★ *REVIEWING:* bit.ly/2HzEgKY • bit.ly/3IV3xuq ★ *QOTD: What does perfect in HiFi mean for YOU?* ★ *COMMENT RULES: Please be respectful. No outside links, URLs, email addresses, etc. Violations are automatically deleted.*
Awesome video... I wish I could afford it. Hey @andrew robinson I have the denon s960h and I just realized as I was hooking to up I have no pre-amp outs! Could I still have hook up an amplifier down the road? Is there a way thanks.
Perfect HiFi for me is great sound (not hard to attain anymore) and features and ease of use that fit my use case. Trial and error is involved but lots of money really isn’t.
Perfection in Hifi means to me , getting some good equipments and find the sound the you like , not having the latest gears or most expensive ones . Perfection does not exist. Sometimes we are tricked by our own brain who is always asking for more . Just like photography , the art of painting and drawing, my hifi system is just starting a journey in the art of music and sound . You do not need the latest cameras, the latest amps . Please do not forget the manufactures are releasing them base on our demands as consumers .
Hey Andrew , just like having a cup of coffee every morning, if becomes a habit to turn on my tv first thing every Sunday morning because I know you are going to release a video …..lol lol
Perfect = does what I want it to do I guess. Dont think there can be one ”perfect for all” solution, amp or speaker, it totally depends on what, where and when.
Hope Kristi is ok. Don't want her to think that those dickheads are representative of everyone watching, but also understand why she would want to have some space. Her contributions and the unscripted chats between the two of you are some of the best things about the channel.
@OnitsukaTiger82 Read about what happened in the Community section. On Steve Guttenberg's channel, there was a weasel putting down Andrew and especially Kristi while Guttenberg seemed to laugh (the video was taken down eventually). It's sad when there are nut-jobs out there that put down people in the stereo review world due to their own petty jealousies or insecurities.
Hi Kristi. Missed you in this review. Andrew is awesome but I think you’ve become a much-loved and must-watch part of his channel. I didn’t see the Steve Guttenberg video but I hope you’re OK. Do what you need to do - take care of yourself. I can only share my experience being a Vietnamese immigrant who somehow found his way into the White-dominated advertising agency world where I had a lot of nay-sayers and doubters. Even when I founded my own agency, I still encountered haters. All I can say is, don’t let them stop you from doing what you want to do. Again, whatever you want to do, I’m sure this community and fans of this channel will support you 100%.
It really felt like something was missing in the video with no Kristi talk in the end D; great review as always :) I own the T778 and is super happy with the touch screen/design also.
I agree - I miss Kristi's always excellent input, but given the BS that happened this week, I totally understand. Send Kristi my fullest support and I truly hope that she knows how amazing she is!
@@jonuiuc I did not see the video in question, but from what I understand, there was an interview on Steve Guttenberg's channel where the interviewee said some sexist things against Kristi. Steve has since removed the video, so I haven't been able to see it myself.
Kristie, I hope you feel the love and care that the vast majority of your subscribers have for you. You are an essential part of this channel, and by extension of our audiophile life. Rest, relax, embrace our love, and please return when ready.
I'm a bit disappointed with the review. Nowhere is mentioned that the unit is using Purify Eigentakt modules, which have the best measurements around. Neither the Dirac live room correction is mentioned which is a game changer in speaker response and will even improve your turntable's sound. Instead, an endless rumbling on how "perfect" the unit is and how that's a bad thing. It sounds like you're biased to hear what you're expecting to hear, (class D clinical sound, A/B warmth etc) Amplifiers are circuits, they have no soul or sound on their own. Do a blind test and decide which one you like most in the end of the day, that would be way more credible.
True true wise words. At 60 I have the best stereo I've ever had. It's a real mongrel but I got fed up buying based on good reviews or perceived technical understanding and branched out on my own. Stopped listening to anything but my ears Xiang sheng 728a with Mullard and GE valves ( this was £300 and trounced a Rotel RC 1590 at 4 times the price) Nord 2 600wpc with Ice power boards £800 brand new Arcam CD 33 £120 in a charity shop Technics 1200 £200 from a mate 4 moving coil and 2 Moving magnet cartridges all bought due to their cheapness on eBay ( and good life left on them ) Ruark Acoustic Templar II £700 New in 1999 reduced for cash purchase. They've got better with every update. Had them longer than most people's marriages last. Needless to say I don't bother with cables but ensure they are well made ( No more than £20 a pair. I auditioned £400 solid silver against £35 copper cables in my 20s Almost impossible to tell difference. Tough these days though due to business hatred for bricks and mortar. Only measuring tool is your ear and we're all different . I'm sure the Abrams M1 tank measures the best of any MBT but I wouldn't want to drive it on a highway or a country lane Happy hunting 😁😁
Great review but just like in the M33 something is missing. Truly miss Kristi's take but I completely understand if she takes a break. Hope she return soon. Enjoy your Sunday.
@NeverDoubtMe23, you clearly don't listen very closely, or you aren't interested in a different point of view. She often disagrees with me, or at a minimum lets others know it's okay to disagree with me and like something I may not have. We often do not see eye to eye. Just because the last few videos we have, is not the totality of her contribution make.
Really do miss Kristi's take. She's perfect to give an "every person" opinion. I also realized she and I have the same taste in sound profile, so if she loves it, I know I probably will too.
@@JamesBrown-jy5sy It's probably more about getting an objective description, and then you have an idea if this is something for you, so that you get a clue as to what to check out. That there are several who describe what they like about it and not, is more of a nice thing.
Was hoping to see Kristi's take on it, always a fun and candid conversation. Hope the negativity dint deter her from being on your channel. Awesome work as always.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews I didn't know anything about this, but have unsubscribed from Guttenberg's channel having read the chatter. The internet is a toxic place sometimes - whatever one's opinions there's no place for abuse or denigration, there's no excuse to be personal. Hope Kristi's doing OK.
Hi, watching your review after i've bought my m33 is interesting and helpful to me because it helps me to think and understand myself a little bit better. After nearly one year of use, the m33 does strange things to me and my listening and how i connect to the music. First, i really needed to understand Dirac and how it belongs to my listen. One part of dirac is the EQ function, where the most people start with, solving or at least maybe understanding and think about their room issues and maybe also get deeper to really create "their" sound or their "moodsetup".. No device swapping, just by a click. The neutrality of this amp really brings the fundament to make this possible, all other amps with their static outbound-filters-colors produces always the same sound, independent of the music or the speaker, there is no communication between the ampspeakerroom in the analog world, totally static, it is how it is. this results into looking for a new amp after a while, when the first glimmer drops down, or the speaker stops to shine or both. Not so on the m33 Because it no-coloration at the outbound filters, it gives the listers the stage and this is a really longterm benefit in my view. The next big thing on the m33 and most of the users might not realise this normally, is the other side on the Dirac setup, the timesync from the speakers output to your listening position especially in Stereo. Once you realize this, you are out from everything else! When the measurement was done propertly you are able to walk with your ears in between the artists and the microphones. Especially on old vinyls records, you are in the room where it happens and whre it was recorded, not in front, or at the seat, nope ..you are in between the microphones where the music flows into and understand it. That is something i've never ever expericed in my live before at that level. The sound is so real Stereo, not as most of the other amps ..music from the left.. music from the right..Some says the hegel does it too, but not if you are not perfectly seated! with this m33, the magic that the sound is not coming from the speakers but from a virtual center that can be archieved with any "normal" priced speaker. I've only expirenced this picuture of music before with the AA Trio G3. They are super big and the sweetspot is very narrow , but when it fits, it fits! Same possible with the m33 when it fits, you see the artist, the distance and arrangement between the piano, the Bass, the Drums and the guitar because of the microphonie of the recording and how the m33 makes is timecorrection to you listening position BUT with are far wider listening position tolerance and for % of the costs like the Trio G3 setup with 2 SUBs and the house that you need to place them in. With the m33 and integrated Dirac_Filters This level of immersion, totally absorbs me, the music that i hear today and how the m33 control the soundscape and stage changes my personal listening forever with all my floorstanders i try. To be precise, the EQ and Bass control is not the only big bang .. its the underestimated timecorrection together with the EQ and therefore the really stereo picture it the magic. Please keep in mind that really many people outside are not able to build the perfect speaker triangle or even think about it so they will never ever have a stereoexperice..just music from the left,,music from the right.with more or less bass, hight, middles. They might can not change the furniture so they have to change everything at the hifi Equipment until it matches somehow... and then getting bored at someday because of the static output-filters on their amp, and than the story begins again. not so with the m33, either in small, or in big rooms when people move from city to city or with tinybookshelfs or big bloody booster speaker. now you can always reproduce the sound how you like it..not the room, not the speaker, not the amp.. just the music and all at small energy-cost especially for people like me who listen all day long, late at night or watching tv. So my concern here is that something like the m33 could not compared to the analog world, it's a new class of listening experince. i've also like the particular sound of hifi Equipment,, but more i like the music i've listen to. Some sound-united stereo-devices now come around with dirac.. but still with their classic outbound-filter colouration. Modern TV based on OLED primary separates their quality with their ability to create deepest as possible "black"-"silence" therefore contrast around the silience, this is something you get with the purifies ET hardware, clear guitars, cellos, pianos, really not heard before in the combination with the time-correction.. it's getting more to start listening with brain and ears, not only with hips & and foot, just change just the filter raise the level to *rock-the-block* ;-) and if this is not enough, just bridge an m23 to it at 700W full, i mean really full control, no fluttering bass, just trousers. I am really, really interested how or with what kind of technologiy this can be topped. This kind of hardware shifts us as music lovers more to real integrated re-users instand of dump consumer replacing hifi-HW all day long.. but this are only my thoughts and opinion ;-)
We want Kristi back. I do not know if issue with Steve Guttenberg interview (I did not see it) has something to do with her absence but we want here back. I think you two found perfect formula for reviews on your channel. First you "expert" opinion and after that you two chat about impressions of "regular" person. We love it.
