogue inputs, but digital inputs are well served across four S/PDIF sockets shared over coaxial and optical, alongside USB and Ethernet ports. Output sockets include a single set of loudspeaker terminals, a headphone jack and an analogue preamp out, which can also be conﬁgured to feed a subwoofer via RCAs. As with any streamer worth its saline, the NAD accepts the usual range of ﬁle types including FLAC/WAV/ALAC and can handle ﬁ les up to 24-bit/192kHz via its digital inputs and 96kHz via USB, which is also the maximum that I manage to achieve over Wi-Fi.

Speaking of wireless, the NAD welcomes streams served via UPnP/ DLNA networks, Apple’s AirPlay and Bluetooth (via the aptX codec). There’s no dedicated internet radio player installed, so you have to stream this from an external device, such as a computer.

NAD D 7050 Behind

Physically the D 7050 doesn’t look, feel or behave like most traditional hi-ﬁ boxes, and for this it should be commended for daring to be different. The way its digital display rotates à la smartphone screen, to be legible when laid ﬂ at or stood on end, is plain cool.

In the ﬂesh the rubberised matt and contrasting reﬂective ﬁnish is classy, and its two large rotary knobs (for volume and input) are smoothly governed with just the right amount of resistance. Underneath its dextrous ﬁnish, the case is actually made from plastic, although it feels genuinely solid, more so than many steel boxes in the same price bracket. Using a plastic case that doesn’t block RF also means NAD can hide the unit’s wi-ﬁ and Bluetooth antennas inside, negating rear panel clutter of dongles and transmitters.

Setting up the D 7050 is a breeze. There’s no on/off switch on the unit, so the matching remote is called upon to bring the screen to life. Getting it on to a home network simply involves pressing the unit’s rear panel WPS button, and likewise on a home router (in my case a BT Home Hub) followed by a few seconds of waiting while the two ﬁnd each other and the wi-ﬁ symbol becomes static. Operation via NAD’s dedicated app is equally simple to get going. Once downloaded, simply select your device and enter your wi-ﬁ key to be given access to all of the D 7050’s features, ranging from selecting inputs to specifying the sub’s crossover point. Unlike apps from the likes of Cambridge Audio and Linn, NAD’s app cannot access or initiate playback from a music library on your network, so playback needs to be started at the client end of things (for example your computer, smartphone or tablet), and then controlled using the app to select the input you require and adjust the volume.