July 2002 Reviewed by Wes Marshall	NAD T571 DVD/CD Changer

Description Model: NAD T571 DVD/CD changer Price: $799 USD Dimensions: 17.2"W x 4.5"H x 16.2"D Weight: 12.57 pounds Warranty: Two years parts and labor Features Five DVD/CD changer CD-R/CD-RW compatible HDCD decoder	Features (cont'd) Component video, SCART with RGB, S-video, and composite video outputs Progressive scan on component-video output (NTSC 120V version only) Dolby Digital and DTS decoders Coaxial and optical digital outputs MP3 decoder 96kHz /24-bit audio DACs 54MHz/10-bit (x4) video DACs Random play 12V input trigger Full-function remote control

The designers at NAD have always been mavericks. Aiming their products at audiophiles on a beer budget and thumbing their noses at the megabuck manufacturers, they have always pushed for simpler products that sounded better and cost less than their competitors. When they first started with the NAD 3020 integrated amplifier, their only real competition was from Advent and their Tom Holman-designed receiver. Alas, over the years, other companies have come along and contested NAD’s pole-position performance, which caused an expansion of the business plan.

While NAD still offers simple and inexpensive equipment, they also offer more upscale and complex gear like the S170 surround-sound preamp/processor, the T761 surround-sound receiver, and the T571 DVD/CD changer. The equipment is still priced fairly, but they’ve moved up from the beer to the Cabernet crowd. What hasn’t changed is their aim of providing great performance and value.

Design

Like mavericks, NAD followed an independent path in the development of the $799 T571. While others make DVD changers, few put quite as much thought into the sonic aspects of the design. To start with, NAD used 96kHz/24-bit Burr-Brown DACs with an HDCD decoder incorporated. A lot of attention went to power supply regulation to keep the transients clean and the noise down. This stemmed from the concept that, though few folks would want to watch five movies in a row, lots would like to be able to use one piece of gear for both audio and video. If, like me, you’ve found yourself with a dedicated DVD player beside a high-end CD player on top of a CD changer, you can probably grok the pleasures of replacing all that equipment with a single box; at least, as long as the performance isn’t degraded.

Given that NAD has always been a "music first" company, they wanted to make sure that their customer base would see this product as an alternative to a high-end CD player, as well as a DVD player. To that end, the T571 comes with both coaxial and optical digital audio outputs as well as two sets of analog outs. The digital outs will give your processor a signal at either 48kHz or 96kHz. Not only will the NAD play CDs and DVDs, it will also play CD-Rs and CD-RWs. I still never cease to be amazed at how many DVD players balk at CD-R. Since I burn a lot of compilation CDs, that feature means a lot to me. The T571 never even burped when playing banged-up CD-RWs. Even better, for those who like to listen to 50-plus hours of music without ever having to open the drawer of a player, the NAD will play MP3s burned onto a CD-R. While this isn’t the sound of perfection, I’ve never heard MP3s sound this good through any other player.

NAD provides the same detailed design conception to the video side. Connections include component video (switchable between progressive and interlaced in the North American version), composite, and S-video. NAD’s D/A conversion uses four 10-bit DACs running at 54MHz. Finally, the presence of low-noise video circuits, short signal paths, and carefully regulated power supplies remind you that NAD hasn’t forgotten their roots.

The looks are also classic NAD: simple, sleek, and unassuming. To some it might appear bland, but to others it will look functional. I think it looks neat, as in efficient and precise. Buttons are kept to a minimum and the coloring is monochromatic. This adds to the impression, but a warning: If you have less than X-ray vision, you’d better keep a flashlight and reading glasses next to the T571, at least until you memorize the buttons.

NAD’s operating system is unconventional and non-intuitive. Be prepared to spend some time with the manual. A perfect example occurred while I was setting up for a party. After putting in a fun mix of five CDs, I pushed random and went away to the guests. Then, I noticed that the T571 was just randomizing one of the CDs. The whole goal had been to have the player juxtapose odd tracks for an interesting listening experience. So, I dutifully unloaded the CDs and moved them to my Harman/Kardon changer. The next morning, when I had the opportunity to check into the problem, I found that the NAD defaults to a single-disc random player. If you press it a second time, it randomizes a disc, then goes to the next disc and randomizes it until all five are played. If you press the button a third time, the T571 plays two random songs from a CD then switches to another CD. Press it again and you return to normal mode. This strikes me as just plain odd.