Writing as someone who owns the NAD M33, and has been listening to it steady since I took possession in early May, I was very interested to watch this review. As always, you provide viewers with a tightly written narrative that is engaging and entertaining. However, I have to say that I could not disagree more with your main conclusion - that the M33 detracts from an emotional connection with the music. I consider myself a ‘music first’ HiFi enthusiast for whom the gear is a means to an end, not the end itself. I can say, without hesitation, that the M33 has delivered. The Dirac system has improved the poor sonics in my living, delivering a deeper and more expressive low end, while the Eigentakt amplifier delivers a soundstage that is wide and detailed, allowing for a sense of space that is extraordinary on superior recordings (both digital and vinyl). I find myself listening more and for longer stretches of time. This is not an amp that is bright or tiring. It rewards intense listening. Many reviewers, yourself included, use the term ‘transparent’ when praising equipment. In this case, however, I believe your considerable rhetorical skills animate an unstated trope about how class D amplifiers lack ‘warmth,’ or ‘soul.’ To your credit you admit that your review is subjective, but I would respectfully submit that your clever framing of the video around the value of ‘perfection’ is a good example of a strawman argument. Perfection - as you admit - doesn’t exist, but it is used here to invoke a contrast between digital tech and emotion that is not substantiated by the rest of your review. All the best, JC.
@James Compton, I sincerely appreciate you sharing your personal experiences and feelings and no doubt others share your point of view. I just didn't personally feel the same. I'm glad you are enjoying your M33. That's all that matters.
Thanks for your comments. The M33 is on the top of my buy list and I have been waiting excitedly to place my order. Andrew's review has somewhat derailed me and I am now hesitating...so thanks for your positive feedback. I don't have the opportunity for a demo but I think it would be a safer bet to wait until I can get one.
@@marcfoss7687 Another excellent option: Order the Creek Voyage i20 amp (Class G - not D - from 50 watts upwards) with the Atoll ST300 Signature as your source device for Hi-Res streaming. It sounds the part on Focal Sopra 1 + Sopra SW 1000 (or on the Sopra)😊
Yes, perfection is boring. Especially for hobbyists/audiophiles who like to listen to imperfections in their sound and think of next upgrade they will do to make it better and good enough for a month or two. I'm definitely getting a Purifi amp.
NAD is among 1 of the most under-rated components in the hifi industry. Many audiophiles even referring to NAD as midfi. Not sure what's to dislike about a neutral sounding integrated amp like the M33. What you also get is a DAC, Dirac and a streamer. I was looking at McIntosh and Anthem for my next upgrade but I then I have to spend upwards $2000 for a streamer. Why? There's absolutely nothing wrong with NAD's streaming. The M33 is like a Porsche which does everything so perfectly well, some arguing too well and that its too clinical and lifeless. I beg to differ!
I just came from spending the better part of a month in the hospital due to covid, and following your reviews and keeping up with all the content was one of those things that helped the time in the hospital go by a whole lot easier. You and Kristi are greatly appreciated.
I have had the M33 for the past year and a half using it with a pair of Klipsch La Scala II's. I love the clarity and sound stage. I close my eyes and I can pick out every instrument's position. The tone is perfect. If it is too perfect, I am loving it.
With all due respect it sounds as though you’re reaching for something to dislike with the M33. A straight neutral amp sounds like exactly what one would want.
Well, I bought it. Frankly, it’s freaking fantastic to my ears. What I really appreciate is how, with dirac, I can not only optimise for my room acoustics, but, given the possibility to define several dirac profiles, one can tailor the sound to somewhat compensate for shitty recordings, such as old, flat and bright ones. And despite this, the sound remains crystal clear and the stereo image unaffected. So I can now listen to some of my old favorites without stuffing cotton wool into my ears ;-) Bass control is mind blowing and it has bags of power - it just gets louder without straining. So, as I said, to my ears, heaven.
DSP is where the magic happens with these devices. The lack of character noted without DSP is simply an empty canvas awaiting your tuning of the device to suit your room and your ears. This is why for sure Bluesound products may have the same software engine as NAD products and maybe even the same amplification, but the more upmarket of them sport DSP (Dirac). So many reviewers have missed this, some even saying they never even tried it, some just fiddled a bit with the default curve and the lite version, and shame on NAD for not making a bigger deal of it. Done right, it makes a huge difference to the listening experience. And sure Dirac requires commitment to properly understand it and set it up. But once you figure it out then you can make your Dirac equipped amplification sound however you want. It's truly some sort of magic. I'll underscore this by asking how do professional live sound engineers provide a consistent experience for audiences in different stadiums (surely the most difficult listening rooms in the world) night after night? DSP is the correct answer. This is the way.
I've had the M33 for around a month now...and I totally love it. That said, I do know what Andrew means by it almost being 'too perfect'. That said, you can still tailor the sound with the speakers you pair it with. The amp itself is just so perfectly clean and transparent it's unbelievable. Let's face it, much of the 'character or soul' people sometimes like are just flaws. if you want gear with 'character' there are no shortage of options. If you want a do everything integrated that is utterly clean in it's presentation the M33 is it. From a feature and usability perspective it really is unmatched. If you are a minimalist like me, it really is a great solution.
I know exactly what he means, the amp isn't putting in it's own flavor or dynamic touch. Audio enthusiasts have always strived for that perfect neutral and its funny because we have gotten there and now people enjoy the coloration or the "warmth" of tube gear. I really belive Andrew was impressed that the NAD was excellent in its linear performance but it just needed a little character.
That’s why I no longer rely on reviewers for my decision-making. I just go with what sounds great to my ears. I drool every time I look at the M33. One day is one day!
It really does go to show how much personal taste comes into things. I A/B tested the M33 alongside the Naim Uniti Nova through some large Focal Choras in a store listening room last week (yes, I know these speakers are probably not the highest spec for this) and I absolutely LOVED the sound of the M33. Totally loved it. Thought it was the best amp I’d ever laid my ears on! If it wasn’t for its high price I would’ve bought one there and then. The Nova sounded great but when switched to the NAD the music changed to another level altogether.
I really hope Kristi is back soon. When i was watching today and i realized the video was almost over and you hadn't asked Kristi for her take i was really bummed out. I can't stress enough what a huge contribution Kristi makes to your videos. Her takes on gear are awesome. She is so real and i think she helps people newer to the hobby to understand. So sorry for what happened on the Steve G video but i hope Kristi knows some people are just jealous because you guys have the best produced audiophile channel on youtube
Well I'm glad it works for many people. Personally its one of several reasons I unsubbed, but we are all different, and though I didn't hear the content that's been referenced, if you don't like it move on. No need to be a dick about it and I'm glad Steve took his video down so it doesn't drag on what appears to be a sorry event. I may not have liked Kirsty's appearences on these videos, but its quite clear many more do, and I do hope she has not taken any critisicm to heart and come back to add her unique take on what's under discussion. There's room for every point of view.
Maybe... maybe you need to hook up this perfect amp to a perfect speaker. Maggies. If you expect to be "wowed" by tiny box speakers that will NEVER be capable of coupling your ears/body to the music, is just plain silly. Any amp that "pairs well" with certain speakers is just a case of complimentary colorized errors. "A mismatched pair of socks that are close enough."
Normally I don't comment on videos especially when it comes to ridiculous UA-cam drama but I just want to add my little two cents here... It takes a lot of work and skill to put together professional looking reviews like you and Kristi create and I appreciate it. I also appreciate how both of you have managed to create this level of professionalism and still keep the channel fun and personable - not an easy thing, especially with almost a quarter of million people subscribing. Please keep doing what you're doing, the way that you do it, and don't worry about angry less talented people who lash out, they don't do what you do because they can't.
I sincerely appreciate your remarks Steven and understand that you didn't need to make them. I too am not into the drama and frankly wish others would keep us out of it, but I understand that as we grow, so too does the spotlight, which makes us easy and often advantageous targets. But we're doing our best here to just keep putting one foot in front of the other because at the end of the day, that's what being professional really looks like.
I have a genuine question, and it's not meant to be snarky or critical: could it be that you guys are experiencing a sort of sonic fatigue? You guys review SO MANY audio devices for us that I sometimes wonder if they all just start running in together and it all becomes muddled. Like the person that works at a bath and body works no longer being able to smell all those damn candles and scents by the end of the day
You raise a very interesting question and rather than give you an outright answer, here's another way of looking at it - Think of it this way - there is no denying that if you live in a place with a bad smell, you eventually get used to it. But if someone new walks into the same room, they may notice it right away. Taking that same idea and applying it to hifi or home theater - because we change gear so frequently and it's not the same monotonous sound all the time, change is often _more_ noticeable. So as long as we have a few baselines with which to compare on hand, you can discern the sound of something fairly quickly. And since there are two of us here, we can usually compare and contrast even quicker not mention have a bit of checks and balance so to speak. The other thing to ponder is not listener fatigue but rather the possibility that as products have continued to improve coupled with the known consolidation of manufacturing, industry wide, much of this gear isn't all that different from the next and thus, actually does start to sound the same because the differences in quality are no longer as great they once were. This is of course assuming the products are different to begin with - hint: many are not. tldr: a lot of stuff is really good now. But great question!
