Listening to vinyl is a unique experience unlike any other. To hear your favourite songs on vinyl is to hear them in a way you can’t replicate anywhere else. NAD’s C 556 Turntable accentuates this experience, producing a phenomenal sound that both grips and moves vinyl lovers everywhere. Building on past designs, the C 556 reduces speed variations thanks to a precision main bearing and low vibration motor. Employing NAD’s compression moulded Phenolic Resin platter, the C 556 releases every last nuance of energy present in your valued LP recordings. By diminishing the size and number of mechanical joints in the newly designed tonearm, energy-absorbing mass is kept at a minimum. Less mass allows the C 556’s tonearm to accurately track vinyl records and limit the amount of perceptible distortion. The included cartridge is aligned at the factory for perfect tracking and easy setup, resulting in a turntable that will have you falling in love with your vinyl collection all over again.
Read more of this product's story
Many of the world’s most ardent music lovers believe that the 33 1/3 RPM Long Playing vinyl record remains the most musically communicative playback medium. NAD has a long history of producing some of the best value-for-money turntables and phono stages. The PP 2i is a legendary budget phono preamp, while the PP 4 takes the superb performance of the PP 2i and adds a simple way to convert your LPs into CDs using your computer and the internet to automate the ‘CD mastering’ process.
While vinyl LPs can be a reference quality source of musical enjoyment, they can also sound terrible if the turntable is less than reference quality. Unlike digital sources with their foolproof error correction circuits, the turntable is like a live performance with no room for error. The same piece of vinyl can sound lush, vibrant and spacious on one turntable, but edgy, lifeless and riddled with ticks and pops on another. The difference is the mechanical precision of every aspect of the turntable.
When it comes to the C 556, NAD has spent lavishly on the parts of the turntable that define its performance, and has left off the features that do nothing to improve the sound. The result is a turntable that easily outperforms others at twice the modest asking price of the C 556. The secret to a good sounding turntable is to make a rock solid mechanical connection between the platter and the pickup stylus. Any play or vibration will either add resonant colouration (making the smack of a snare drum sound like a thud) or subtract the fine detail that is the primary benefit of well-played vinyl. To achieve this goal we use special materials and techniques. The three mechanisms that make up a turntable are the platter that supports and spins the record; the tone arm, which allows the stylus to accurately track the record; and the cartridge, which transforms the vibrations in the record groove into the electrical signals that are sent to your preamplifier.
The platter of the C 556 uses a special phenolic resin that is pressure cast to create the ideal properties of being both massive and inert. The mass creates a flywheel effect that eliminates small, and very unmusical, speed variations called wow and flutter. The mass also rejects unwanted external vibrations, and combined with the extreme hardness of the phenolic material, suppresses vibrations in the audible range. This massive platter requires a precision low friction bearing to allow smooth and stable revolving motion. A special bronze body with a stainless steel ball bearing provides a point-perfect contact with the hardened steel shaft of the platter assembly. This is the ideal design for minimal friction, and a complete elimination of any play or ‘wobble’. The bearing is firmly connected to the rigid and well-damped base that provides a rigid connection to the tone arm. A precision synchronous clock motor keeps the platter spinning at exactly 33 1/3 RPM and its own vibrations are carefully isolated from the platter by a synthetic rubber belt and from the base by rubber isolation mountings.
The tone arm must have the lowest possible mass while still maintaining a rigid, vibration-free connection to the record. To achieve this contradictory goal, the C 556 uses a hand built arm featuring an alloy tube and precision bearings at the gimbal pivot. A simple counter weight balance is combined with a magnetic anti-skate bias control to make for a friction-free pivot that allows the cartridge to operate in an ideal environment.
By delivering the turntable with the cartridge already correctly installed and aligned, we were thinking of the many new vinyl devotees who may be less familiar with the setup requirements of a transcription turntable. Setup and operation could not be simpler—the C 556 comes complete. Just set the tone arm counter weight to the indicated position, then plug ‘n play.
