About The NAD C700 BluOS Streaming Amplifier
The way people discover and experience music has shifted profoundly. Today's listeners can stream music from vast catalogues over the Internet, often with better sound quality than discs can deliver. To simplify music selection, streaming services offer discovery tools like curated playlists and recommendation engines. Wireless multi-room audio lets listeners enjoy music throughout their homes. The NAD C 700 BluOS Streaming Amplifier is a compact, "just add speakers" solution that embraces all the possibilities of the streaming age, offering state-of-the-art amplification that will transport you to your favourite musical destination.
The C 700 BluOS Streaming Amplifier was designed for the streaming age. Connect your speakers, then use the intuitive BluOS app on your smartphone, tablet, PC, or Mac to select the music you want to hear. It will sound glorious.
Through its HybridDigital UcD output stage, the C 700 can deliver 2 x 80 watts of continuous power and 2 x 120 watts of instantaneous power, for effortless reproduction of musical transients. NAD's highly efficient HybridDigital UcD amplifier design is renowned for ultra-low noise and distortion through the entire audio band, regardless of the loudspeaker load.
Thanks to its elegant, minimalist design and premium materials, the C 700 will engage all your senses — not just hearing, but sight and touch as well. The amplifier is housed in a solid aluminium case, with a smooth glass front panel and 5″ high-definition colour display that shows album art, track progress, and system settings.
Following menus on the C 700's colour display, you can adjust amplifier settings with the control knob and navigation buttons on the front panel. And the C 700 can learn commands from your favourite remote control.
A Modern Classic
With built-in Ethernet and Wi-Fi, and a network streamer based on the rich, robust BluOS software platform, the C 700 has everything you need to play music through your favourite speakers. Using the BluOS Controller app, you can cue up music from dozens of different streaming and web radio services, or play music stored on an external drive connected to the C 700's USB port.
Like all BluOS-enabled components, the C 700 supports high-resolution audio to 24-bit/192kHz, and has full MQA decoding and rendering capability. With these features, you can enjoy lossless and high-resolution audio from services such as Amazon Music Ultra HD, Deezer, Qobuz, and Tidal (subject to local availability).
The C 700 supports Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect, so you can control playback from the apps for those services, and Apple AirPlay 2, so you can stream music from Apple devices and iTunes libraries. You can also cue up music by voice, using the Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, or Google Assistant protocol.
NAD offers software tools that allow smart-home specialists to integrate the C 700 into home-automation systems from Control4, Crestron, Elan, RTI, and others. This allows control of music playback, along with other home systems like lighting, shades, HVAC, and security.
Well Connected
The C 700 has two pairs of RCA analogue inputs, as well as coaxial and optical digital inputs, for connecting disc players, game consoles, media adapters, and other components. There's also an HDMI-eARC port for connecting an HDTV with HDMI-ARC support. This allows the C 700's volume setting to be adjusted from the TV's remote.
In addition to the loudspeaker outputs, the C 700 has a subwoofer output jack. Using the BluOS app, you can set low and high pass crossover settings, for a seamless blend between the subwoofer and main speakers.
The C 700 also has two-way aptX HD Bluetooth, so you can listen to music through wireless headphones, and stream audio from any smart device.
The Legend Continues
There are many ways to enjoy the NAD C 700 BluOS Streaming Amplifier. It can serve as the hub of a standalone music system; or function as part of a BluOS whole-home music system with as many as 63 zones, with full support for high-resolution audio. The C 700 can also be combined with other AirPlay 2 components for whole-home music.
With the C 700, you can play music from your favourite streaming services and web radio stations, or from a music library on a USB drive, through your loudspeakers; or you can listen though wireless headphones. The C 700's digital and analogue inputs will accommodate your legacy components.
Ever since NAD introduced the legendary 3020 integrated amplifier in 1978, the NAD brand has been renowned for value, performance, and innovation. With the C 700 BluOS Streaming Amplifier, NAD has reinvented that tradition for the streaming age.
Our Take On The NAD C700 BluOS Streaming Amplifier
As NAD has been doing for decades the C700 is another in a long line of affordable, high quality audio products. But this one is a tad more sophisticated than their famous 3020 amplifier – the best-selling hi-fi amplifier in history – and a product I enjoyed owning in the early eighties. Small, powerful and packed with features, the NAD C700 really has everything you could imagine wanting in a 21st century audio component. Not only will it stream all your music via the BluOS App but it also accepts legacy sources like a CD player as well as the latest HDMI signal from your TV so you can enjoy using just one stereo system for all your audio visual needs. Oh and should you want to expand into the rest of your house/mansion/castle, the Bluesound range of wireless powered speakers can be added in up to a mind blowing 63 different rooms, all in high res. Imagine the parties?
