AV Guide Monthly Reviews C352 C542

Super Starter Audio System, Part 1

NAD C 352 Stereo Integrated Amplifier By Jim Hannon

About the Super Starter Audio System

When Chris Martens, the editor of AVguide Monthly, asked me to see what a system for around $2,000 could produce in terms of sheer musicality, I thought of the first audiophilegrade system I owned. In 1979, armed with a graduate degree and a new job offer, I ventured into a high-end audio store. While I had previously purchased audio components “one at a time” for about a decade, this was the first time somebody had helped me assemble a complete system from the ground up. The salesperson was knowledgeable, friendly, and patient and recommended a system consisting of a NAD integrated amplifier, a Rega Planar 2 turntable with a Grace F9E cartridge, and a pair of Magnepan MG1s. Although each component was not a substantial upgrade from what I had previously owned, the overall system was several levels better. I was thrilled at how much more musically involving and truthful it was than my previous collection of audio gear.

During the next few months, I will be describing a superior sounding entry level audio system—one that offers some of the same musical virtues I appreciated in the system that seasoned professional helped me assemble several decades ago (but updated for the 21st century, of course). I think you’ll be surprised at how satisfying the “Super Starter System” sounds, substantially better than “mid-fi” systems costing much, much more. While it is not the last word in transparency, low end extension and control, inner detail, dynamic range, transient speed, and holographic imaging, the “Super Starter System” literally creams its mid-fi counterparts on a composite of these important sonic attributes. It is a musically engaging system that you can enjoy for hours without aural fatigue.

"...the C 352 may be one of the most flexible integrated amplifiers under a thousand bucks"

The suggested retail price of the electronics and speakers comprising this system is $1847. While this doesn’t leave much room for speaker cables and interconnects, I suspect most dealers will offer a small system discount so that some decent wire can be included without exceeding the $2K objective. One might be tempted to spend a few extra hundred dollars here and there, but that’s the way you can blow your budget, as well as the synergy of the system. Although the performance of this system is quite remarkable at this price, it may not be the best system for your needs. I would encourage those ready to take the leap into this great hobby to work with a knowledgeable salesperson at a respected audio salon and audition this system and others. Good dealers have a lot of experience assembling musically satisfying and coherent systems at different price points, and I’ve learned a lot from several of them over the years. At a minimum, they can help you avoid some huge blunders.

Besides offering a surprising level of musical satisfaction and value, I also wanted this entry-level system to be flexible, accessible, and close to fullrange. It pained me to rule out tube electronics, mini-monitors, electrostatic speakers, and subwoofers for various reasons, but the resulting system is something that non-audiophiles and significant others can use without fear, and seasoned audiophiles can heartily recommend to their friends, relatives, and acquaintances.

"A lot of folks are going to have to think "long and hard" before spending more on a source component."

Part 1: The Amplifier

The first component under review in this “Super Starter System” is the NAD C 352 integrated amplifier. I’ve had very good luck with NAD gear over the years. My teenage daughters use an old NAD 7150 stereo receiver I’ve had as a backup for ages, and I own a more recent NAD T752 AVR for my home theater rig. While not all NAD products have lived up to the reputation of the original 3020, all the units I have owned over the years have sounded quite musical and the new NAD C 352 has musicality in spades. When I first listened to it paired with the great little Snell K-7 bookshelf speakers I reviewed last month, I was surprised by its wide soundstage and midrange clarity. I really enjoyed this combination in my bedroom system and found myself listening to lots of piano music ranging from Bach Partitas 1,3,6 [Virgin Classics] to The Piano Music of Nikolai Medtner [Chesky]. I don’t think I’ve ever had better music reproduction in my bedroom, and it was a gas!

The NAD C 352 offers significant enhancements over the well-regarded C 350 model it replaced. The new unit boasts a more robust all-metal chassis, a larger custom wound toroidal power transformer, upgraded “Class A” preamp and driver stage modules, and lower noise and distortion. Better still, it offers 80 watts of continuous power per channel and it sounds much more powerful than that. Part of the reason is NAD’s proprietary PowerDriveTM technology which delivers high dynamic power with the ability to drive low impedances, enabling this integrated amplifier to work with a host of different types of loudspeakers. While not an ideal sonic match for my high-resolution reference speakers, I found the C 352 was stable enough to drive the difficult loads of both my Quad electrostatics and my Genesis Vs. Most budget amplifiers, as well as several costlier units, wilt under these demands.

