Video Asylum: REVIEW: NAD T761 Receiver by maxlorenz

Model:	T761
Category:	Receiver
Suggested Retail Price:	$899
Description:	Surround Sound Receiver
Manufacturer URL:	NAD
Model Picture:	View

Review by maxlorenz ( A ) on January 03, 2004 at 11:12:13
IP Address: 200.85.197.14

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for the T761

I own a NAD T761 receiver for 1 year now. If you want the best price/performance rate in multichannel audio you can't go wrong with it. Mine has been a little modified by getting rid of the captive PCord, adding an IEC receptacle to play around with PCords (a must!) and some ERS sheet over the power suply section (wich affords lower noise floor). This unit is a very easy and honest musical performer as stereo amp, with powerfull extended bass, nice and a touch warm midrange and great HF. What I like the most is its EARS surround mode wich maintains the qualities of the stereo performance in a very natural way (it can deliver full-range frequencies to all the speakers) giving a very credible re-creation of "live" performances. In home theater situation it excells (for the price) specially in DTS where it gives a totally coherent action space. Never mind the specs. This baby has great dinamics! After all home theater speakers tend to be "sensitive" enough nowadays.
Now I'm moving to high quality stereo, so I use it as a DAC/preamp for stereo listening, feeding a pair of monarchy Audio's 100SE delux monoblocks(great amps!) untill I find the money to get "real" DAC and preamp. I wanted to state that it works quite well as DAC/preamp, because I didn't find this information on the net when I searched for it and maybe it is usefull for someone.
Enjoy.

Product Weakness: Signal to noise rate, wich can be managed with some tweaking as I did and by the addition of the Monarchy DIP upsampler in the digital line.
Product Strengths: Price/performance! Music and Home theater equally well reproduced. Dinamics. Very natural EARS surround mode.

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	NAD T761 receiver
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	NAD T761 receiver
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Sony DVP-NS325 +Monarchy Audio DIP upsampler
Speakers:	Paradigm 7semKIII+monitor3
Cables/Interconnects:	DH-Labs D75 digital+DH-Labs BL-1analog. PS audio xStream Prelude PCord. Bybeed jamo speaker cables.
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Classical: opera-symphonic-chamber music.
Room Size (LxWxH):	7m x 3.3m x 2.4m
Room Comments/Treatments:	DIY tube bass traps; DIY panels; DIY "room lens"
Time Period/Length of Audition:	1 year
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	Signal to noise rate, wich can be managed with some tweaking as I did and by the addition of the Monarchy DIP upsampler in the digital line.
Product Strengths:	Price/performance! Music and Home theater equally well reproduced. Dinamics. Very natural EARS surround mode.