The remote control is well laid out with a minimum of button-similarity problems. Once you’ve used it a few times, it’s really very simple. But why couldn’t they backlight it? At this price level, they should. If your favorite hairy friend should decide to play with your remote and leave it somewhere you can’t find it, not to worry. Every command of the remote is present, if harder to get to, from the front panel using a cursor system. Other operating features that I found helpful were a magnification system that increases in six steps up to 100 times, and a bookmark feature that re-starts the DVD from exactly where you stopped it.

Performance

But enough about features. How did it perform with DVD? Superbly. I watched films using both the Studio Experience 12SF DLP projector and the Runco Cinema 750 CRT projector. Frankly, with the Runco, the quality of the NAD didn’t dramatically outshine the Pioneer DV-434 (my touchstone for poor performance) or the Sony DVP-NS700P (my benchmark for value). Everything changed when I switched to the Studio Experience 12SF.

Both the NAD and the Studio Experience allow connections through S-video, composite, progressive-scan component, and interlaced component. I tried all four with a number of DVDs. First up was Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Chapter 10, when Austin returns to 1969, features a berserk set of colors all smashed together with primary and secondary colors pushed into paisleys and geometrically cascading shapes. Add to that the vertical bars for the go-go dancers and the pulsing lens work and you have a prescription for problems. At 26:03 into the flick, there is a scene where Heather Graham is shaking her stunning booty in front of the balusters of a handrail, with horizontal lines flashing in the background, while the camera pans across the screen. There were no artifacts whatsoever. Through each of the outputs, the NAD provided a clear and problem-free picture.

In terms of color reproduction, I marginally preferred the composite and component-video connections to the S-video. The differences were so subtle that I had to watch the section about ten times carefully and critically before I saw any difference whatsoever. There wasn’t much variation between using the progressive and interlaced component outputs. I chalk that up to the fact that both the NAD and the Studio Experience feature superb processing. (Progressive uses the NAD's processing, interlaced uses the Studio Experience’s processing.) The only noticeable difference showed up when I switched the NAD’s component outs from interlaced to progressive. I noticed on the credits to Ocean’s Eleven that when the print scrolled by, the NAD’s processor threw a dusty scrim over the picture. It wasn’t an issue on most films, but when I switched back to interlaced, the Faroudja processing in the Studio Experience sailed by with no problems.

Moulin Rouge is filled with awe-inspiring visual impact. The dreamlike colors are incredible, especially the rich reds. During the performance by the Diamond Dogs of "Lady Marmalade" (chapter 4), there are thousands of opportunities to upset a DVD player. Scanning artifacts, color separation, and movement troubles can all occur on lesser components, like my Pioneer DV-434. NAD’s T571 reacted without a whimper.

Dinosaur is the film we most often haul out to show folks how good DVDs can look. There is something about the digital-to-digital transfer that simply pops off the screen. The best part is the intro (chapters 1 and 2) with its combination of extraordinary picture and sound. At 2:42 in, when we see the running waters, the realistic depiction through the T571 is startling.

In the Mood For Love (Hua Yang Nian Hua) is a film where virtually every frame could stand alone as a gorgeous photograph. The colors are both radiant and tender, sort of a restrained Technicolor. The T571’s picture clarity allowed the gentle and almost humid emotions to intensify the passion. In this beautiful little film, I lost track of reviewing and entered the magic of the movie. Chalk one up for the NAD doing what it is supposed to, and getting out of the way of the experience.

Sonically, the T571 offered wonderful sound, whether in film or from CDs. Running through my reference system, the NAD served simply as a transport. The Lexicon MC-1 runs everything through its DACs, so if I used the analog outs from the NAD, the CD would go through an additional conversion. As a transport the NAD operated flawlessly, carrying more depth, weight, and body than the Pioneer DV-434. The differences between the Sony DVP-NS700P and the NAD were negligible. In order to get a better idea of the T571’s sonic character, I put it in my home recording studio.

