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NAD MDC2 BluOS-D module

For the first time, NAD Electronics now presents a solution based on the second generation of the so-called NAD Modular Design Construction Platform, namely the BluOS-based NAD MDC2 BluOS-D Module.

NAD MDC2 BluOS-D Module, thus the first such module is available that uses the latest generation of the so-called NAD Modular Design Construction Platform. As the name suggests, this is a solution that transforms compatible devices into a hi-res audio streaming system based on the BluOS streaming platform.

Incidentally, the first product equipped for the NAD MDC2 BluOS-D module is the NAD C 399 Hybrid Digital DAC Amplifier, also newly introduced.

NAD Modular Design Construction Platform

The so-called NAD Modular Design Construction Platform is a concept that was introduced by the Canadian HiFi manufacturer NAD Electronics a long time ago. The declared goal of this strategy was and is to make it easier for users to upgrade their systems, thus optimizing versatility and also value retention.

On the one hand, this allows the user to expand the functionality of corresponding products, but also to react to new developments and thus to the change to new technologies.

Corresponding upgrade options are thus found first and foremost in the preamplifiers and stereo integrated amplifiers of the Canadians.

With the offer of the modules the spectrum reached from solutions with analog and digital inputs, Phono pre stages up to Streaming systems, whereby one set with the latter naturally on systems based on BluOS.

So it is also a solution for the streaming platform BluOS, which now heralds the latest, the already second generation and therefore NAD MDC2 baptized extensions.

Foto © NAD Electronics International | NAD MDC2 BluOS-D Module
Foto © NAD Electronics International | NAD MDC2 BluOS-D Module

NAD MDC2 Architecture

But what are the benefits of the new platform? NAD Electronics states that with the new NAD MDC2 Architecture, the data exchange between the host device and the corresponding modules has been significantly expanded and improved. One sets here now on a high-performance, bi-directional data exchange.

This should lead to completely new possibilities around future expansion modules, according to the manufacturer’s promise.

“The MDC platform was first introduced in 2006 to respond to technological changes and offer unparalleled price/performance. It remains the longest running and most successful future-proofing program in the hi-fi industry, supporting technologies such as BluOS, 4K and HDMI in components more than a decade old. Redesigned from the ground up, MDC2 builds on the success of the original MDC platform for stereo K-components and now supports bidirectional data protocols, enabling a wider range of upgrade options than the first generation MDC platform.”

Cas Oostvogel, Product Manager NAD Electronics

Foto © NAD Electronics International | NAD MDC2 BluOS-D Module
Foto © NAD Electronics International | NAD MDC2 BluOS-D Module

NAD MDC2 BluOS-D Module – The new streaming module.

The new NAD MDC2 BluOS-D Module, first introduced with the also new NAD C 399 Hybrid Digital DAC Amplifier, is a good example of the power of the new platform, the Canadians say.

The NAD MDC2 BluOS-D Module of course primarily offers streaming on the BluOS technology platform, with all the accompanying advantages in flexibility in combination with a wide variety of other products based on BluOS, the sound quality that can be achieved with it and the convenience of control.

BluOS allows music streaming in Linear PCM with up to 24 bit and 192 kHz, also supports content in MQA, and allows the setup of multi-room audio streaming systems with up to 63 streaming clients in the same network.

Control is via BluOS Controller apps, which are available for Apple iOS, Google Android, Amazon FireOS, Apple macOS and Microsoft Windows. In addition to your own content, you can also access countless online offerings, whereby the spectrum here ranges from TIDAL, Qobuz, Deezer, Amazon Music, Spotify and many, many more to Internet radio and podcasts.

In addition to the possibility of voice control via Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri or Google Assistant in the smart home environment, the direct integration in professional custom installation solutions stands out as a special feature of the BluOS platform.

Foto © NAD Electronics International | NAD MDC2 BluOS-D Module
Foto © NAD Electronics International | NAD MDC2 BluOS-D Module

DIRAC Live Room Correction

The NAD MDC2 BluOS-D is the first expansion module offered by NAD Electronics that adds DIRAC Live room correction to a two-channel component. Using the included measurement microphone and the intuitive DIRAC Live app, the room acoustics are analyzed and then the correction filters are loaded onto the NAD MDC2 BluOS-D module. The NAD MDC2 BluOS-D module can store up to five DIRAC profiles for different listening positions and room conditions, even allowing for details such as whether the curtains are open or closed.

DIRAC Live not only corrects peaks and dips in frequency response, but also optimizes impulse response by learning how sounds reflect off different surfaces in the listening room. The result, it says, is a dramatic improvement in bass response, detail and timbre for music and movie soundtracks.

The module includes a license for DIRAC Live, with the option to upgrade to DIRAC Live Full Frequency.

Apple AirPlay 2, TIDAL Connect and Spotify Connect support

Around streaming, it must also be added that the new NAD MDC2 BluOS-D module allows streaming away from BluOS, via Apple AirPlay 2, TIDAL Connect and Spotify Connect.

Furthermore, Bluetooth alone can also be used, whereby the corresponding module from the specialist Qualcomm acts as a transceiver, which means it can send and receive in equal measure. The integration of smartphones, tablets and portable audio players in general as a source is thus just as possible as the control of Bluetooth headphones. Signal transmission with up to 24 bit and 48 kHz via the aptX HD codec is also supported.

Finally, we should not forget to mention that you can also use corresponding storage media directly as a source via a USB port.

As already mentioned, the NAD C 399 Hybrid Digital DAC Amplifier is the first system in which the new NAD MDC2 BluOS-D module can be used. Like the new stereo integrated amplifier, the NAD MDC2 BluOS-D Module is scheduled to be available from retailers in December 2021. The suggested retail price is stated at € 599.

Getting to the point

The new NAD MDC2 BluOS-D Module is the first second-generation expansion module of the new NAD Modular Design Construction Platform. With the second generation, the data exchange between module and host device is said to have been significantly expanded and improved, so that even more versatile expansion options can be offered in the future. For example, the new NAD MDC2 BluOS-D module not only features BluOS-based streaming, but also adds DIRAC Live Room Correction to the host device.

Manufacturer:NAD Electronics International
Distribution Austria:smart audio GmbH
Distribution Germany:Dali Deutschland GmbH
Price:NAD C 399 Hybrid Digital DAC Amplifier € 1.999,-
NAD MDC2 BluOS-D Module € 599,-
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Michael Holzinger

Michael Holzinger, founder and editor-in-chief of HiFi BLOG and sempre-audio.at, has been working for years as a journalist in the fields of IT, photography, telecommunications and consumer electronics.

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