Perfection to me is getting the absolute best out of my recordings and what the speakers can deliver and not having an amplifier "flavor" it for me. I want to flavor it myself by EQ/DSPing tailored to the song i am listening. Therefore i need a signal chain that doesn't add warmth or any kind of fizz, coldness, whatever to it. With the C298 it was the first time that i noticed that some records just plain suck. And now that i have gotten so used to the revealing character of it i don't wanna miss it. If a mastering sucks, it sucks. If i wanna change the sound signature, i can do it with EQing the hell out of it but the amp just does what it is supposed to do: deliver clean sound with almost no distortion or coloration. Letting me hear what the artist/sound engineer put on the disc.
Paraphrasing your opening remark: "If we found the perfect playback component, would we even realize it?". Listen to the M33 for at least a year. Let it reprogram your expectations.
I can always rely on a great review from Kristi and you! Just wanted to let you both (and maybe especially Kristi, given recent events) know that as another woman with a passion for Hi-Fi I really like this channel and the fact that Kristi is actively included in the reviews. The final chat is something I also always enjoy, having a second opinion also helps clarify the rest of the review :)
@@andrewrobinsonreviews And thank you for the great, outspoken, positive attitude you bring to the hobby! Also, for your question about "perfection" in audio. I think my perfect setup is one that I can enjoy listening to for extended periods of time, but one that also has those wow moments, where a (part of) a song just suddenly blows you away with how great it sounds. So perfect neutrality is probably not what I would strive for.
I second this. I like the balance, and I have no idea why some people think women can't enjoy the technical aspects of this hobby. I love tinkering ang getting just the right sound. I even love the physical act of putting together a system. If people could just relax and realize that adding to a group of enthusiasts doesn't have to diminish their own enthusiasm, we might find ourselves having an even more robust conversation. As it is, I often feel unwelcome and underestimated in these conversations, so I stay on the sidelines.
This makes me think of the emotional impact you felt in your Klipsch LaScala review. I would love to have seen how the clinical neutrality of the M33 would have performed through the emotional LaScalas. Do the LaScalas make the M33 sound emotional, or does the M33 make the LaScalas more dispassionate? My idea of perfect Hi-Fi is all about emotional connection. To me, music is about emotion. If it doesn't move me, what's the point? That may not look as good on paper, and it could be different for each individual but Hi-Fi without emotion is just as dead inside as a person without passion or emotion.
Clinical + Klipsch is probably not going to be a good time. I have some Cornwalls and they can be pretty shouty depending on the amp. I haven't tried the M33 with them but IMO they pair best with a vintage or warmer sounding amp. They were downright nasty hooked up to an Anthem MRX520 I used briefly when i first got them and then slightly better on a NAD C320bee I pulled out of storage while I looked for something more complementary. I'm currently running them with a PrimaLuna Prologue Premium tube integrated and even that has me lusting for a little more warmth. YMMW of course, it's entirely possible that horns just aren't really my thing.
Rather late to this thread, but, I own both the M33 and the Heresy IVs. To me, having auditioned a whole series of amps (including the Naim Unity Atom) with the Heresys, the M33 made them sing in a way nothing else did. The Atom produced beautiful music, and I would have been very happy with it. But this was just... I don't know, to *me* it was incredible. That said, I haven't heard it on larger Heritage series speakers, so, who knows.
For integrated amps there is an element of functionality, but for amps (pre and power) the aspect of joy, is the "handshake" between it and the speakers. This sounds like it will be able to utilize the speakers (and room) to maximum performance effect. But I do get it, some combos have a magic in one parameter or another (my old mosfet yamaha, that midrange with vocals is special, despite it lacking in places), and it would be disconcerting to have pure robot perfection gloss over the positive attributes of whatever sources or speakers you've chosen. For a lot of people that one-stop-shopping at the nth percentile is perfect, other people are looking for an elusive other quality and will feel, hollow with it.
Andrew… I have owned the M33 for about 7 months now. Yes the sound is “perfect”. It is exactly a straight wire with gain. Benchmark amps are much the same. That’s why they use them in studios. Stereophile just reviewed the pure amp version of the M33 (c298) and basically said it has NO sound whatsoever. Equipment matching is critical with these. They need a speaker with warm mids and lower treble, or they are going to be sterile. They are bad matches for B & W and Kef products. They would be a bad match for the Focal. I am going to listen to the Rosso Fiorentino Elba 2 in a few weeks as a possible match. Perfection is a bitch. That’s why people buy tubed gear, measures horribly and sounds magical.
For those audiophiles who like a colored sound, you're in luck. We have Bose and Beats! And for bassheads, Hifiman. In my own case, I prefer not to have the RIAA curve, clicks and pops, wow and flutter, tubes, or other substandard music reproducing crap in the way. Give me perfect reproduction of what's there every time. I think the new Putzey Purify modules will finally put some of this mumbo jumbo and retro nonsense to bed permanently, but who knows? I mean they're trying to bring back cassettes. Cassettes! I lived through every one of these miserable formats, and fortunately, my life is nearly over.
Amen, audiophiles who like coloured sound are not audiophiles. I get we all have different tastes and I respect that. You want some artificial warmth (read: fuzz / distortion) that comes with tube amps or poorly designed digital amps, that's fine. Guitarists prefer a tube buffer on their amps for this very reason. But don't claim you're after the absolute sound, quite the contrary.
With soo many good options out here for music/audio playback and relatively cheaper options sounding great, I lean more towards the emotional connection with my equipment. While my setup is primarily for personal enjoyment, I also enjoy entertaining friends and family. So at this level of HiFi when everything starts coming down to splitting hairs.. it's all about esthetics and functionality for ME. Sleek, non intrusive, and ease of use will have my money before specs any day.
Ease of use isn’t discussed enough. What’s often missed in any HiFi review is the “will anyone else besides me be able to make the thing play music?” factor. For most of us that’s a big deal if we don’t have dedicated listening rooms. Great insight, my friend.
Now I have been using m33 for several months. I’m not an expert, not an audiophile. And I pretty much like it. No cons for my usage (digital music via Roon + games on PS5 + TV). No issues. Sometimes it loses connection but maybe it’s my wi-fi. Dirac makes VERY BIG difference in sound. It’s really killer feature. Just my noob experience)
I can understand your comments about perfection vs emotion. I own the M33 and noticed this “perfection” in its extreme clarity with no harsh borders, at least with my Polk Reserve R700 speakers (with smooth tweeters) and a SVS SB 3000 SW. But Dirac allows you to manage all the frequencies, not only the bass. So this tool is the path to “color” your sound, to fit more with your emotional side, if needed. So I think this gives you more alternatives to experiment than other warm or emotional amps can give. It also allows to have several profiles that adapt better to specific kinds of music or recordings, only in one piece, with no need of external equalizers. Bottom line: Emotion is possible with the M33!
100 % agree - emotions have to be added according to taste - can be done both by attaching Turntable/RiiA/Pickup or CD Transport/CD Player and by Dirac Live which is a very powerful tool, but Dirac live requires training to fully utilize the power of it.
Hifi to me is a system that gets out of the way of the music and let's you enjoying it to the point where you loose track of time. Even when it's not a live recording it's still an experience.
I really appreciate your honest take on the M33. I've owned it for about a year and I've really enjoyed the amp, both in usability/flexibility and sound quality. For me, it has been the perfect replacement for my old Hegel H300.
I saw your post the other day, and I hope Kristi is okay. I found myself missing her with this vid. As someone with a sister also named Kristi, and 3 daughters, I have no patience for sexism. Please let her know we're all thinking of her and she should ignore the haters. I do wish she'd come on or you'd post a pic of her when you're chatting just for some visual interest, but I've never thought her reluctance to be on camera in any way affects the validity of her opinions or all the work she does for us on your channel. Be well.
Kind of off topic, but not really because she has become an integral part of this channel (for the good) - but what exactly happened that Kristi isn't in the video...?
I always love Kristi's take. I have been looking at this integrated. It checks many boxes, dual speakers, earc hdmi, sub outs, ample power, and all the streaming goodies. Thanks!
One of the best review if you ask me. You separate the the "facts / what you hear" from what you like. I love that! I understand that i like other things (exact, perfect / boring) than you. But the review was really objektive. Good work!!
@Andrew Robinson nice review as always. What do I think about if perfection could be boring? It's need a non short answer. I can listen to a lot of audiophiles claiming about the perfect sound equal as possible as the original and that means the equalizers are devil devices and no tone controls are allowed. Just the minimum steps… But I also see how a lot of them love vinyl imperfection, or valve amps coloration. This is really an incoherent world. It's a subjetive passion because each one lives the music in a different way. As you always say, the only true is in oneself. But I really think that an amp very transparent isn't boring. What I like is the possibility to find some missed details in the music that I love and I have already listened thousands of times. That's a marvelous experience when something new is revealed in a piece that you think you know perfectly. This discoveries are part of my fun listening to music. Of course are always an emotional approach to the devices, but in my case it isn't a "personal sounding, non in an amp. The emotional approach to an amp, it's for me in the way to use it, the functions, or the look, or even in the fact to touch it. I think that "coloration" in the sound have to be produced by the speakers selection, or an EQ, no by the amp. For that reason, if the NAD M33 is transparent, has enough power, it's easy and enjoyable to use, has a nice touch screen and multiple functions and possibilities… It's perfect!, and I would look for the passion just in the use experience, and if I would prefer a diferent sound I'd try it playing with the other gears, no the amp. Anothger advantage is that you can use the NAD as pre-amp and streamer and connect it to a different amp, even a valve amp if you want. My English isn't enough good for express correctly, but I hope you understand what I am trying to explain. Regards
Andrew, you discovered that we humans are not emotionally equipped to deal with perfection, although we persue it in it's many forms throughout our lifetimes.
