NAD C399 Hybrid Digital DAC Amplifier

NAD C399 Hybrid Digital DAC Amplifier

Name: NAD C399 Hybrid Digital DAC Amplifier
Brand: NAD
Price: 3999.00 NZD
Availability: OutOfStock

$3,999.00

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As the new flagship of NAD’s Classic series of integrated amps, the C 399 HybridDigital DAC Amplifier takes NAD’s commitment to lasting value and sonic excellence to a whole new level.

The C 399 employs NAD’s Hypex HybridDigital nCore amplifier circuitry, which until now has been available only on Masters Series amplifiers. Its digital section is built around a 32-bit/384kHz ESS Sabre DAC, the same chip used in NAD’s acclaimed M10 and M33 Masters Series amplifiers.

The C 399 is the first amplifier to incorporate the latest generation of NAD’s Modular Design Construction (MDC) technology. MDC2 lets users add optional modules that provide functions such as BluOS multi-room music streaming and Dirac Live room correction.

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Specifications

Hybrid Digital nCore Amplifier
Continuous Power: 180 Watts per channel into 8/4 ohms
Instantaneous Power: 250 Watts per channel
Vanishingly low harmonic and intermodulation distortion
Dual MDC2 Ports for expanded functionality
Optional MDC2 BluOS-D module adds BluOS multi-room streaming and Dirac Live room correction
Jitter-free 32-bit/384kHz ESS Sabre DAC
Ultra-low-noise MM phono stage with infrasonic filtering circuitry
Two optical, two coaxial digital inputs
HDMI-eARC input
Two pairs of line-level analogue inputs with low-noise buffer amplifiers
Dual set of Speaker outputs
Two-way aptX-HD Bluetooth
Dual subwoofer outputs
Dedicated headphone amplifier
IR remote
12V Trigger in/out
IR in/out
RS-232 Serial port for control integration with home automation systems
Control4, Crestron, RTI, URC, AMX, Savant, Elan certified

The C399 is a true high-end component of superior performance for which absolutely no allowances have to be made.

The Absolute Sound

NAD's new classic amplifiers. Intelligent. Powerful. Efficient.

Trickled down from NAD’s Masters Series, the C 399’s HybridDigital nCore amplifier can deliver 180 Watts per channel continuous power, and 250 Watts per channel instantaneous power. Highly efficient and remarkably powerful, the HybridDigital nCore amplifier can produce musical transients effortlessly. The design is renowned for its wide bandwidth, flat frequency response, clean clipping behaviour with instant recovery, high current capability, and stability into demanding low-impedance speaker loads. Noise and distortion are vanishingly low under all operating conditions.

Future proof

The C 399 is the first product to feature NAD’s new MDC2 architecture. By enabling two-way communications between the module and component, MDC2 opens up the future for new upgrades.

Equipped with Wi-Fi and Ethernet, the optional MDC2 BluOS-D module lets listeners play music from their favourite streaming services through the C 399, using the acclaimed BluOS Controller app for Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows. Like all BluOS-enabled products, the MDC2 BluOS-D has integrated support for dozens of streaming services; and supports Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and Tidal Connect.

Future-proof modular design

This NAD exclusive feature allows you to customise your NAD amplifier with additional capabilities and features, now or in the future. The two available MDC slots can accommodate a variety of upgrade modules including 4K video capable HDMI switching, additional Digital Inputs, additional Analogue and Phono Inputs, and one of the most advanced Hi-Res Audio multi-room wireless systems available, the BluOS® music management system developed by Bluesound. BluOS connects to your network and is controlled via smartphone, tablet, or desktop device to manage your music collection and connect to a growing list of high-quality streaming music services.

The Dirac Live function lets you measure your room’s acoustics using a supplied microphone and intuitive app, and then upload correction curves to the MDC2 BluOS-D. By compensating for acoustic anomalies in your listening environment, Dirac Live dramatically improves bass clarity, imaging, and timbral accuracy.

Everything’s Connected

The C 399 can accommodate all your digital and analogue sources. Its MM phono stage delivers ultra-precise RIAA equalization, extremely low noise, and high overload margins. The phono preamp also features an innovative circuit that suppresses the infrasonic noise present on all LPs, without compromising bass response. There are two sets of line-level line inputs, with low-noise buffer amplifiers to prevent sonic degradation. The C 399 has two optical and two coaxial digital inputs, plus an HDMI-eARC port for playing audio from a connected TV, while controlling amplifier output with the TV’s remote control.

In addition to two sets of speaker outputs, the C 399 has preamp output jacks and dual subwoofer outputs. Two-way apt-X HD Bluetooth allows 24-bit streaming from mobile devices, and high-quality output to Bluetooth headphones. Also built-in is a dedicated headphone amplifier with low output impedance and high output voltage capability, enabling the C 399 to drive demanding high-impedance studio monitor headphones.

The C399 is a true high-end component of superior performance for which absolutely no allowances have to be made. When the excellent phonostage and DAC are factored in, it’s obvious that for sheer value the C399 is so far off the charts it’s almost a joke.

Ultimately, the C399 does the most NAD thing that any NAD product can do. It beguiles you with its absolute and unwavering ability to do everything that you need it to and largely do it very, very well. The formidable strength in depth that it possesses is something that makes rivals that might superficially look to have an advantage start to wilt when you actually start testing them against one another.

In literally every other respect, though, there’s simply nothing about this product I would change. I think NAD could have easily squeezed another 500 bucks out of customers, and it still would have represented a hell of a value.