My studio is high caliber compared to most home studios, but it misses a state-of-the-art designation by a long distance. An extremely clean mixer (Mackie 1202 VLZ PRO) feeds a pair of JBL LSR28s through Canare balanced cables. The speakers are active, biamplified, and extremely accurate. Forget the old JBL "California" sound. These speakers are used widely in mixing-down film soundtracks and in recording studios. They are pitilessly revealing.

I hooked up the NAD and compared it to a Sony C601ES. In every case, the NAD had a smoother sound, and was much less fatiguing. One of my favorite CDs for testing HDCD players is John Hartford’s Aereo-Plain [Rounder CD 0366]. This disc features acoustic instruments that haven’t been futzed with, recorded in a real space where the musicians were looking at, and hearing, each other. It only took about 15 seconds of listening to "The First Girl I Loved." The sonic differences between the non-HDCD Sony and the NAD were as wide as the Copper Canyon. Through the Sony, Norman Blake’s punchy mandolin is nicely recorded. Through the NAD, you could close your eyes and feel the pick and hear the boxy resonance of the instrument. I won’t go into flowery details about the realistic sound. It was better than that. For four-plus minutes, I forgot to "review."

Comparison

In my setup, the only true comparison between the three players is using their progressive outputs. Otherwise, the Faroudja processing in the Studio Experience does all the work. When I ran the three DVD players in progressive mode, the results were fairly easy to see. The Pioneer DV-434 was simply a non-starter. It mangled the picture over and over, leaving funky artifacts that kept detracting from the film. (I only keep this player to remind myself how bad a DVD player can be.) The Sony’s image was much better. But compared to the NAD, it seemed a bit soft. For fast-moving pans, that was a help. It also did a little better on the Ocean’s Eleven credits. The NAD was the clear winner when watching a well-recorded and mastered film like Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. No matter how fast the motion, across however many vertical, horizontal, and obtuse lines, the NAD never lost its film-like look.

Other formats?

What NAD didn’t offer was the ability to listen to SACD or DVD-A. NAD made a conscious decision to leave these two features out. I made a call to NAD as a consumer, not a reviewer, and without using my name, asked why. They told me that they would like to be using the DVD-A format, but they feel the best way to serve their customers is to wait until the problems are sorted out. The person I spoke with cited the lack of an agreement on dealing with encryption for users of the digital outs, and lack of bass management for users of the analog outs. They decided that any solution they came up with would eventually be compromised. On the other hand, they thought the addition of MP3 playback, though at lower fidelity, could actually be useful to consumers. So, they put their money into audio and visual performance.

Each company has to make a decision about where to focus their resources. Personally, my interest level in DVD-A and SACD is going to remain low until I can get at a digital signal. I can’t afford the big Accuphase or Meridian players that I know have good DACs, and I am suspicious of the quality of a DVD/SACD player that costs $199. I want a digital out that I can put into my own processor and be able to manage the bass, and all the other channels, for that matter. Consequently, in terms of this decision, I’m on the same page as NAD. I think they made the right choice.

Conclusion

The world of multi-disc DVD changers is growing fast. There are other, less-expensive players on the market that share a similar feature set. But money isn’t everything. Though I haven’t had to try it, I’m sure the customer service through NAD would beat the cheaper mass-market brands, if for no other reason than NAD is mostly sold through locally owned specialty shops that live and die based on customer happiness. Personally, I’ve never felt that level of care for my concerns at ye olde megastore.

Is this the player for you? As usual, the best answer is to try it in your system and see whether it does what you want. While you can pay a lot less for comparable features, you can also pay a lot more. There was plenty I liked about the NAD T571. Only the nonstandard operating system disappointed me. I consider it an excellent performer and well worth an audition.

Manufacturer contact information:

NAD Electronics International
633 Granite Court
Pickering, Ontario
Canada L1W3K1
Phone: (800) 263-4641 (North America), (905) 831-0799 (worldwide)

Website: www.nadelectronics.com
E-mail: nad@NADelectronics.com 

• Go Back