Digital Drive: REVIEW: NAD c542 CD Player/Recorder by K-Bob

Model:	c542
Category:	CD Player/Recorder
Suggested Retail Price:	$499
Description:	single disc hdcd player
Manufacturer URL:	NAD
Manufacturer URL:	NAD

Review by K-Bob on December 13, 2006 at 21:12:29
IP Address: 207.254.235.35

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for the c542

Got this to replace a Phillips DVD-825, which was the highest rated unit in its class for CD audio playback when it was new.

Before deciding on the C542 I did a lot of research on this site and elsewhere. However, I was unable to audition anything since there are no audio stores in my area. So I cannot say how it audibly compares to its competitors. But I can give you my impression of how it sounds in my system.

I let it break in for 8 hours by playing cds through an old tapedeck I had lying around. Then I put in the system.

I was underwhelmed to the point of disappointment. It was flat, dull, and bloated. Way, way laid back to the point of being stuffy....I was thankful I didn't get the Marantz, and wishing I had got the 521BEE. I had been expecting a punchy, dynamic presentation, similar to the Philips.

But the wife liked it right away, saying it sounded much better. So that was something.

Time to figure things out. I have a relatively small room and small speakers, so I have the speakers fairly close to the back wall: mostly for space but also for boundary reinforcement. Considerable time had been spent finding the exact right spot (within my space constraints) for the speakers to achieve a punchy bass with the old player. They were simply way too far back.

A week spent listening and evaluating and moving speakers every day paid off. Now it sounds really good and I am quite happy with it.

The bass and mids are really nice.

For the first time I have a system that can play full-scale orchestra music without embarrassing itself.

Vocals are especially sweet, "Down to the River" on the O Brother Soundrack sounds absolutely marvelous.

On jazz the electric bass and kick drum come through nicely.

It is true the more I play it the better I like it. Don't know if that is due to break-in or the aesthetic of familiarity. Of course I was tweaking speaker placement for the whole first week, which helped the continuous improvement.

I just now ran a few tracks through it and it sounds great. Smooth integrated sound. Everything is there: highs, mids, lows. I am happy with my purchase. But still I can't help but wonder if the 521BEE would have sounded just as good in my mid-fi system.

Product Weakness:	may sound overly reserved in some systems, may not be worth the premium over the 521BEE, not as dynamic as I remember the Adcom 575 to be, smooth and laid back (if that's not your thing)
Product Strengths:	last of the old-school multi-bit plqyers, good looks, prodigous bass, high output level, sweet vocals, smooth and laid back (if that's your thing)

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Vintage Marantz 60w
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Rotel RC-970BX
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	NAD c542
Speakers:	Energy C-4
Cables/Interconnects:	CD: XLO-VDO ER-5, amps: WireWorld Orbit III+, Speaker: Monster Standard 16-4
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Jazz, Roots, Pop, Rock
Time Period/Length of Audition:	2 months
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner