SoundStage Reviews NAD Masters M17 AV Preamp

In their newest equipment report, SoundStage! Xperience test the new NAD Masters M17 AV Surround Sound Preamp Processor, as the latest in preamplifier home theatre technology. Right off the bat SoundStage! Xperience’s editor, Roger Kanno, said the M17 is “one of the best-looking surround-sound processors” he’d seen in a long time, and his love is evident for the new NAD Masters Series‘ sheer beauty throughout the review – but how does it perform in terms of video processing & sound quality?

“With The Dark Knight Rises, the differences in picture quality between the IMAX sequences and the scenes shot on standard 35mm film were readily apparent through the M17. The IMAX scenes were gorgeous and wonderfully film-like, the 35mm scenes noticeably softer, with less fine detail”… “With its extremely quiet backgrounds and crystal-clear sound, the M17 provided an enveloping and realistic auditory experience: the sounds of the sailboat’s creaking hull and the waves lapping against it gave me a vivid sense of being inside a small vessel’s cabin.”

In Kanno’s conclusion: “it offers all of the functionality required by almost anyone contemplating the purchase of a modern SSP, with impressive sound to match. It’s also one of the most attractive-looking A/V components in recent memory. Combined with NAD’s matching Masters Series M27 seven-channel power amplifier — or, for that matter, any high-quality power amp — the M17 should provide excellent performance with both multichannel and stereo recordings.”

Read the full review here.