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NAD M50.2 compatibles?


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Nuz1 and Peter,  Thanks for the very helpful summaries of the review.  You've saved me from the long and arduous project of having to learn to Dutch! 

 

Certainly a lot of things to think over before purchasing the M50.2: from the possibility of needing a shim to stabilize the unit, to the prospect of having to replace the hard-drives beneath the motherboard.   As to the latter, am I reading the specs correctly when it says there are 3 total USB type-A ports for input?  Could we use those ports to back-up the HDs to a thumb-drive or a USB HD?  And we could also play from them as well, correct?   Obviously, as people have mentioned, much better to have an SSD from the start, but I'm wondering if high-capacity thumb-drives are a viable workaround.      

 

Peter, let us know how the bidding process is going and whether you score the M50.2 

 

Nuz1, I gather you;re looking at the Lumin U1  purely as as a network transport/ streamer?  I have my eye on that as well.  I tried the T1, but did not like the built-in DAC and it had no output options to an external DAC.    The Lumin's pretty pricey (for just a streamer) so I think the Aries G2 or even the dCS Bridge come in cheaper.  There's a very laudatory review of the dCS in that same issue of Stereophile with the article on the NAD.    And if you;re looking for more of a server (with storage), I'm wondering if the new Wyreds or a Baetis might meet your needs instead.

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Dr. Detroit-

 

I don't know if you use Chrome, but Google translate was my friend when it came to the Dutch review.  :)

 

Good guess, I am considering the U1.  And you're right, more expensive.  But I think I can get a good  discount at a dealer I know.  It will still be more than the M50.2 but close enough to consider it.  

 

My ultimate goal is a whole house system with a top quality server or streamer for my 2 channel system.  Plus I also want to get the NAS into  a different room from a noise factor and simplify the system for my wife.  I can do everything I want to accomplish all in one ecosystem with BluOs.  I just wanted to read a few reviews and hear about others having a good experience before I pulled the trigger myself.   But I could also focus on the 2 channel and buy the Lumin U1  or the new Auralic Aries  and then just expand Sonos throughout the rest of the house.    Or, I could use Roon and have more even options for endpoints.    Like I said in an earlier post, I'm probably over analyzing and just need to buy the NAD and enjoy the music!

 

 

4 hours ago, DrDetroit said:

Nuz1 and Peter,  Thanks for the very helpful summaries of the review.  You've saved me from the long and arduous project of having to learn to Dutch! 

 

Certainly a lot of things to think over before purchasing the M50.2: from the possibility of needing a shim to stabilize the unit, to the prospect of having to replace the hard-drives beneath the motherboard.   As to the latter, am I reading the specs correctly when it says there are 3 total USB type-A ports for input?  Could we use those ports to back-up the HDs to a thumb-drive or a USB HD?  And we could also play from them as well, correct?   Obviously, as people have mentioned, much better to have an SSD from the start, but I'm wondering if high-capacity thumb-drives are a viable workaround.      

 

Peter, let us know how the bidding process is going and whether you score the M50.2 

 

Nuz1, I gather you;re looking at the Lumin U1  purely as as a network transport/ streamer?  I have my eye on that as well.  I tried the T1, but did not like the built-in DAC and it had no output options to an external DAC.    The Lumin's pretty pricey (for just a streamer) so I think the Aries G2 or even the dCS Bridge come in cheaper.  There's a very laudatory review of the dCS in that same issue of Stereophile with the article on the NAD.    And if you;re looking for more of a server (with storage), I'm wondering if the new Wyreds or a Baetis might meet your needs instead.

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  • 5 weeks later...

Im a proud owner of the M50.2. Ive compared them with severall other systems. Its seem that the M50.2 is more friendly to music, it has a tighter powerfull bass in the deep ends and i really loved playing with it! BluOs is also a fine system to play with it. On a short term these a DSD firmare on its way. Especially i like the MQA tidal music. It already unfolds 70% of the music on any DAC , but for the 100% unfold you need a M12 of Mytek or since now the New PS audio Digistream wich is on my short list. Although Metrum  seems also coming up with MQA i like them even better.

about the remote; it come in Europ without but don,t worry a said in a messige early on; you dont need it because you can easy program any remote. Such as tv or preamp . Ive been. Playing with a M51 at the moment with the right remote but never use it.  Succes with your decision..

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On 17-10-2017 at 5:51 PM, Hear Here said:

So you'd be using the Vault as a streamer as well as a NAS, but you wouldn't be using its DAC or volume control.  That would put it closer to the M50.2 if you used the 2 products in the same way, though the latter should still sound better.

 

The M50.2 has the usual RCA and Toslink digital outputs, but also an AEB and an HDMI output.  There are also 2 USB sockets but these seem to be just for use with external HDs or USB sticks.  Although the worthless user manual doesn't say what these can be used for, one assumes that they can also be used for backing up from the built in hard drives.  Whether they can be used for what you want I don't know.  I would use the AEB to connect to a DAC.

I have already tried a Hat silver spdif cable wich was very good. The advice of Nad back in NL and Bob Moran ( NAD) is a AES/EBU cable. I,m using a fine AudioQuest Coffee at the moment. It seems to be better than HDMI.

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On 22-10-2017 at 1:19 AM, DrDetroit said:

Hi Peter, 

 

I'm starting to rethink my options.  I've got pretty bad fatigue issues and just had a painful  audition this week with an older model Aqua La Scale DAC feeding off of my Node 2.   However, by taking the external DAC out of the equation, and using the Node 2's  own internal DAC,  I had a much less fatiguing experience.  So now I'm wondering about if there's any advantage to upgrading from the Node 2 to the NAD M12 as a streamer/DAC combo. You mentioned in a prior post that you have the NAD M12 with the BluOS module.  How does it sound?  Have you compared it to the Node as a streamer/DAC combo?

 

Hallo Dr Detroit, as said before. The node 2 has an exempional value for money. But make no doubt about it the Nad M32 or M12 sounds miles and more better. If you can afford the money; do it!  ( former node 2 owner)

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On 17-11-2017 at 7:04 PM, DrDetroit said:

Nuz1 and Peter,  Thanks for the very helpful summaries of the review.  You've saved me from the long and arduous project of having to learn to Dutch! 

 

Certainly a lot of things to think over before purchasing the M50.2: from the possibility of needing a shim to stabilize the unit, to the prospect of having to replace the hard-drives beneath the motherboard.   As to the latter, am I reading the specs correctly when it says there are 3 total USB type-A ports for input?  Could we use those ports to back-up the HDs to a thumb-drive or a USB HD?  And we could also play from them as well, correct?   Obviously, as people have mentioned, much better to have an SSD from the start, but I'm wondering if high-capacity thumb-drives are a viable workaround.      

 

Peter, let us know how the bidding process is going and whether you score the M50.2 

 

Nuz1, I gather you;re looking at the Lumin U1  purely as as a network transport/ streamer?  I have my eye on that as well.  I tried the T1, but did not like the built-in DAC and it had no output options to an external DAC.    The Lumin's pretty pricey (for just a streamer) so I think the Aries G2 or even the dCS Bridge come in cheaper.  There's a very laudatory review of the dCS in that same issue of Stereophile with the article on the NAD.    And if you;re looking for more of a server (with storage), I'm wondering if the new Wyreds or a Baetis might meet your needs instead.

Hai again all of you. Im dutch so the alpha artikel is well known to me. Ive spoken to the reviewer it self as well. There was only a very short period of testing the m50.2 there was a short burn in time possible. But after awhile it sounds very good, even better as the M50. Although some critics is Jaap very enthousiastic about BluOs. Also was he well informed about future updates of Nad company. that was compared to some other brands in goods hands! Overall rating was very good! I ve made a comparasing about the aurender a 10 with a nice Dac but with no CD transport in it. And only 1 toslink connection on it.  Sounds were pretty equal. Together with a nice Dac is the Nad in the Netherlands more expensive but it comes with a lot more possibilities..

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  • 2 weeks later...
14 hours ago, Tommd64 said:

Anyone compared The M50.2 with AES/EBu vs HDMI on a M51 dac??

 

No but I would expect the AES/EBU to be marginally better.  This is specifically designed for high-end audio use, whereas HDMI is a non-professional video protocol with audio included.  Not suggesting HDMI is inferior but that carrying digital audio is not it's main purpose in life!

 

Peter

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  • 4 months later...

Ive recently changed my Dac de Nad M51 into de Mytek Brooklyn+ version. After the update of the Mytek is very good! Ill even stream 356.4 kHz on a 2L recording bij Tidal with AES/EbU unbelieveble sound quality. I though this wasn,t even possible because the specs of the M50.2 limited the AES/Spdif till 192khz.

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On ‎5‎/‎13‎/‎2018 at 6:29 AM, Tommd64 said:

Ive recently changed my Dac de Nad M51 into de Mytek Brooklyn+ version. After the update of the Mytek is very good! Ill even stream 356.4 kHz on a 2L recording bij Tidal with AES/EbU unbelieveble sound quality. I though this wasn,t even possible because the specs of the M50.2 limited the AES/Spdif till 192khz.

I saw in an earlier post, you commented about an upgrade to DSD capability ? Is this something you heard from NAD ? My experience seems to be they have no interest in DSD. I have asked this question also about the NAD M32 , and they do not seem inclined to think DSD is important. Have you checked on that recently ?

 

NAD M33, SGC SonicTransporter I5 GEN 3, w/ 2GB SSD drive as the storage and ROON CORE, with SGC CD Ripper,  Fiber Optic converter system, ROON.  Revel Performa 3 F208 Speakers, ROON, Grover Huffman EX speaker cables, and Bass Jumpers,  WD EX2 Red Drive NAS, Netgear Nighthawk Router, all streaming hardwired Cat6/7, no WiFi. Sony Blu-Ray for SACD backup, PS Audio Dectec to a dedicated 20 amp circuit, Custom Speaker covers, PS Audio Power, Signal Power .

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