Indeed, the C 352 may be one of the most flexible integrated amplifiers under a thousand bucks. According to Mark Stone, NAD’s Marketing Manager, the C 352 has similar “guts” to NAD’s own separates, the C 162 and C 272. Chris Martens raved about their sound in a review in our sister publication, The Absolute Sound. The C 352 is really a separate preamplifier and amplifier in one chassis and these two sections can be easily de-coupled by removing the supplied external jumpers. This gives you many of the advantages of separates without incurring a cost penalty for them. It also saves you the expense of interconnects between the preamplifier and amplifier. What a good deal!

Should you upgrade your line section, you can still use the C 352’s amplifier section, or vice versa. One of things I liked best was the unit’s two preamplifier outputs. This allows a range of configurations including the addition of a powered subwoofer, an external amplifier, or both at the same time. A NAD C 272 power amplifier can be easily combined with the C 352’s own amplifier section for extra power in a bi-amplified system, should your speakers need some extra juice. While I didn’t feel a need for more power with the speakers I will propose in Part III of this series, NAD gives you an easy upgrade path so you can easily increase the base unit’s available power and headroom.

Flexible and intuitive tone controls work to help increase the musicality and enjoyment of the system. As many “Top 100” CDs are mixed “hot,” with exaggerated levels in the highs and bass, I used the C 352’s tone controls to help tame the treble and flatten out the bass, making these CDs much more listenable. For good recordings, I used the “tone defeat” switch to remove the tone controls from the circuit.

Accessibility, or ease of use, is another of the C 352’s great attributes. While this is typically not a concern of many audiophiles, it is an important factor in introducing high quality sound to typical music enthusiasts. The C 352 comes with a remote control that is as easy to use as one for a television set, and it can control the entire system. I liked being able to adjust the volume and switch tracks without leaving my listening position. Whereas my wife and daughters avoid touching my reference system, they have been drawn to the C 352 and feel comfortable and confident using it. The NAD also includes a soft clipping feature that keeps you from frying your speakers if the amplifier is overdriven. It’s another nice touch.

"I think many of you are going to be surprised by just how good it sounds in the “Super Starter System,”

Whereas the C 352 works extremely well in the context of the proposed system, it may or may not be the best choice for other systems. When I used the C 352 with the remarkable $4000/pair Hyperion 928s (which I reviewed in AVguide Monthly issue 4), I lost some of the sonic attributes that make that speaker system so outstanding, but that combination still sounded pretty darn good. The lateral soundstage was wide and precise, the dynamic swings still sent some chills down my spine, and voices and instruments had an appealing richness. If you have efficient speakers, NAD’s own C 320BEE offers similar sonic attributes and will save you a few hundred bucks. According to Mr. Stone, both units use the same “design platform,” but the smaller sibling gives you less power and flexibility. While it is difficult to fault the C 352’s musicality, some may desire more power, transient speed, and dynamic range. The Musical Fidelity X- 150 that so impressed AVguide Monthly reviewer Sallie Reynolds is a more costly alternative that could fit the bill, and it also includes a phono stage.

The C 352 works quite synergistically with the components of the “Super Starter System” and illustrates the importance of good system matching. I got more apparent image depth with this entry system on Wayne Shorter’s Speak No Evil [Blue Note] and Miles Davis’ Sketches of Spain [Columbia] than when I used the C 352 with some of my reference speakers! Listening to Pink Floyd’s reissue of Money [EMI/Capitol], I was pleased by the system’s ability to really rock and maintain its composure at fairly high output levels. David Gilmour’s voice, the sound of the guitars and drums, and other “effects” were appealing and nicely balanced.

The NAD C 352 is one of those components that should provide you with years of faithful service and musical enjoyment. I think many of you are going to be surprised by just how good it sounds in the “Super Starter System,” and this integrated amplifier easily meets my system objectives of musicality, flexibility, and accessibility, as well as being a great value. NAD’s new integrated amplifier is userfriendly and provides several different configuration options, allowing you to grow your system and avoid obsolescence. Better still, its ability to float an image between the speakers and reproduce voice and strings with a surprising richness is light years ahead of typical “mid-fi” fare and should attract a new segment of music lovers. You are likely to find that this is one component you will want to have around for years.

Super Starter Audio System, Part II

NAD C 542 Compact Disc Player

Part II: The Source

The challenge for this series of reviews is to assemble an entry level audio system, costing less than $2,000, which is musically engaging, easy to set-up and use, flexible, and beats the pants off "mid-fi" systems costing far more. All the elements of this system must work together seamlessly to produce satisfying, natural, non-fatiguing sound that even hard-core audiophiles will appreciate. Moreover, this is one "value-priced" system that audio "evangelists" and music lovers can happily use themselves, or heartily recommend to their friends, relatives, and acquaintances.

In last month's issue of AVguide Monthly, I reviewed the first element of this system, the NAD C 352 integrated amplifier. The next addition to this "Super Starter System" is another NAD product— the NAD C 542 CD player. It meets the system objectives of musicality, accessibility, and value. When I first listened to "Inca Roads" on Music By Frank Zappa [Opus 3], I was surprised at the C 542's level of musical detail, transient speed, naturalness, and ability to float an image. I thought, "CD players under $500 sure sound a lot better than they used to!" I also noticed that an HDCD light was illuminated on the NAD.

While I still prefer the sound of LPs played on a good turntable system in an absolute sense, at the $500 price point I believe the NAD CD player is a better bet for musical enjoyment. Nobody else in my family is interested in washing vinyl and adjusting phono cartridge VTA, but everyone in this household of music lovers is very comfortable using the NAD player. When you consider this player's surprising musicality, speed stability and convenience, not to mention the greater media availability for CDs vs. vinyl, it's a "no brainer" to recommend the C 542 as the source component for the Super Starter System.

Initially, I used the NAD C 542 and C 352 combo, along with the wonderful Snell K-7 bookshelf speakers, in my bedroom for over a month to study several piano recordings. This modest system drew me into the music and performances, and I found myself listening far longer than I had planned during each session. Vladimir Ashkenazy's technical prowess and artistry on Chopin's Nocturnes/Ballades [London] could be easily contrasted with the performances of keyboard masters like Artur Rubinstein, Vladamir Horowitz, Ivan Moravec, and Piotr Anderszewski. It inspired me to start working on a couple more Chopin "Ballades" (F Major and A Flat Major) to go along with the one I already know (G Minor). I can envision performing artists and music students using such a system to great effect.

As one would expect, the C 542 mates extremely well with the NAD C 352 integrated amplifier, an important consideration in this system. It is so easy to use, offering "appliance-like" convenience, that I believe my eighty-year-old mother could use it without a problem. Although the CD player remote lacks the volume control of the larger, all-purpose SR-5 system remote included with the integrated amp, I preferred using the NAD CD-6. Besides being "dirt simple," it is close to three inches shorter and fits into one's hand more easily. The CD-6 remote also includes some additional features like the ability to repeat or randomize tracks, program a sequence of tracks, and alternate between seeing the elapsed or remaining tracks and time of the disc or program being played. For those of you who transfer CDs to cassette, MiniDisc or CD-R, this timing information is highly useful. It's also somewhat of a kick to see how much time you have left before you have leave your chair to change CDs.

"In the context of the Super Starter System, the NAD C 542 is a great fit. I suspect you will have to pay significantly more to beat this level of performance."

Another reason for the NAD choice is that the C 542 just sounds more musical than most modestly priced units. This musicality is the result of some smart design choices and demonstrates that there's a lot more involved in producing good sound than just slapping in the latest D-to-A converter and calling it a day. Yes, the NAD uses a 24-bit high resolution Burr-Brown Sigma Delta DAC, but it also includes a lot of design features that improve the sound. For example, the NAD has separate power regulators to isolate the digital and analog sections electrically and reduce interference effects, uses metal film resistors and polypropylene capacitors in key areas, has professional grade op-amps, and apart from a single output capacitor, has no other capacitors in the signal path. One finds these design elements in more expensive units.