Just remember that the Nad M33 uses Purifi Eigentakt amp modules, not Hypex as in the c368/c388/M10. Sure you get the same BluOS ui in all of them, but they do not sound the same :)
Very nice review I don't usually care about how an Amp test on a bench for the perfect sound. For me it's your environment and how you set up your system. The hands on adjustment and placement count for me. Also wishing Crissy the best. Her opinion was and is respected and appreciated. Hope you come back soon.
Let me see if I get it: the guys at NAD manage to create a component that lives up to every expectation exactly the way it is on the specifications, and because of that it is close to perfect... but that is a formula for boredom??? When will you audiophile guys be satisfied with anything? You guys listen to so many different equipment and speakers that at the end of the day you yourselves don't even know what you want anymore.
Maybe it's like driving a V8 versus a Tesla? The Tesla "clinically" on paper is better in every way but maybe the loud noise, smell of gas, gear shifting is missed even if it gets outperformed in every way?
Soul-less....particular trait for Class D amps...although not always, but statistically prevalent. The goal of the true high-end experience is to get an overload of endorphins and let your soul detach from your body in pure ecstasy! Becoming one with the performance to the point of tears. Shrinking in your listening chair to the size of an ant in awe of the glory of the music loading your sensory receptors to an orgasmic emotional state. 33 is a magical number in math, religion and science - not in audio. Enough said!
None of the other amps from NAD sounds like m33. I'd pick Hegel over any of the other amps from NAD, but I think m33 might be my favourite amp. It sounds AMAZING.
Ha! That shirt instantly reminds me of that removed video of Ken's record store! I hope that's not the reason why Kristi's take isn't in the review... never let the trolls get what they want and go your own way 👍
People like distortion in their sound. It’s basically used as a sort of tone control. The Purifi modules are absolutely amazing, but they give you exactly what is there on a recording without any extra spacial tricks. I encourage using the power amplifier modules with something like a tubed preamplifier to give you the best of both worlds. I use a Purifi power amplifier with a super low distortion preamplifier (Topping Pre90) and on a good recording, it’s just amazing. It never sounds bad, but there are times I crave the presentation from my Pass Aleph 30 amplifier. This amplifier module is definitely helped, however, by having incredible loudspeakers that are partially open baffle in design. There’s a sense of three dimensionality and preciseness when it’s all put together. Also, I’ve recently been using the Cambridge AXR85 I picked up as a $200 refurb to play with and noticed that it’s not nearly as dynamic or precise as the Allo Audio class D amplifier I own which has less power. Class D amplifiers, when designed well, are simply amazing, but don’t expect them to add trickery into music that is poorly recorded. Really good speakers can help you get around this.
M33 has Dirac so you can make your own target curves to make the sound more warm (more lows) or more spacious (more highs) it is interesting how well that works. Spoken bij a C658 owner who uses full Dirac.
Do you find live music boring? Live music, at least the acoustic portion, aren't tweaked or given "emotion" by amplifiers. If the M33 is totally neutral, then it's your speakers personality you should be questioning. Love your reviews but I'm having a hard time understanding this one.
You bring up an interesting point and one that I considered. Is it possible that the M33 shows that the Focal speakers are boring, but since none of the other amps we have showcased that or delivered a similar performance, I have to judge the variable in the equation - which is the M33 in that light. Now you are 100% free to critique the way that you have and I don't completely disagree with you. And this is why I say in this review, that if you are confused, so am I. But no, I don't typically find live music boring.
You are correct in my view. I own the M33. They need to be matched with a speaker with a warm mid-range. They are a bad match for LS50 (which I own) or most KEF spwakers, most B & W, and certainly the focal speakers reviewed here.
NAD M33 matches B&W 802 D2 very well. I use two subwoofers to give more bass weight and they are perfectly controlled by Dirac Live. I respect that you report what you hear during testing in your setup, but with your huge audience I would appreciate if you continued investigating this fantastic amp which in my view is trying to bring digital high-end to a more affordable level and thereby pointing towards the future for hifi. John Darko asked Terry Ellis for some Dirac filters for his setup - in his case that was very smart. Thank you for a very interesting channel and congratulation with 201000 subscribers!
Really missed Kristi, if i wanted to listen to some audiophiles talking about audiophile gear i can choose from a million different ear fetishists (?) That have somehow forgotten that their producing a video i want to look at. Your take was always different and refreshing and also made it easier to pinpoint if a peace of gear would suit my taste since you and Andrew have such different ones. Its like triangulation :D Really want to have you back
Perfection for me does not come from paper specifications or what a device looks like, its about does it make my foot tap does it cause me to engage with the music, paper specifications do not reflect the sound a product or device makes, only when a device is powered up and breathing can you hear its voice and how it talks to you, but lets just remember one simple fact we all hear things differently no two people hear the same , we all want different attributes from a product
Great video Andrew. I definitely missed Kristi's comments. Im in her boat regarding class A/B amps, and was looking forward to her take on this digital amp. Regarding your QOTD: There has to be an emotional connection to the sound and the music. I need detail, texture, and punch which I feel comes mainly from class A/B amps.
Great review and amazing product. Like Kristi has said before: these very expensive products make the more affordable make even more sense. Missed her take, stay strong!
The perfection in HiFi for me is when the HiFi disappears and you feel like you are in the room with the band or orchestra playing in front of you. I believe that the goal of music sound recording is to deliver sound as it was produced by voice or music instruments, without coloration, warmth and other adjectives that one like to use.
I'm at a point where I hit like before I even watched the video. One of my favorite corners on UA-cam for sure, especially because of the way you deliver the content and the respectful community. Cheers
@@andrewrobinsonreviews thanks! The class a/ab design is excellent. Awesome review! We are getting one of these on demo soon so I am looking forward to getting hands on with it.
I’ve heard others both pitch and review this unit and immediately thought, “I wonder what Andrew thinks?” I first heard a salesman pitch it, and it seemed like the greatest thing since sliced bread, then I heard a reviewer dis it, think twice, and dis it again. Now you say it’s ‘perfect’ but boring. Wow. I would still like to hear it, because, like you say, it has every feature you would want, and no major weak spots. Adding it all up sounds like a ringing endorsement to me. I would rather be bored than disappointed. 🙂
I would certainly prefer more emotion and flavor from an amp. Definitely not the same without Kristi’s take. I hope she comes back soon and ready to rock and roll. I am sorry for discouragement she has had to endure.
I think perfection is when there's no more changes you want to make to your stereo/space which would effectively remove you from this hobby. Pretty sure many audiophiles, including myself, are in denial that they already reached that point but imagine up problems or look for unrealistic solutions to continue acquiring gear. Anyway...back to browsing surge protectors..
For years I was a stereo guy! But when surround sound was invented I was hooked. I still love to listen to my stereo music but need an amp that does both. So these amps have no interest to me but love to see what is happening in the stereo world. My ideal situation would be a stereo system and a home theatre system - but my wallet says NO WAY!!
Tell Kristi: “what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger” I’m an immigrant and faced a lot of crap when I came to America. Someone told me that saying and has been in my head ever since. It has made me so much better than “them”.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews What are you guys talking about? Did I miss something? Are people dissing on Kristi?? Is she from another country? I'm confused!!
@Les Matthews, Steve Guttenberg and Ken M., of Stereophile Magazine put out a video on Friday where Ken made fun of Kristi and objectified her and Steve aired it. That's the long and the short of it. You can read my community post if you want, but the video has been removed and Steve remains silent.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Forget those assholes!!! I'm shocked at Steve but don't know the other guy. We all missed Kristi this video!! They all talk about the WAF and here, finally, one is willing to give it - which we loved - and these trolls are saying mean things? I don't know what they said - but I am a member and will check out the community page. Will get back to you!
The lack of excitement is why retro gear is still popular, cause it is just not perfect. Same reason a musician, eg guitarist will rather use 50 year old stomp boxes and tube amps than buying a Kemper system that can sound 99% like any amp/effect combo you may wish you had the money to buy and keep in perfect shape. I still regret the day my old NAD 3050 died a couple years back. I want all those modern smart solutions NAD has today, but still .. I miss the no nonsense design and looks of the old amps that braught them on the map all over the world some 40'ish year back making really solid well designed amps that everyone could afford. I remember how stunned we were by their cheap 3020 20w amp back then that sounded really good for how little it cost and it easily beat other amps that had over 5 times the watts on the spec sheets. I really have a hard time accepting any modern class D amps. The wattage of them is just as garbage as the "musical" wattage numbers that became common up thru the 80's instead of the more true RMS measurements. Give me a good ole Class AB amp design with a solid 10kg transformer and some well dimensioned Caps in the powersupply
Ya, if it ain’t an emotional connection to what’s being played, no ideal specification will ever make its way to flip the appropriate switch within us.
