NAD M5 Specifications

The Masters Series – M5 CD/SACD Player
SUPER AUDIO FOR ALL CD's
The Super Audio Compact Disc offers a signifi cant improvement in
sonic performance when compared with a standard CD. SACD uses a
fundamentally different approach to transferring the analog musical
waveform into the digital domain for storage on the disc. This is called
Direct Stream Digital, and is widely considered to be a fundamentally
better approach to digital encoding. This requires very high speed
processing that simply wasn't available at the birth of the CD format. This
high data rate process avoids the quantization errors inherent in the Pulse
Code Modulation process used for the traditional CD and DVD. Extended
high frequency response, enhanced detail and a more analog-like sound
quality are often stated improvements of SACD over CD.
Many of us still have extensive CD collections, however, and luckily the M5
has sophisticated circuitry designed to also get the best possible sound
quality from your existing CD recordings. In addition, the M5 includes an
HDCD decoder which can increase the dynamic range of CD by 6dB with
specially encoded and widely available CDs. CDR and CDRW recordable
discs are fully supported, and even MP3 and WMA can be played on the
M5 CD/SACD Player offering many hours of playback from a single disc.
But the SACD format also offers the possibility of 5.1 surround sound
playback, and the M5 is equipped to take full advantage of these exciting
new multi-channel recordings. We have even included comprehensive
bass management (redirection) for the 5.1 output. Several popular speaker
confi gurations can be easily accessed from the front panel controls and
navigated via the VFD display. A higher level of fi ne tuning is available via
the Composite Video output using the M5's On Screen Display. This video
output is also useful for managing MP3 playback. Since we expect most
M5's to be used in music only systems, the video circuit can be switched
off to afford the cleanest possible audio performance.
LUXURIOUS DESIGN
The design brief reads: "The industrial design must create a physical
presence that is powerful, dynamic, and solid, yet refi ned and elegant".
We wanted a design that will still look fresh and new a decade from now,
a design with classic proportions and understated details.
Intelligent use of aluminum extrusions, zinc castings, and heavy gauge
steel results in a chassis that is as rugged as it is handsome. Innovative
use of specialized coatings and plating results in a product that will retain
its good looks for many, many years to come.
Since the high-density data recorded on SACD must be read with absolute
accuracy, vibrations from outside or from internal sources, such as the
- Plays SACD, CD, CD-R, CD-RW
- AES/EBU balanced digital out for PCM sources
- Coax and TosLink PCM digital audio outputs
- Separate 2 channel and 5.1 channel analog
outputs
- Balanced 600 Ohm Stereo Outputs
- HDCD, MP3, and WMA decoding
- Bass Management for SACD
- 24 bit 192kHz DACs with DSD mode
- NAD Pure Class A Discrete Gain Modules
- Separate power supplies; switch mode for
digital circuits, linear for audio circuits.
- Composite Video Output (switchable On/Off)
- RS-232 port
- IR Input
- 12V Trigger Input
- Detachable AC cord
- M5 Remote Control