The DAC converter chip in the NAD C 542 has built-in HDCD® decoding. While HDCD titles may not seem easy to find (for example, the Music Direct web site— www.musicdirect.com—lists only about 110 HDCD discs), over 5,000 recordings are reported to have used the HDCD recording process—and many of them are not labeled as HDCD discs. Since the NAD has automatic HDCD detection, you might be surprised at the number of HDCD discs already in your collection. If you have Reference Recordings, Opus 3, Acoustic Disc, or Grateful Dead CDs, among others, take special note. Moreover, the HDCD decoding chip in the NAD is said to improve the fidelity of standard, non-HDCD, recordings.

At any rate, the sonic performance of the NAD C 542 on HDCDs is pretty impressive. I was surprised by the natural detail, dynamics, and imaging coming from this modestly priced player on my "big rig" system while playing HDCD samplers like 100% Handmade Bluegrass [Acoustic Disc], Special 20th Anniversary Celebration Disc [Opus 3], and Tutti [Reference Recordings]. Listening to the bluegrass selections, I was struck by the transient speed of the plucked stringed instruments, like mandolins, banjo, and guitar. The woodwinds on Ibert's "Escales—animé" had a cushion of air around them and floated between the speakers. The trumpet on "West End Blues," had natural bite and body. Using HDCD discs definitely vaults the performance of the C 542 up to another level, and they don't have any of the dreaded upper midrange brightness I've heard on some SACDs.

The NAD's performance playing standard CDs was also quite good, if not as striking as on the HDCD discs. Both Stan Getz's sax and Astrud Gilberto's voice on "The Girl From Ipanema" from Getz/Gilberto [Verve] sounded natural and appealing. Through the C 542, you'll readily hear the air behind the reed of Getz's sax and the lack of sibilance in Ms. Gilberto's voice. While image depth was somewhat foreshortened, the performers were positioned widely across the stage. Listening to Erik Saedén singing Schubert's Winterreise [Proprius], the voice had surprising richness, body, and detail, reminding me of CD players costing much more. The C 542 throws the voice a bit forward on the stage, but not in overall tonal balance. With the NAD, I didn't hear the annoying distortions and artifacts so common with players in this segment.

"…I was surprised at the C 542's level of musical detail, transient speed, naturalness, and ability to float an image."

In the context of the Super Starter System, the NAD C 542 is a great fit. I suspect you will have to pay significantly more to beat this level of performance. At twice the price, the sound of the Musical Fidelity X-RayV3 I reviewed a few months ago, is more "relaxed" and natural, and has greater air, body, weight, dynamic range, neutrality, clarity, transient quickness, and image depth. However, the NAD C 542 is no slouch on these important sonic attributes, offering perhaps 80% of the X-Ray's stellar performance at half the price. The gap between the two units is narrowed further when listening to HDCD encoded recordings on the NAD. While the X-RayV3 is still better overall, the units are much closer in terms of musical detail and the ability to reproduce the leading edge of transients. That's coming close to a very high level of performance, in my book.

One might argue that a universal player might be a more appropriate source for the Super Starter System, but I haven't heard one at this price point that outperforms the NAD in total. While the SACD and DVD-A formats offer some advantages, the NAD C 542 throttles many "high-rez" players when it comes to playing standard, Redbook audio CDs. The NAD's own HDCD mode is pretty darn good in its own right, and avoids the upper midrange glare I have experienced with some SACD players around this price point. Admittedly, this forwardness can be somewhat mollified with good power conditioners, but adding one of these breaks our budget. I expect the performance of SACD and DVD-A players will continue to improve, even on standard CDs, and this is one area you may want to track.

The NAD C 542 should attract a wide range of music lovers and audio enthusiasts because of its compelling musicality, convenience, and value. Along with the Musical Fidelity X-RayV3, this NAD unit demonstrates just how far modestly priced CD players have come. Its HDCD performance is surprisingly competitive with the latest high resolution formats, and its sound on standard CDs trounces some highly regarded universal players. A lot of folks are going to have to think "long and hard" before spending more on a source component.