Whether you are new to vinyl, simply want to upgrade the sound of your vinyl collection, or even want to transcribe your LPs to digital files for playback on your computer, the NAD C 556 is the perfect choice. It is fully capable of providing the ‘vinyl magic’ that has made the LP the most successful recorded medium of all time. With the C 556, NAD is offering the best performing turntable in its 40-year history.
IMPORTANT – DOWNLOADING ANY SOFTWARE AND/OR PROGRAM, OR DOCUMENTATION ONLINE, INDICATES YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THIS AGREEMENT. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH THIS AGREEMENT, YOU MAY NOT DOWNLOAD ANY SOFTWARE AND/OR PROGRAM, OR ONLINE DOCUMENTATION.
NAD Electronics International, a division of Lenbrook Industries Limited (“NAD”) furnishes this software and/or program, and online documentation, licenses their use to you as provided in this Agreement.
Under this Agreement NAD grants you a non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicenseable, royalty-free limited license to use the program or online documentation for use solely for the purpose of upgrading NAD Products.
YOU AGREE NOT TO MODIFY, ADAPT, TRANSLATE, REVERSE ENGINEER, DECOMPILE, OR DISASSEMBLE THE PROGRAM OR ONLINE DOCUMENTATION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY PROVIDED FOR IN THIS AGREEMENT OR UPON NAD’S WRITTEN REQUEST. IN ADDITION YOU AGREE NOT TO TRANSFER OR DISCLOSE THE PROGRAM, ONLINE DOCUMENTATION OR ANY PROGRAM YOU DEVELOP FROM THEM IN WHOLE OR IN PART, TO ANY THIRD PARTY EXCEPT UPON NAD’S PRIOR WRITTEN APPROVAL. FINALLY YOU AGREE NOT TO USE THE PROGRAM IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR ANY PURPOSE OTHER THAN AS OUTLINED IN THE ONLINE DOCUMENTATION.
This license is effective until terminated. You may terminate it at any time by giving NAD written notice to that effect. NAD may terminate it if you fail to comply with this Agreement by giving you notice. Upon termination you will destroy the program or documentation and all copies you have made of them. In addition upon termination you will have no recourse against NAD for your inability to use the program or accompanying documentation.
The software and documentation are provided “AS IS” and without warranty of any kind and NAD expressly disclaims all other warranties, express or implied. NAD will not be liable for damages, either direct or consequential, arising from the use of this product or from the inability to use this product, even if we have been informed in advance of the possibility of such damages. While we have made every effort to ensure that the Upgrade Software and/or Program, or Documentation operates in the manner described, we do not guarantee operation to be error free. Upgrades, modifications, or repairs to this program or documentation will be strictly at the discretion of NAD. If you encounter problems installing or operating the Upgrade Software and/or Program, or following the Documentation, please contact NAD Electronics at support@nadelectronics.com
Because of the great variety of PC-compatible, operating system versions, and peripherals currently in use, we do not guarantee that you will be able to use Upgrade Software and/or Program successfully on all such systems.
You acknowledge that NAD owns all right, title and interest, including but not limited to all copyrights, trade secrets, and other intellectual property in and to the programs and accompanying documentation.
YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ THIS AGREEMENT, UNDERSTAND IT AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY IT. YOU FURTHER AGREE THAT IT IS THE COMPLETE AND EXCLUSIVE STATEMENT OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU AND NAD CONCERNING THE PROGRAM AND ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION AND THAT IT SUPERSEDES ANY DEMONSTRATION, ADVERTISEMENT, PROPOSAL OR PRIOR AGREEMENT, ORAL OR WRITTEN BETWEEN YOU AND NAD OR BETWEEN YOU AND ANY OTHER PARTY RELATING TO THE UPGRADE SOFTWARE AND/OR PROGRAM, AND ONLINE DOCUMENTATION.
Please indicate your acceptance by pressing the I Agree button below.