‘Perfect’ is what YOU like best. I’ve had many store owners tell me how good something is sounding whilst to my ears it’s flat. Advice and good reviews are all great but to live with a hifi you have to love it too
Andrew, perfect HiFi to me is absolute fidelity to the recording. The system should not add or take away anything from what was created. The M33 is therefore IMHO close to perfect. My experience with music is live and mostly large complex ensembles playing classical and jazz. BTW what was Kristie’s take?
As I found with my T778 the M33 requires larger floor standing speakers and you need to tweak the response curve away from the standard HK curve to your liking which is easy to do with the full range Dirac software .
I have one of NAD’s masters series products. It broke after 13 months and the company seems unwilling or unable to repair or replace it in a timely manner. I’d look for a product produced by a company that respects their customers and honors their warranty.
She asked for a minute away and I'm respecting her wishes. I didn't want to do this video, but we made the decision to go forward for two reasons. 1. Fan's like you, Sean, who I know support us and more importantly Kristi, who obviously hate that what has occurred these past few days, but who still want to share in this hobby with us --you deserve a video. 2. What occurred has nothing to do with NAD and it would be unfair to lump them into a situation that frankly they have nothing to do with. Equally unfair would be to hold a review of their product for reasons that honestly don't relate to them.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews I totally get it and respect Kristi’s decision. I applaud your professionalism to do this review as well. It couldn’t have been easy for you. To see Kristi hurt by this situation to the point she didn’t want to participate was a surprise and I wasn’t being critical. I just wanted her to know that her opinions and presence in your reviews are respected, valued and missed. I hope that message (echoed in so many comments today) helps her find her way back to participating. Her choice, of course, with no judgment either way. Take care of each other and I hope the rest of your Sunday is a peaceful one.
my idea of perfection is simple: - Do I love the moment of playing music? - Does music give me gooseflesh? - Is it magical? I think impossible to measure this, it´s all those technical aspects coming together creating that magical moment :-))
well... here is what I think. This amplifier will let the speaker's virtues form the character of the sound ! which is quite fantastic... You just have to take this master amplifier, go to a shop, demo your favourite songs with some speakers and pick the one that suits you most... My personal choice would be speakers from DALI and specifically from the Rubicon series and Oh Lord... the sound can not be described as lifeless...
★ *REVIEWING:* bit.ly/2HzEgKY • bit.ly/3IV3xuq
★ *QOTD: What does perfect in HiFi mean for YOU?*
★ *COMMENT RULES: Please be respectful. No outside links, URLs, email addresses, etc. Violations are automatically deleted.*
Awesome video... I wish I could afford it. Hey @andrew robinson I have the denon s960h and I just realized as I was hooking to up I have no pre-amp outs! Could I still have hook up an amplifier down the road? Is there a way thanks.
Perfect HiFi for me is great sound (not hard to attain anymore) and features and ease of use that fit my use case. Trial and error is involved but lots of money really isn’t.
Perfection in Hifi means to me , getting some good equipments and find the sound the you like , not having the latest gears or most expensive ones . Perfection does not exist. Sometimes we are tricked by our own brain who is always asking for more . Just like photography , the art of painting and drawing, my hifi system is just starting a journey in the art of music and sound . You do not need the latest cameras, the latest amps . Please do not forget the manufactures are releasing them base on our demands as consumers .
Hey Andrew , just like having a cup of coffee every morning, if becomes a habit to turn on my tv first thing every Sunday morning because I know you are going to release a video …..lol lol
Perfect = does what I want it to do I guess. Dont think there can be one ”perfect for all” solution, amp or speaker, it totally depends on what, where and when.
Hope Kristi is ok. Don't want her to think that those dickheads are representative of everyone watching, but also understand why she would want to have some space. Her contributions and the unscripted chats between the two of you are some of the best things about the channel.
@OnitsukaTiger82 Read about what happened in the Community section. On Steve Guttenberg's channel, there was a weasel putting down Andrew and especially Kristi while Guttenberg seemed to laugh (the video was taken down eventually). It's sad when there are nut-jobs out there that put down people in the stereo review world due to their own petty jealousies or insecurities.
Hi Kristi. Missed you in this review. Andrew is awesome but I think you’ve become a much-loved and must-watch part of his channel. I didn’t see the Steve Guttenberg video but I hope you’re OK. Do what you need to do - take care of yourself. I can only share my experience being a Vietnamese immigrant who somehow found his way into the White-dominated advertising agency world where I had a lot of nay-sayers and doubters. Even when I founded my own agency, I still encountered haters. All I can say is, don’t let them stop you from doing what you want to do. Again, whatever you want to do, I’m sure this community and fans of this channel will support you 100%.
It really felt like something was missing in the video with no Kristi talk in the end D; great review as always :) I own the T778 and is super happy with the touch screen/design also.
Something is missing. But I appreciate you watching, very much!
It’s a good idea to take a break, when Kristi is ready to give her input. I for one am looking forwards to it.
I agree - I miss Kristi's always excellent input, but given the BS that happened this week, I totally understand. Send Kristi my fullest support and I truly hope that she knows how amazing she is!
@@eruilluvitar what happened exactly?
@@jonuiuc I did not see the video in question, but from what I understand, there was an interview on Steve Guttenberg's channel where the interviewee said some sexist things against Kristi. Steve has since removed the video, so I haven't been able to see it myself.
Kristie, I hope you feel the love and care that the vast majority of your subscribers have for you. You are an essential part of this channel, and by extension of our audiophile life. Rest, relax, embrace our love, and please return when ready.
This!!!
I'm a bit disappointed with the review. Nowhere is mentioned that the unit is using Purify Eigentakt modules, which have the best measurements around. Neither the Dirac live room correction is mentioned which is a game changer in speaker response and will even improve your turntable's sound.
Instead, an endless rumbling on how "perfect" the unit is and how that's a bad thing. It sounds like you're biased to hear what you're expecting to hear, (class D clinical sound, A/B warmth etc) Amplifiers are circuits, they have no soul or sound on their own.
Do a blind test and decide which one you like most in the end of the day, that would be way more credible.
My thoughts exactly! That’s why I no longer listen to reviewers. I trust my own ears.
Couldn't agree more! So easy to get caught up in this audiophile madness.
True true wise words. At 60 I have the best stereo I've ever had. It's a real mongrel but I got fed up buying based on good reviews or perceived technical understanding and branched out on my own. Stopped listening to anything but my ears
Xiang sheng 728a with Mullard and GE valves ( this was £300 and trounced a Rotel RC 1590 at 4 times the price)
Nord 2 600wpc with Ice power boards £800 brand new
Arcam CD 33 £120 in a charity shop
Technics 1200 £200 from a mate
4 moving coil and 2 Moving magnet cartridges all bought due to their cheapness on eBay ( and good life left on them )
Ruark Acoustic Templar II £700 New in 1999 reduced for cash purchase. They've got better with every update. Had them longer than most people's marriages last.
Needless to say I don't bother with cables but ensure they are well made ( No more than £20 a pair. I auditioned £400 solid silver against £35 copper cables in my 20s Almost impossible to tell difference.
Tough these days though due to business hatred for bricks and mortar.
Only measuring tool is your ear and we're all different .
I'm sure the Abrams M1 tank measures the best of any MBT but I wouldn't want to drive it on a highway or a country lane
Happy hunting 😁😁
Great review but just like in the M33 something is missing. Truly miss Kristi's take but I completely understand if she takes a break. Hope she return soon. Enjoy your Sunday.
Thank you @dodpr. I'll let her know.
@NeverDoubtMe23, you clearly don't listen very closely, or you aren't interested in a different point of view. She often disagrees with me, or at a minimum lets others know it's okay to disagree with me and like something I may not have. We often do not see eye to eye. Just because the last few videos we have, is not the totality of her contribution make.
@@NeverDoubtMe23 It doesn't seem that way to me but I respect your opinion. Have a great day!
@@andrewrobinsonreviews - Don’t feed the trolls :)
@@NeverDoubtMe23 ironic handle for someone who is so clearly wrong. Sit down troll
I said to myself, this is a shorter review. Perfect as it is, we need Kristi back !! She makes a great 👍 balance to everything. Thanks.
Really do miss Kristi's take. She's perfect to give an "every person" opinion. I also realized she and I have the same taste in sound profile, so if she loves it, I know I probably will too.
Jason, you are so green. You will smarten up with time, though. Don't you worry about that.
@@JamesBrown-jy5sy It's probably more about getting an objective description, and then you have an idea if this is something for you, so that you get a clue as to what to check out. That there are several who describe what they like about it and not, is more of a nice thing.
I love here dialogues, sorry there are "dickhead" issues.
"LET IT GO!”
Just saying.
Was hoping to see Kristi's take on it, always a fun and candid conversation.
Hope the negativity dint deter her from being on your channel.
Awesome work as always.
Thank you for watching. I am hopeful Kristi will return soon.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews I didn't know anything about this, but have unsubscribed from Guttenberg's channel having read the chatter. The internet is a toxic place sometimes - whatever one's opinions there's no place for abuse or denigration, there's no excuse to be personal. Hope Kristi's doing OK.
