Audio Asylum Thread Printer

Get a view of an entire thread on one page

FAQ / News / Events

Video Asylum

Help! - is the NAD T550 good for an audio guy?

65.184.196.145

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ Thread: Display Email Next ] [ Video Asylum ] [ FAQ ]

Hi All,
I would appreciate some advice on whether a $300 foray into DVD via the NAD T550 is a good choice. I am new to video and I simply need a very good DVD player with excellent audio performance. Unfortunately, I know nothing about multichannel audio or video quality. But I do know that I don't want bells and whistles or special modes - I just to play DVD's on a formidable 2-channel setup, basically about $8500 of 2-channel gear. (Details in my 'inmate system' link or in the link below.) I am not interested in the CD quality, as I am a vinylphile and have a better CD player than the NAD anyway.
Just to let you know, my 2-channel system is quite good and is capable of producing phasing effects that are stunningly realistic enough that I don't feel the need to move money from 2 channels into a multi-channel setup. In other words, since I am 95% music listener / 5% movie watcher, and I get a good enough approximation of surround sound from a stellar stereo system, I would prefer to go the route of a DVD player with excellent stereo sound to provide my movie-watching surround experience.
At list price of ~$800, I certainly would never consider it, but is this super sale at $300 a good choice, or would I benefit more from other players such as Hitachi or Sony at this price range? As I understand it, the latter players have all sorts of features and digital processing, which I am not interested in at all; all I wish for is unadulterated two-channel audio. Can the NAD provide it? What about reliability issues with the NAD? I have heard that there have been tons of firmware updates, but I would be buying it new, so it would have the most recent updates, hence I would figure fewer problems.
I'm hopelessly lost, so any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks much!
-Chris

Jezebel

Follow Ups:

I bought the T550 and sent it back... - EdM 10:18:10 10/07/01 (5)
Very disappointed, it was to replace a Pioneer 434 and was vastly inferior in every respect. My particular unit even had a problem syncing the audio with the video, I thought I was imagining it until some guests pointed in out as well. ( I since learned this was a common software bug in the 550 perhaps fixed by now)
Anyway I bought the Panasonic RP91 for $499 and it is fantastic!
So many more features (you'll eventually want) and the audio and video are so far superior to the NAD I can't believe they're trying to portray the 550 as an audiophile DVD player.
I suggest you look at the Panasonic RP51 or 31 since they are very much like the 91 and only cost $299-399.
Feel free to email me if you want more details, just don't make the mistake I did.
- Re: I bought the T550 and sent it back... - csown 10:54:27 10/07/01 (4)
  Ed,
  Thanks for sharing your experience. How long ago did you try this unit out? Some folks on Audioreview have mentioned that after several firmware updates, many problems went away, but I'm a little skeptical of reviews on that site.
  I am very attracted by its lack of extra features and I do like the NAD sound. I was raised on warm British sound, so I prefer it to most Japanese consumer audio. I guess the bottom line is that the video is most likely sub-par, but if audio is good enough, I'm willing to forgive the video problems if they're not too bad. Of course, good video is definitely a plus, and on the flipside, sync problems are definitely unforgivable.
  I am curious about the Panasonic players. I just came across the "Progressive DVD Player Shootout" site and they seem to recommend the Panasonic DVD-RP56, which costs even less than the NAD now. How does this compare to the units you have mentioned? Consumer HT is so bewildering - each manufacturer seems to have dozens of products at price points within $30 of each other! How does the sound quality compare? I noticed you have quite good amplification and speakers, so you must have been able to tell (though I can't help but notice you're going through that massive Denon switchblock - coming in from the audio side of things, all that extra circuitry is quite scary to me :).
  I really have no idea what features I'll need or really use, nor do I know what any of the acronyms or jargon means (like progressive scan, for example) - if you could explain the most important ones, I'd totally appreciate it. I'm used to a cheap Toshiba VCR so I expect to just plug the DVD in and use it the same way I do the VCR. I don't have a nice TV or anything, though I do plan on getting a small Wega sometime in the near future.
  
  Anyway, thanks for your help.
  Best regards,
  Chris
  - As to your other questions... - EdM 13:52:50 10/07/01 (0)
    DVD is so far superior to VHS you think God gave you new eyes and progressive scan "smooths" out the higher DVD resolution to look exactly like film if your TV can handle it (the tv must have COMPONENT video in - 3 jacks for video) to use progressive scan. Most new TVs of any quality have them.
    The thing about the Pansonic units I like most is the audio. I bought it strictly for video but the audio blew me away.
    I have my Pansonic hooked up to play music through a AMC 1030 tube preamp straight to the Bryston 4B-ST and it is awesome. I only use the Denon for Home Theatre these days (and it's damn good at that!)
  - I had the NAD for about 3 weeks, the RP61 is the one I meant.. - EdM 13:45:37 10/07/01 (2)
    It wasn't available yet when I got my RP91. except it's LIST is $349.
    The only difference is the 61 can't playback home recorded DVD-RAM (big deal).
    The Panasonic can be programmed to many user level settings for picture and audio. It has a remaster setting that "Warms up" the cd playback and as a bonus also decodes DTS/DDS and DVD-Audio.
    For the record I don't see how anyone can go wrong at that price.
    Ed
    - RP61 v. RP56 - csown 22:41:45 10/07/01 (1)
      Ed,
      OK, you've got me convinced, so I think I'll try out the Panasonic. According to price scan, the RP61 can be had at only $280, and the RP56 is $100 cheaper. The biggest difference appears to be DVD-A, and the RP61 also has a Dolby Digital decoder. I don't care much about the DVD-A (though it'd be fun to play with), but what about the decoder - would this be useful for me in the future in a HT setup or is it just redundant? Anyway, I probably wouldn't have considered the RP56, but that HT DVD shootout page makes me want to believe that the RP56 is good enough (Sage/Faroudja chipset v. Genesis chipset) assuming audio quality is identical. At the expense of bells and whistles, I get a better video chipset and save $100? Sounds too good to be true. What's your take?
      Thanks for your wisdom,
      Chris
      DVD Shootout 2
      - Re: RP61 v. RP56 - EdM 07:23:55 10/08/01 (0)
        
        In Reply to: RP61 v. RP56 posted by csown on October 07, 2001 at 22:41:45:
        
        You can use the built in Dolby Digital and DTS decoder instead of getting a Dolby Digital Processor or receiver, but truthfully almost all receivers have them now so it probably will be redundent.
        Depends on how soon you are going to upgrade your receiver.
        So take your choice, like I said at these prices how can you go wrong?
        Be sure to post what you end up with and how you like it.
        I tried to post a review several times on the RP91 but there is some problem with adding a new Panasonic model.

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

Atma-Sphere Music Systems, Inc.

You can not post to an archived thread.