NAD C 700 brings a “just add speakers” approach to network audio streaming

The C 700 offers a considerable amount of control over your high-res music sources.

by Justin Choo

The classic stereo-type (I apologise for nothing) of an audiophile setup is still pretty much a ton of wires accompanied by a couple of boxes but NAD’s new C 700 is one of the many new wave designs that will eventually change this view.

The C 700 is a compact and modern all-in-one solution that embodies a “just add speakers” approach. The look is understandably minimalist, and the C 700 is essentially a black block of aluminium fronted by a smooth glass panel with a 5” high-definition colour display beneath.

In terms of tech, the HybridDigital UcD amplifier and BluOS app is what makes it tick as a network streamer. The C 700 is able to decode up to 24-bit/192Hz and supports MQA decoding and rendering too. As such, it’s perfect for streaming music from local (USB) and networked (Wi-Fi or Ethernet) sources or internet radio and popular online services, including lossless and high-resolution streaming from Amazon Music HD, Deezer, Idagio, Qobuz, and Tidal. It’s all controlled from the BluOS app, which supports Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows, and you can control the C 700 with Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, and Google Assistant.

There’s no shortage of options when it comes to controlling how you want to channel your music; the C 700 supports Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect so you can easily cast music from your mobile device, while BluOS multi-room support lets you control up to 63 zones. Furthermore, you can even integrate the C 700 into home automation systems with drivers available for Control4, Crestron, Elan, RTI, to name a few.

NAD says its UcD amplifier design is characterised by ultra-low noise and distortion through the entire frequency range, regardless of the loudspeaker load. HybridDigital lets the C 700 deliver 2×80 watts of continuous power and 2×120 watts of instantaneous power to handle most users’ needs effortlessly.

The C 700 provides “audiophile-grade” speaker outputs and a subwoofer output jack and you can blend them using convenient low and high-pass crossover settings within the BluOS app. For inputs, it provides two pairs of RCA analogue inputs, coaxial and optical digital inputs, and an HDMI eARC port for a TV. The C 700 also supports two-way aptX HD Bluetooth so you can listen through wireless headphones or stream audio from a smart device.

The NAD C 700 is available now at Lenbook Asia for $2,250.