NAD M50.2

I'm not an electronics engineer, so don't crucify me, Ok? Lol

But, from what I understand, CDs are PCM data, pulse code modulation. So the PCM datastream is not only digital steps, but also sampled at uniform intervals. Therefore the data must also include a clock somewhere. Even if the data itself is identical, the sampling timing is also critical.

I suspect, but can not prove, that its the clock or the timing that's responsible for the difference in sound between different units. I have three transports here, a PS Audio Perfectwave, a PS Audio Directstream, and an Esoteric K-03X, which can be used as a transport. The three units all sound different when feeding the exact same rest of the system. Which led me to wonder if the NAD might sound differently than, say, an Aurender playing the exact same rips or data.

PS Audio, on their website, states the betterment of sound from the Directstream over the Perfectwave is a result of better data timing, due to an improved memory buffer, and an ultra-low jitter fixed clock.

I also suspect its that timing aspect that results in different sound from different digital interconnects. Some are better at not messing up the timing than others.

Sounds good enough for me. Either way, the clock in the NAD M50.2 - since it’s brand new - should be pretty good. Time, technology, etc etc.  If you want me to test any functionality, let me know. 

I hope it's a nice unit. Mine has been unboxec and sitting on the floor since last Friday (-:   Like some others I will use this in a combined HT set-up.

I'm pulling out an Arcam AVR and moving to the Arcam pre-pro this weekend so I have hesitant to set-up until I pull the whole system this weekend. 

The M50.2 will run into the Arcam pre-pro. The way I understand it is the M50 will unfold to the last level of MQA but to get the final level you still need a MQA DAC.
This trying to decifer NADs beat around the bush response from an email I sent.

i still think/hope it will sound excellent. I guess I will find out. Although it is not MQA compliant I am seriously thinking of pushing the NAD Masters M12 in with the M50.2 and Arcam. It gets such nice reviews.

This may be about all I would want to spend with a combined HT and Stereo set-up. I think the NAD sometimes gets a wrap perhaps not worthy but the Masters seems to be pushing price and performance. Maybe a stereo only rig I'd do it differently but this better to be a nice combined HT set-up.

Maybe I'll post back early next week once I rip everything down and get it set up again. I have a 30 day return on both the NAD and Arcam. I'm more worried about the Arcam pre-pro to be honest. Let's see how they gel.

Speakers KEF Reference 1, KEF Reference 4C center, LS50 rears and KEF height modules. Amps Simaudio M400 mono amps. 

I hope it it all comes together. I have been missing a decent stereo rig. NAD was the choice after looking over features and hopefully decent sound etc.

More to come once I get the M50.2 off the floor and into running mode.

Rick

Rick,

from the (only?) review out there, someone plugged their NAD M50.2 into a Mytek and played an MQA. The NAD decoded it, then the Mytek indicated it was receiving an MQA, but apparently no further processing was done. I think the NAD decodes the MQA/FLAC to high resolution PCM, and from there it’s up to your DAC to give you music.

I’m on the trial Tidal HiFi option now. Streamed some music last night. A couple notes:

1) streaming “masters” music over WiFi is not a viable solution. I had to switch to wired. 

2) The blue MQA light came on the M50.2 and my Emotiva was getting 24bit/96khz music (so, definitely getting the first bit of decoding) rather than the 16/44 I get from ripped CDs or even the default 24/44. But that brings me to...

What is really going on?  Tidal doesn’t tell me (anywhere I can see) what the music specs are...so if it was never encoded above 96, I’m not going to get above 96.  On What’s HiFi, a reviewer wrote (reviewing Tidal Masters):

The benefit of owning (currently limited) kit with built-in MQA decoders, such as the Audirvana Plus 3 computer software – announced at CES 2017 – or Meridian’s Explorer DAC 2, is that all decoding is done by the hardware (bypassing the app in this respect altogether), which can unpackage the entire MQA file for playback in its original resolution.

my M50.2 is indeed directly hooked up to Tidal. So, if the music was encoded at 192kb, I should be getting it...I assume. I will try to find some music that should be 24/192 and see if I get that tonight. That being said, I am at least getting 24/96 from Tidal without a newer MQA signed DAC. That’s a small bit of success.