Hi, watching your review after i've bought my m33 is interesting and helpful to me because it helps me to think and understand myself a little bit better. After nearly one year of use, the m33 does strange things to me and my listening and how i connect to the music. First, i really needed to understand Dirac and how it belongs to my listen. One part of dirac is the EQ function, where the most people start with, solving or at least maybe understanding and think about their room issues and maybe also get deeper to really create "their" sound or their "moodsetup".. No device swapping, just by a click. The neutrality of this amp really brings the fundament to make this possible, all other amps with their static outbound-filters-colors produces always the same sound, independent of the music or the speaker, there is no communication between the ampspeakerroom in the analog world, totally static, it is how it is. this results into looking for a new amp after a while, when the first glimmer drops down, or the speaker stops to shine or both. Not so on the m33 Because it no-coloration at the outbound filters, it gives the listers the stage and this is a really longterm benefit in my view. The next big thing on the m33 and most of the users might not realise this normally, is the other side on the Dirac setup, the timesync from the speakers output to your listening position especially in Stereo. Once you realize this, you are out from everything else! When the measurement was done propertly you are able to walk with your ears in between the artists and the microphones. Especially on old vinyls records, you are in the room where it happens and whre it was recorded, not in front, or at the seat, nope ..you are in between the microphones where the music flows into and understand it. That is something i've never ever expericed in my live before at that level. The sound is so real Stereo, not as most of the other amps ..music from the left.. music from the right..Some says the hegel does it too, but not if you are not perfectly seated! with this m33, the magic that the sound is not coming from the speakers but from a virtual center that can be archieved with any "normal" priced speaker. I've only expirenced this picuture of music before with the AA Trio G3. They are super big and the sweetspot is very narrow , but when it fits, it fits! Same possible with the m33 when it fits, you see the artist, the distance and arrangement between the piano, the Bass, the Drums and the guitar because of the microphonie of the recording and how the m33 makes is timecorrection to you listening position BUT with are far wider listening position tolerance and for % of the costs like the Trio G3 setup with 2 SUBs and the house that you need to place them in. With the m33 and integrated Dirac_Filters This level of immersion, totally absorbs me, the music that i hear today and how the m33 control the soundscape and stage changes my personal listening forever with all my floorstanders i try. To be precise, the EQ and Bass control is not the only big bang .. its the underestimated timecorrection together with the EQ and therefore the really stereo picture it the magic. Please keep in mind that really many people outside are not able to build the perfect speaker triangle or even think about it so they will never ever have a stereoexperice..just music from the left,,music from the right.with more or less bass, hight, middles. They might can not change the furniture so they have to change everything at the hifi Equipment until it matches somehow... and then getting bored at someday because of the static output-filters on their amp, and than the story begins again. not so with the m33, either in small, or in big rooms when people move from city to city or with tinybookshelfs or big bloody booster speaker. now you can always reproduce the sound how you like it..not the room, not the speaker, not the amp.. just the music and all at small energy-cost especially for people like me who listen all day long, late at night or watching tv. So my concern here is that something like the m33 could not compared to the analog world, it's a new class of listening experince. i've also like the particular sound of hifi Equipment,, but more i like the music i've listen to. Some sound-united stereo-devices now come around with dirac.. but still with their classic outbound-filter colouration. Modern TV based on OLED primary separates their quality with their ability to create deepest as possible "black"-"silence" therefore contrast around the silience, this is something you get with the purifies ET hardware, clear guitars, cellos, pianos, really not heard before in the combination with the time-correction.. it's getting more to start listening with brain and ears, not only with hips & and foot, just change just the filter raise the level to *rock-the-block* ;-) and if this is not enough, just bridge an m23 to it at 700W full, i mean really full control, no fluttering bass, just trousers. I am really, really interested how or with what kind of technologiy this can be topped. This kind of hardware shifts us as music lovers more to real integrated re-users instand of dump consumer replacing hifi-HW all day long.. but this are only my thoughts and opinion ;-)
We want Kristi back. I do not know if issue with Steve Guttenberg interview (I did not see it) has something to do with her absence but we want here back. I think you two found perfect formula for reviews on your channel. First you "expert" opinion and after that you two chat about impressions of "regular" person. We love it.
Agreed. And on both camera at that. Both sides bring good color to the chat.
I think most of us can say confidently that we miss and appreciate Kristi’s takes on products that you both review
I missed it too. I did not enjoy this process at all.
Agreed. Hope she is well and will be back soon.
Really agree too, almost thought i had pressed next accidentally.
I also missed it ! I hope she will be back :)
Writing as someone who owns the NAD M33, and has been listening to it steady since I took possession in early May, I was very interested to watch this review. As always, you provide viewers with a tightly written narrative that is engaging and entertaining. However, I have to say that I could not disagree more with your main conclusion - that the M33 detracts from an emotional connection with the music. I consider myself a ‘music first’ HiFi enthusiast for whom the gear is a means to an end, not the end itself. I can say, without hesitation, that the M33 has delivered. The Dirac system has improved the poor sonics in my living, delivering a deeper and more expressive low end, while the Eigentakt amplifier delivers a soundstage that is wide and detailed, allowing for a sense of space that is extraordinary on superior recordings (both digital and vinyl). I find myself listening more and for longer stretches of time. This is not an amp that is bright or tiring. It rewards intense listening. Many reviewers, yourself included, use the term ‘transparent’ when praising equipment. In this case, however, I believe your considerable rhetorical skills animate an unstated trope about how class D amplifiers lack ‘warmth,’ or ‘soul.’ To your credit you admit that your review is subjective, but I would respectfully submit that your clever framing of the video around the value of ‘perfection’ is a good example of a strawman argument. Perfection - as you admit - doesn’t exist, but it is used here to invoke a contrast between digital tech and emotion that is not substantiated by the rest of your review. All the best, JC.
@James Compton, I sincerely appreciate you sharing your personal experiences and feelings and no doubt others share your point of view. I just didn't personally feel the same. I'm glad you are enjoying your M33. That's all that matters.
Thanks for your comments. The M33 is on the top of my buy list and I have been waiting excitedly to place my order. Andrew's review has somewhat derailed me and I am now hesitating...so thanks for your positive feedback. I don't have the opportunity for a demo but I think it would be a safer bet to wait until I can get one.
@@marcfoss7687
Another excellent option: Order the Creek Voyage i20 amp (Class G - not D - from 50 watts upwards) with the Atoll ST300 Signature as your source device for Hi-Res streaming. It sounds the part on Focal Sopra 1 + Sopra SW 1000 (or on the Sopra)😊
Yes, perfection is boring. Especially for hobbyists/audiophiles who like to listen to imperfections in their sound and think of next upgrade they will do to make it better and good enough for a month or two.
I'm definitely getting a Purifi amp.
NAD is among 1 of the most under-rated components in the hifi industry. Many audiophiles even referring to NAD as midfi. Not sure what's to dislike about a neutral sounding integrated amp like the M33. What you also get is a DAC, Dirac and a streamer. I was looking at McIntosh and Anthem for my next upgrade but I then I have to spend upwards $2000 for a streamer. Why? There's absolutely nothing wrong with NAD's streaming. The M33 is like a Porsche which does everything so perfectly well, some arguing too well and that its too clinical and lifeless. I beg to differ!
I reckon he should try it on some big box Klipshorns or Herisies.
I just came from spending the better part of a month in the hospital due to covid, and following your reviews and keeping up with all the content was one of those things that helped the time in the hospital go by a whole lot easier. You and Kristi are greatly appreciated.
Kristi and I hope that you are feeling much better and we are glad to know that our videos helped pass the time.
I have had the M33 for the past year and a half using it with a pair of Klipsch La Scala II's. I love the clarity and sound stage. I close my eyes and I can pick out every instrument's position. The tone is perfect. If it is too perfect, I am loving it.
With all due respect it sounds as though you’re reaching for something to dislike with the M33. A straight neutral amp sounds like exactly what one would want.
Nice review of that NAD but I’m feeling ‘incomplete’ without Kristi’s section… 😞
Me too. Hopefully she will return soon.
second that. I too felt the review was missing Kristi's inputs
Well, I bought it. Frankly, it’s freaking fantastic to my ears. What I really appreciate is how, with dirac, I can not only optimise for my room acoustics, but, given the possibility to define several dirac profiles, one can tailor the sound to somewhat compensate for shitty recordings, such as old, flat and bright ones. And despite this, the sound remains crystal clear and the stereo image unaffected. So I can now listen to some of my old favorites without stuffing cotton wool into my ears ;-) Bass control is mind blowing and it has bags of power - it just gets louder without straining. So, as I said, to my ears, heaven.
DSP is where the magic happens with these devices. The lack of character noted without DSP is simply an empty canvas awaiting your tuning of the device to suit your room and your ears.
This is why for sure Bluesound products may have the same software engine as NAD products and maybe even the same amplification, but the more upmarket of them sport DSP (Dirac). So many reviewers have missed this, some even saying they never even tried it, some just fiddled a bit with the default curve and the lite version, and shame on NAD for not making a bigger deal of it. Done right, it makes a huge difference to the listening experience.
And sure Dirac requires commitment to properly understand it and set it up. But once you figure it out then you can make your Dirac equipped amplification sound however you want. It's truly some sort of magic.
I'll underscore this by asking how do professional live sound engineers provide a consistent experience for audiences in different stadiums (surely the most difficult listening rooms in the world) night after night? DSP is the correct answer. This is the way.
This is the way.
I have spoken.