Main Features & Specifications
- Design: BluOS Network Streamer & Amplifier
- HybridDigital UcD Amplifier
- Continuous Power: 80 Watts per channel into 8/4 ohms
- Instantaneous Power: 120 Watts per channel
- 5″ high-definition colour information display shows album art, track progress, and system settings
- Solid aluminium body and glass front panel
- Works with intuitive BluOS Controller app for Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows
- BluOS multi-room streaming to 63 zones
- High-resolution audio to 24-bit/192kHz
- MQA decoding and rendering
- Integrated support for dozens of streaming and Web radio services
- Lossless and high-resolution streaming from Amazon Music Ultra HD, Deezer, Qobuz and Tidal (subject to local availability)
- Support for Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect
- Voice control via Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, and Google Assistant
- Available drivers for Control4, Crestron, Elan, RTI, and other home-automation systems
Connections
- Optical Digital Input
- Coaxial Digital Input
- HDMI-eARC input – for connecting to a modern smart TV
- USB Type A port for connecting an external drive
- Two pairs of Line-Level Analogue Inputs
- Subwoofer output, with filter settings controllable from BluOS app
- Wi-Fi & Gigabit Ethernet
- Two-way aptX HD Bluetooth - so you can listen to music through wireless headphones, and stream audio from any smart device
- Apple AirPlay 2
- 12V Trigger output
- IR remote sensor input
Audio
- Continuous Output Power into 8 ohms & 4 ohms: >80W (ref. 20 Hz-20 kHz at rated THD, both channels driven)
- THD (20 Hz – 20 kHz) at rated power: <0.04 %
- Signal-to-Noise Ratio: >84 dB (A-weighted, 500 mV input, ref. 1 W out in 8 ohms)
- Clipping Power: >86 W (at 1 kHz 8 ohms 0.1 % THD), >102 W (at 1 kHz 4 ohms 0.1 % THD)
- IHF Dynamic Power: 8 ohms: 100 W, 4 ohms: 125 W
- Damping Factor: >90 (ref. 8 ohms, 20Hz to 20kHz)
- Frequency Response: ±0.18 dB (20 Hz - 20 kHz)
- Tone Controls: Treble: ±6.0 dB at 20 kHz, Bass: ±6.0dB at 60 Hz
- Channel Separation: >93 dB (1 kHz), >72 dB (10kHz)
- Input Sensitivity (for 80 W in 8 ohms): Line In: 550 mV, Digital In: -12% FS
- Standby Power: 0.5W
BluOS/DAC Section
- Supported Operating Systems: Plays music from network shares on the following desktop operating systems: Microsoft Windows XP, 2000, Vista, 7, 8 to current Windows Operating Systems and Mac OS X versions
- User Interface Mobile Operating System: BluOS - Free Android and iOS App available online at Google Play and Apple App store
- Supported Cloud Services: Amazon Alexa, Amazon Music, Spotify, TIDAL, Deezer, Qobuz, HDTracks (subject to availability)
- Free Internet Radio: TuneIn Radio, iHeartRadio, Calm Radio, Radio Paradise (subject to availability)
- Bluetooth Quality: Bluetooth aptX HD built-in
- Bluetooth Connectivity: Two-Way (Receive and Headphone modes)
- Network Connectivity: Gigabit Ethernet RJ45, Wi-Fi 5
- Supported Audio File Formats: MP3, AAC (M4A, MP4), WMA, OGG, FLAC, ALAC (M4A), WMA-L, MQA, WAV and AIFF (AIF, AIFC)
- Hi-Resolution Audio Formats: MQA, FLAC, WAV, AIFF
- Sampling Rate: up to 192kHz PCM
- Bit Depths: 16 – 24
General
- Finish: Black Solid Aluminium Body & Glass Front Panel
- Dimensions (WxHxD): 218 x 96 x 266 mm
- Weight: 4.8 kg
- Manufacturer's Warranty: 2 Years
Note: Features & Specifications Subject To Change Without Notice. E&OE.