Performance
Features
Ergonomics
Value $1,649
AT A GLANCE
Plus
Great sound quality
Onboard Dirac Live room correction
Well-designed control app
Minus
Overly busy remote control
THE VERDICT
NAD's streaming preamp brings vinyl playback and Dirac Live room correction to the mix for a very complete package at an affordable price.
I'm no stranger to the network audio player/preamplifier category, having evaluated two such specimens in 2019: Cary Audio's DMS-550 and Simaudio's Moon 390. These components act as a hub for switching a range of digital and analog sources, along with streaming music from online services and local networked storage. The DMS-550 and Moon 390 impressed me with their versatility and sound quality, but at $5,000-plus, both are priced outside the range of an average listener. Fortunately, other options exist such as the NAD C 658, a $1,649 network audio player/ preamplifier aimed at audiophiles on a budget. How does the C 658 hold up against the pricier models? Let's give it a listen.
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