NAD M51 Direct Digital DAC & SONY HAP-Z1ES Music Server/DAC

pearsall001
pearsall001 Posts: 5,068
edited February 2014 in Electronics
I find it fascinating at how technology keeps transforming the way we can access & listen to our music & the prices keep dropping. These two units are prime examples & they both have the same selling point at $1999.00. They work their magic in different ways but the end result seems to be the same...they both get off the chart reviews. Now how do they actually sound, I don't have a clue because I haven't heard either one of them. I wonder what the next couple of years have in store as more & more manufactures will enter the arena. It's all good for us for sure.
"2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
Post edited by pearsall001 on
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,194
    edited February 2014
    I so want to test drive the Sony, I read about it got pretty juiced up. Dude does anyone down your way have it? If not I planned on checking around here to see who has it and going to check it out. Maybe a future road trip bro?
    The NAD I will be playing with very soon as a friend of mine sold a job with 7 of them on a killer house music system. NAD with TOTEM and REVEL speakers all around the house. Can't wait to calibrate it.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    edited February 2014
    The NAD is nice in that, at this time, it has a relatively rare feature, an HDMI input. This means you can take an old Blue Ray player, and use it as a high-res source into the NAD. The Sony is also nice, especially for those who like a one-box solution. My only complaint with it is does not have a digital output, so you are stuck with its DAC. Lumin also has a closed box file player that is getting kudos from many.

    These are great times for digital audio what with more and more sites offering PCM and DSD high-res downloads, new music servers coming to market, and DAC technology continuing to improve, and prices coming down.
    Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
    Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
    Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes

    Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
    Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
    Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables

    Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
    Three 20 amp circuits.
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  • bobsauto49
    bobsauto49 Posts: 973
    edited February 2014
    The NAD may have features galore, but lacks in one department, Sound! It was the worst DAC in listening pleasure I tested! I actually preferred my DACMagic plus over the M51 In pure sound quality. Very thin sounding. Just my .02!
    "Everything I ever did in my life worthwhile I caught hell for"
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