I've had the M33 for around a month now...and I totally love it. That said, I do know what Andrew means by it almost being 'too perfect'. That said, you can still tailor the sound with the speakers you pair it with. The amp itself is just so perfectly clean and transparent it's unbelievable. Let's face it, much of the 'character or soul' people sometimes like are just flaws. if you want gear with 'character' there are no shortage of options. If you want a do everything integrated that is utterly clean in it's presentation the M33 is it. From a feature and usability perspective it really is unmatched. If you are a minimalist like me, it really is a great solution.
I know exactly what he means, the amp isn't putting in it's own flavor or dynamic touch. Audio enthusiasts have always strived for that perfect neutral and its funny because we have gotten there and now people enjoy the coloration or the "warmth" of tube gear. I really belive Andrew was impressed that the NAD was excellent in its linear performance but it just needed a little character.
That’s why I no longer rely on reviewers for my decision-making. I just go with what sounds great to my ears. I drool every time I look at the M33. One day is one day!
Thanks Clint and I really agree with you! I am hoping that the M33 might be my end game. Any idea if ProAc speakers might pair well with the M33?
@@marcfoss7687 a british audiophile (youtube) test the Nad m10 with proac peakers. The M10 will have a similar sonis signature as the m33.
@@richardramorino3319 Thanks.
It really does go to show how much personal taste comes into things.
I A/B tested the M33 alongside the Naim Uniti Nova through some large Focal Choras in a store listening room last week (yes, I know these speakers are probably not the highest spec for this) and I absolutely LOVED the sound of the M33. Totally loved it. Thought it was the best amp I’d ever laid my ears on!
If it wasn’t for its high price I would’ve bought one there and then.
The Nova sounded great but when switched to the NAD the music changed to another level altogether.
Agree. Peraonal taste and how amps mate with particular speakers.
I really hope Kristi is back soon. When i was watching today and i realized the video was almost over and you hadn't asked Kristi for her take i was really bummed out. I can't stress enough what a huge contribution Kristi makes to your videos. Her takes on gear are awesome. She is so real and i think she helps people newer to the hobby to understand. So sorry for what happened on the Steve G video but i hope Kristi knows some people are just jealous because you guys have the best produced audiophile channel on youtube
Agreed. I haven’t seen the video but really enjoy her take as well. I am not the most educated audio person but love audio. Hope she I back soon.
Well I'm glad it works for many people. Personally its one of several reasons I unsubbed, but we are all different, and though I didn't hear the content that's been referenced, if you don't like it move on. No need to be a dick about it and I'm glad Steve took his video down so it doesn't drag on what appears to be a sorry event.
I may not have liked Kirsty's appearences on these videos, but its quite clear many more do, and I do hope she has not taken any critisicm to heart and come back to add her unique take on what's under discussion. There's room for every point of view.
Ah yes! My soul cleanser of the day, Andrews review and Kristy's take. Bless you both.
Thank you for making us a part of your morning.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews thank you! Although here in Greece, it is always my afternoon :) You guys should visit sometime, we have sea and stuff! Hehehe
Maybe... maybe you need to hook up this perfect amp to a perfect speaker. Maggies. If you expect to be "wowed" by tiny box speakers that will NEVER be capable of coupling your ears/body to the music, is just plain silly. Any amp that "pairs well" with certain speakers is just a case of complimentary colorized errors.
"A mismatched pair of socks that are close enough."
Normally I don't comment on videos especially when it comes to ridiculous UA-cam drama but I just want to add my little two cents here... It takes a lot of work and skill to put together professional looking reviews like you and Kristi create and I appreciate it. I also appreciate how both of you have managed to create this level of professionalism and still keep the channel fun and personable - not an easy thing, especially with almost a quarter of million people subscribing. Please keep doing what you're doing, the way that you do it, and don't worry about angry less talented people who lash out, they don't do what you do because they can't.
I sincerely appreciate your remarks Steven and understand that you didn't need to make them. I too am not into the drama and frankly wish others would keep us out of it, but I understand that as we grow, so too does the spotlight, which makes us easy and often advantageous targets. But we're doing our best here to just keep putting one foot in front of the other because at the end of the day, that's what being professional really looks like.
What did kristie think?
You and Kristi do great reviews with a style and class unattainable by some other reviewers. Nice job on this one, as well, though Kristi was missed.
Thank you and I hope she'll be back soon!
That’s one reason tube amps sound so good - they don’t measure perfectly distortion wise or exacting spec wise. They have that Je ne sais quoi
I have a genuine question, and it's not meant to be snarky or critical: could it be that you guys are experiencing a sort of sonic fatigue? You guys review SO MANY audio devices for us that I sometimes wonder if they all just start running in together and it all becomes muddled. Like the person that works at a bath and body works no longer being able to smell all those damn candles and scents by the end of the day
Good point.🤔
You raise a very interesting question and rather than give you an outright answer, here's another way of looking at it -
Think of it this way - there is no denying that if you live in a place with a bad smell, you eventually get used to it. But if someone new walks into the same room, they may notice it right away. Taking that same idea and applying it to hifi or home theater - because we change gear so frequently and it's not the same monotonous sound all the time, change is often _more_ noticeable. So as long as we have a few baselines with which to compare on hand, you can discern the sound of something fairly quickly. And since there are two of us here, we can usually compare and contrast even quicker not mention have a bit of checks and balance so to speak.
The other thing to ponder is not listener fatigue but rather the possibility that as products have continued to improve coupled with the known consolidation of manufacturing, industry wide, much of this gear isn't all that different from the next and thus, actually does start to sound the same because the differences in quality are no longer as great they once were. This is of course assuming the products are different to begin with - hint: many are not.
tldr: a lot of stuff is really good now.
But great question!
Nice shirt! Best comment you could make
Perfection to me is getting the absolute best out of my recordings and what the speakers can deliver and not having an amplifier "flavor" it for me. I want to flavor it myself by EQ/DSPing tailored to the song i am listening. Therefore i need a signal chain that doesn't add warmth or any kind of fizz, coldness, whatever to it.
With the C298 it was the first time that i noticed that some records just plain suck. And now that i have gotten so used to the revealing character of it i don't wanna miss it. If a mastering sucks, it sucks. If i wanna change the sound signature, i can do it with EQing the hell out of it but the amp just does what it is supposed to do: deliver clean sound with almost no distortion or coloration. Letting me hear what the artist/sound engineer put on the disc.
Paraphrasing your opening remark: "If we found the perfect playback component, would we even realize it?". Listen to the M33 for at least a year. Let it reprogram your expectations.
I can always rely on a great review from Kristi and you! Just wanted to let you both (and maybe especially Kristi, given recent events) know that as another woman with a passion for Hi-Fi I really like this channel and the fact that Kristi is actively included in the reviews. The final chat is something I also always enjoy, having a second opinion also helps clarify the rest of the review :)
Thank you so much for being a part of the community.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews And thank you for the great, outspoken, positive attitude you bring to the hobby! Also, for your question about "perfection" in audio. I think my perfect setup is one that I can enjoy listening to for extended periods of time, but one that also has those wow moments, where a (part of) a song just suddenly blows you away with how great it sounds. So perfect neutrality is probably not what I would strive for.
I second this. I like the balance, and I have no idea why some people think women can't enjoy the technical aspects of this hobby. I love tinkering ang getting just the right sound. I even love the physical act of putting together a system. If people could just relax and realize that adding to a group of enthusiasts doesn't have to diminish their own enthusiasm, we might find ourselves having an even more robust conversation. As it is, I often feel unwelcome and underestimated in these conversations, so I stay on the sidelines.
Without Kristi this review was like the device you just review, perfect on paper but lifeless no emotions. Wa Wa
Agreed.
@@zachariahadams 😂
This makes me think of the emotional impact you felt in your Klipsch LaScala review. I would love to have seen how the clinical neutrality of the M33 would have performed through the emotional LaScalas. Do the LaScalas make the M33 sound emotional, or does the M33 make the LaScalas more dispassionate?
My idea of perfect Hi-Fi is all about emotional connection. To me, music is about emotion. If it doesn't move me, what's the point? That may not look as good on paper, and it could be different for each individual but Hi-Fi without emotion is just as dead inside as a person without passion or emotion.
This is a great question I'd love to hear Andrew's take on.
Clinical + Klipsch is probably not going to be a good time. I have some Cornwalls and they can be pretty shouty depending on the amp. I haven't tried the M33 with them but IMO they pair best with a vintage or warmer sounding amp. They were downright nasty hooked up to an Anthem MRX520 I used briefly when i first got them and then slightly better on a NAD C320bee I pulled out of storage while I looked for something more complementary. I'm currently running them with a PrimaLuna Prologue Premium tube integrated and even that has me lusting for a little more warmth. YMMW of course, it's entirely possible that horns just aren't really my thing.
Rather late to this thread, but, I own both the M33 and the Heresy IVs. To me, having auditioned a whole series of amps (including the Naim Unity Atom) with the Heresys, the M33 made them sing in a way nothing else did. The Atom produced beautiful music, and I would have been very happy with it. But this was just... I don't know, to *me* it was incredible. That said, I haven't heard it on larger Heritage series speakers, so, who knows.
For integrated amps there is an element of functionality, but for amps (pre and power) the aspect of joy, is the "handshake" between it and the speakers. This sounds like it will be able to utilize the speakers (and room) to maximum performance effect. But I do get it, some combos have a magic in one parameter or another (my old mosfet yamaha, that midrange with vocals is special, despite it lacking in places), and it would be disconcerting to have pure robot perfection gloss over the positive attributes of whatever sources or speakers you've chosen. For a lot of people that one-stop-shopping at the nth percentile is perfect, other people are looking for an elusive other quality and will feel, hollow with it.
