The NAD M33 will cancel your complaints about Class D


There are many reasons to like one type of sound over another. Even among what are considered very good amplifiers there’s a broad range of tastes and preferences among audiophiles. Just ask a SET aficionado!

However, no class is more maligned, inappropriately, than Class D. To hear some regulars tell it, Class D sound will thin your blood, make your teeth fall out and ruin your enjoyment of just about everything because it sounds so (fill in a lot of tropes from the 1980’s here).

I’ve been listening to NAD’s prior collaboration with Bruno Putzy and I can tell with some confidence that none of those tired old tropes apply. For reasons related much more to tonal balance than anything else, I’m sticking with Class A/B in my main system, but with the introduction of the next gen Anthem AVR receivers and the NAD M33 I may be making the switch back to class D.

You don’t have to like the M33 or the Anthem’s but can we at least agree that it’s time to retire the old guard of reasons not to buy Class D? Lets lay those poor phantoms to rest.
erik_squires
There are other purifi amps that measure better as well as Ncore amps. I think the main attraction of the M33 is being an "all in one" device. I notice NAD doesn't show specs for 2 Ohm, not sure if they limited their implementation as other companies show 8-4-2 Ohm specs. 
This was the conclusion to that review:

”All in all, NAD shows the path to superb performance in integrated products. It however stops a bit short of what it could be.

Overall, I am happy to recommend the NAD M33.Just miss the bit of performance it left on the table.”

I’m betting NAD has another trick up it’s sleeve, maybe a power amp using the same technology without the “performance left on the table.”
@anotherbob 

I certainly hope so, if any rube on the internet can order up PuriFi or nCore parts and put them in a ChiFi case from eBay, achieving superior results, surely a company with NADs resources can too... 


Or maybe not?
My understanding is that NAD is not using the 1ET400AEIGENTAKT module but building one very similar, with some kind of licensing agreement.  Why they went this route I don't know--several possible explanations present themselves.  I too am hoping for a 2-channel power amp in the Masters series.
I was deciding for a few months between the Hegel H390 and NAD M33 for my B&W 802D2 speakers. My dealer sells both the Hegel H390 and NAD M33 (and also NAIM, Devialet, and Linn) and had both in stock and told me after several long listening sessions with the new NAD M33 that they both are great but he preferred the NAD because of how clear, detailed, and dynamic it was, the great stereo imaging, strong bass, and beautiful mid range and just the overall musicality of the NAD.

Based on my dealer’s recommendation I bought the NAD M33 but he also said if I was not happy with it I could trade it back in and swap it for the Hegel H390 for 100% credit of the amount that I paid. I have had the NAD M33 now for 5 weeks and love the sound of it and have no plans to swap it out for the Hegel H390 or anything else for that matter. I don’t use Roon but with the bluesound operating system and Spotify connect and the now newly released Tidal connect on the NAD M33 the flexibility and ease of use of the NAD far surpasses the Hegel H390.