Nad Electronics unveils the C 569, an audio CD player designed for music enthusiasts deeply attached to their physical collections. Continuing the Classic Series, this model combines great ease of use with cutting-edge digital technologies inherited from the high-end C 589 player, for an increasingly authentic sound reproduction. It also stands out as the perfect companion to the Nad C 359S just introduced in our columns.
The Nad C 569 positions itself as the ideal solution for music lovers looking to replace an aging player or complement a very high-quality contemporary Hi-Fi system. Strategically placed between the entry-level C 538 and the flagship C 589, it offers excellent dynamics and musical clarity. True to the brand’s historic “Music First” philosophy, this player deliberately dispenses with superfluous gadgets to focus on the essentials: extracting every micro-detail from your discs thanks to cutting-edge engineering.
ESS Sabre DAC and Qrono d2a temporal filter
At the heart of the Nad C 569 beats a latest-generation ESS ES9039Q2M Sabre digital-to-analog converter. But Nad’s real achievement lies in its pairing with Qrono d2a filtering technology developed by MQA Labs. Unlike traditional filters, often optimized exclusively for frequencies and laboratory measurements at the expense of impulse behavior, this time-domain processing preserves the integrity of sound attacks. It eliminates unwanted resonance phenomena (Ringing) before and after transients, thus delivering playback that is much more natural and consistent with acoustic reality. Note that it remains possible to switch to a conventional Dac filter according to one’s own listening preferences.
Dynamic Digital Headroom (DDH): the anti-clipping remedy
The other major advantage of this audio CD player lies in the integration of proprietary Dynamic Digital Headroom (DDH) technology. Designed to correct the mastering flaws of modern recordings (often victims of the excessive loudness race), this ingenious function adds 3 dB of headroom by reducing the digital signal level just before the conversion stage. This process eliminates dreaded clipping (inter-sample clipping) on complex dynamic peaks. Transients, such as the punchy attack of a drum kit, thus regain all their impact without ever causing listening harshness.
NXP mechanism and balanced output stage
To ensure flawless optical playback, the Nad C 569 relies on a proven tray-loading mechanism, coupled with the same original NXP servo control that equips its big brother, the C 589. This combination handles disc rotation speed, laser focusing, and track following with formidable precision, allowing the full data stream to be recovered (a sine qua non condition for decoding MQA-CD discs). At the end of the chain, the signal passes through a fully balanced analog output stage, equipped with local power regulation and carefully selected components. The circuit drastically shortens signal paths to minimize background noise and preserve soundstage imaging.
Color display, Gapless, and full connectivity
The C 569 offers simple and intuitive operation. Its front panel features a superb 3.7" color [abc]LCD[/abc] display capable of showing CD-Text metadata, while an infrared remote control completes the remote operation. The unit logically supports gapless playback, crucial for preserving the sequence of an album or a live recording. As for connectivity, in addition to the stereo [abc]RCA[/abc] analog output using the internal Dac, there are [abc]optical[/abc] and [abc]coaxial[/abc] digital outputs, ideal for pairing the C 569 with an external Dac or digital amplifier.
Available at the end of November. Public price: 949 euros.
Reminder of the key features of the Nad C 569:
• Type: high-performance audio CD player
• Converter: ESS ES9039Q2M Sabre Dac
• Digital processing: Qrono d2a temporal filter (MQA Labs) and DDH anti-clipping technology (Dynamic Digital Headroom)
• Mechanism: tray loading with high-precision NXP servo control
• Compatibility: standard CD playback, CD-Text support, and MQA-CD decoding
• Output stage: balanced stereo analog with local power regulation
• Display: 3.7" (9.4 cm) color [abc]LCD[/abc] screen
• Features: gapless playback
• Connectivity: 1 stereo [abc]RCA[/abc] output, 1 [abc]optical[/abc] output, 1 [abc]coaxial[/abc]
• Standby consumption: < 0.5 W
• Included accessories: infrared remote control, power cables, RCA stereo cable
• Dimensions (W x H x D): 435 x 83 x 294 mm
• Net weight: 4.2 kg
