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NAD C720BEE Stereo Receiver

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The Story Behind BEE

Many of NAD�s most innovative circuit designs have come from the creative mind of Bjorn Erik Edvardsen, Director of Advanced Developments. Soft Clipping, Power Envelope, and PowerDrive are just a few examples of Erik�s superb engineering skill. The BEE moniker for NAD�s latest receiver recognizes Erik�s contribution to the marque, now in its 32nd year.

Features:

The C720BEE is fully remote controlled and comes supplied with the NAD SR5 system remote control. The remote control will also operate other NAD products such as CD players. We also include a small Zone 2 remote that allows input switching from a remote zone when used with an IR extender eye. A simple second zone can be configured by using the switchable Speakers B option. Flexibility is another NAD strong point. The C720BEE has 7 line inputs and the pre-amplifier section can be separated from the power amplifier for easy upgrades or adding ancillary equipment. Thus the C720BEE can be expanded to meet future system needs.

For remote on/off switching of ancillary components in a system, such as power amplifiers or active speakers, the C720BEE is equipped with a 12V-trigger system. When< switching the amplifier on, the 12V- trigger output is also activated, which when connected to a device with a 12Vtrigger input will switch on the remote device. Besides the 12V-trigger, the C720BEE also has an AC switched outlet (North American version only) so you can easily switch your entire system on or off with the remote control or from the front panel.

It is fashionable to omit tone controls nowadays: however, provided that the tone controls are properly designed, they can be really useful tools in making improvements to the overall sound. The C720BEE tone controls only work at the frequency extremes leaving the critical mid-band essentially unaltered. The tone control circuits can be completely bypassed by using the tone defeat switch.

The C720BEE also incorporates NAD�s acclaimed switchable �Soft Clipping� circuit, which significantly reduces the risk of damage to loudspeakers due to prolonged high power operation.

Design: PowerDrive:

NAD takes a stance to the overblown power ratings quoted by many competitors, which don�t give a realistic indication of an amplifier�s true capabilities. NAD�s Full Disclosure Power ratings give the guaranteed minimum continuous power output under the �worst case� loading of 4 Ohms and 20Hz to 20kHz with both channels driven simultaneously, as well as the more meaningful in actual use dynamic power ratings.

The C720BEE benefits from NAD�s proprietary PowerDrive topology, this further refinement of Power Envelope and ISC, is now well established and used throughout the NAD product range. PowerDrive endows the C720BEE with tremendous dynamic power and low impedance drive capability, seemingly contradictory traits to be found in a single amplifier. This is accomplished by using a multistage power supply with a very sophisticated analog computer determining whether to switch in a high voltage or a high current rail depending on the specific operating condition. This optimization is fully automatic and utterly transparent in operation; the result is that the C720BEE sounds far larger and more powerful than its continuous power rating would suggest.

PowerDrive is a practical approach to enable an amplifier to easily deal with musical dynamics and difficult speaker loads. Most impressive are the C720BEE�s dynamic capabilities; up to 180 Watts into 2 ohms and up to 50 amps peak current capability!

Performance:

The C720BEE features many circuit refinements trickled down from NAD�s award winning amplifiers including active current sources and common base current followers in the power amp section. This dramatically reduces dynamic intermodulation distortion between music signal components in different frequency ranges, and between the music signals and the power supply ripple and distortion components. In measurement terms, both static and dynamic IM distortion are reduced by between 10dB to 20dB. (to between -90dB and - 100dB.)In audible terms this improves definition, purity and resolution, hence imaging.Compared to its predecessor the C740, we have improved the accuracy of the tone controls, increasing their boost/cut range by 1.5dB and have specified a better quality volume control. While some of these are small improvements in and of themselves, there is an additive effect that results in a more refined and authoritative sound, building on the strengths of the already very good design of the C740 and making it the equal of the C320BEE.

The sensible Tone Control characteristics, sonically transparent relay input switching, and Pure Class A modular preamp stages and power amp driver stages, are directly carried over from the C320BEE. So are the patented power amp output stages, unique low resistance binding post design, copper bus bars for high-current paths, and low-noise discrete regulators.

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