Andrew… I have owned the M33 for about 7 months now. Yes the sound is “perfect”. It is exactly a straight wire with gain. Benchmark amps are much the same. That’s why they use them in studios. Stereophile just reviewed the pure amp version of the M33 (c298) and basically said it has NO sound whatsoever. Equipment matching is critical with these. They need a speaker with warm mids and lower treble, or they are going to be sterile. They are bad matches for B & W and Kef products. They would be a bad match for the Focal. I am going to listen to the Rosso Fiorentino Elba 2 in a few weeks as a possible match. Perfection is a bitch. That’s why people buy tubed gear, measures horribly and sounds magical.
Hi Richard, any idea if ProAc speakers might be a better fit with the M33?
For those audiophiles who like a colored sound, you're in luck. We have Bose and Beats! And for bassheads, Hifiman. In my own case, I prefer not to have the RIAA curve, clicks and pops, wow and flutter, tubes, or other substandard music reproducing crap in the way. Give me perfect reproduction of what's there every time. I think the new Putzey Purify modules will finally put some of this mumbo jumbo and retro nonsense to bed permanently, but who knows? I mean they're trying to bring back cassettes. Cassettes! I lived through every one of these miserable formats, and fortunately, my life is nearly over.
Amen, audiophiles who like coloured sound are not audiophiles. I get we all have different tastes and I respect that. You want some artificial warmth (read: fuzz / distortion) that comes with tube amps or poorly designed digital amps, that's fine. Guitarists prefer a tube buffer on their amps for this very reason. But don't claim you're after the absolute sound, quite the contrary.
With soo many good options out here for music/audio playback and relatively cheaper options sounding great, I lean more towards the emotional connection with my equipment. While my setup is primarily for personal enjoyment, I also enjoy entertaining friends and family. So at this level of HiFi when everything starts coming down to splitting hairs.. it's all about esthetics and functionality for ME. Sleek, non intrusive, and ease of use will have my money before specs any day.
Ease of use isn’t discussed enough. What’s often missed in any HiFi review is the “will anyone else besides me be able to make the thing play music?” factor. For most of us that’s a big deal if we don’t have dedicated listening rooms. Great insight, my friend.
Now I have been using m33 for several months.
I’m not an expert, not an audiophile. And I pretty much like it.
No cons for my usage (digital music via Roon + games on PS5 + TV). No issues.
Sometimes it loses connection but maybe it’s my wi-fi.
Dirac makes VERY BIG difference in sound. It’s really killer feature.
Just my noob experience)
I can understand your comments about perfection vs emotion. I own the M33 and noticed this “perfection” in its extreme clarity with no harsh borders, at least with my Polk Reserve R700 speakers (with smooth tweeters) and a SVS SB 3000 SW. But Dirac allows you to manage all the frequencies, not only the bass. So this tool is the path to “color” your sound, to fit more with your emotional side, if needed. So I think this gives you more alternatives to experiment than other warm or emotional amps can give. It also allows to have several profiles that adapt better to specific kinds of music or recordings, only in one piece, with no need of external equalizers. Bottom line: Emotion is possible with the M33!
100 % agree - emotions have to be added according to taste - can be done both by attaching Turntable/RiiA/Pickup or CD Transport/CD Player and by Dirac Live which is a very powerful tool, but Dirac live requires training to fully utilize the power of it.
Thanks for your comments...it gives me hope before purchasing my M33!
Great review. But I miss the perspective from Kristy and the discussion at the end of the review.
Hifi to me is a system that gets out of the way of the music and let's you enjoying it to the point where you loose track of time. Even when it's not a live recording it's still an experience.
I really appreciate your honest take on the M33. I've owned it for about a year and I've really enjoyed the amp, both in usability/flexibility and sound quality. For me, it has been the perfect replacement for my old Hegel H300.
I saw your post the other day, and I hope Kristi is okay. I found myself missing her with this vid. As someone with a sister also named Kristi, and 3 daughters, I have no patience for sexism. Please let her know we're all thinking of her and she should ignore the haters. I do wish she'd come on or you'd post a pic of her when you're chatting just for some visual interest, but I've never thought her reluctance to be on camera in any way affects the validity of her opinions or all the work she does for us on your channel. Be well.
Kind of off topic, but not really because she has become an integral part of this channel (for the good) - but what exactly happened that Kristi isn't in the video...?
I always love Kristi's take. I have been looking at this integrated. It checks many boxes, dual speakers, earc hdmi, sub outs, ample power, and all the streaming goodies. Thanks!
One of the best review if you ask me. You separate the the "facts / what you hear" from what you like. I love that! I understand that i like other things (exact, perfect / boring) than you. But the review was really objektive. Good work!!
@Andrew Robinson
nice review as always.
What do I think about if perfection could be boring?
It's need a non short answer.
I can listen to a lot of audiophiles claiming about the perfect sound equal as possible as the original and that means the equalizers are devil devices and no tone controls are allowed. Just the minimum steps… But I also see how a lot of them love vinyl imperfection, or valve amps coloration.
This is really an incoherent world. It's a subjetive passion because each one lives the music in a different way.
As you always say, the only true is in oneself.
But I really think that an amp very transparent isn't boring. What I like is the possibility to find some missed details in the music that I love and I have already listened thousands of times. That's a marvelous experience when something new is revealed in a piece that you think you know perfectly.
This discoveries are part of my fun listening to music.
Of course are always an emotional approach to the devices, but in my case it isn't a "personal sounding, non in an amp.
The emotional approach to an amp, it's for me in the way to use it, the functions, or the look, or even in the fact to touch it.
I think that "coloration" in the sound have to be produced by the speakers selection, or an EQ, no by the amp.
For that reason, if the NAD M33 is transparent, has enough power, it's easy and enjoyable to use, has a nice touch screen and multiple functions and possibilities… It's perfect!, and I would look for the passion just in the use experience, and if I would prefer a diferent sound I'd try it playing with the other gears, no the amp.
Anothger advantage is that you can use the NAD as pre-amp and streamer and connect it to a different amp, even a valve amp if you want.
My English isn't enough good for express correctly, but I hope you understand what I am trying to explain.
Regards
Andrew, you discovered that we humans are not emotionally equipped to deal with perfection, although we persue it in it's many forms throughout our lifetimes.
Just remember that the Nad M33 uses Purifi Eigentakt amp modules, not Hypex as in the c368/c388/M10. Sure you get the same BluOS ui in all of them, but they do not sound the same :)
Congrats on 200k subs what a milestone I’m the industry! 🎊
Very nice review I don't usually care about how an Amp test on a bench for the perfect sound. For me it's your environment and how you set up your system. The hands on adjustment and placement count for me. Also wishing Crissy the best. Her opinion was and is respected and appreciated. Hope you come back soon.
M33 is not ‘digital amplifier’ … class D is as analogue as it can be … although not linear class A / class AB topology
Great Review Andrew, missed hearing Kristies take on it.
Finally a review that actually say something. Thank you Andrew. Your insights and presentation are always an island of ease in this ocean of noise
Wow, thank you. I think there have been other good reviews of this product for what it's worth, but I'm glad ours resonated with you.
Let me see if I get it: the guys at NAD manage to create a component that lives up to every expectation exactly the way it is on the specifications, and because of that it is close to perfect... but that is a formula for boredom??? When will you audiophile guys be satisfied with anything? You guys listen to so many different equipment and speakers that at the end of the day you yourselves don't even know what you want anymore.
The mighty m33. Truly a Swiss Army knife of an amplifier.
Swiss in more ways than one.
You didn't mention your interconnects, speaker or power cable. Very incomplete review. (I'm joking, of course. Just pretending to be an audiophile.
And today you've become my f'ng hero. 😅
Where is Christy's review?....I like your reviews, but my ears are closer to hers.
Maybe it's like driving a V8 versus a Tesla? The Tesla "clinically" on paper is better in every way but maybe the loud noise, smell of gas, gear shifting is missed even if it gets outperformed in every way?
Yes, that is a good analogy.
Soul-less....particular trait for Class D amps...although not always, but statistically prevalent.
The goal of the true high-end experience is to get an overload of endorphins and let your soul detach from your body in pure ecstasy! Becoming one with the performance to the point of tears. Shrinking in your listening chair to the size of an ant in awe of the glory of the music loading your sensory receptors to an orgasmic emotional state.
33 is a magical number in math, religion and science - not in audio. Enough said!
None of the other amps from NAD sounds like m33. I'd pick Hegel over any of the other amps from NAD, but I think m33 might be my favourite amp. It sounds AMAZING.
Ha! That shirt instantly reminds me of that removed video of Ken's record store!
I hope that's not the reason why Kristi's take isn't in the review... never let the trolls get what they want and go your own way 👍
Halfway through my bike ride to work and the review is over? Something is missing...
People like distortion in their sound. It’s basically used as a sort of tone control. The Purifi modules are absolutely amazing, but they give you exactly what is there on a recording without any extra spacial tricks.
I encourage using the power amplifier modules with something like a tubed preamplifier to give you the best of both worlds.
I use a Purifi power amplifier with a super low distortion preamplifier (Topping Pre90) and on a good recording, it’s just amazing. It never sounds bad, but there are times I crave the presentation from my Pass Aleph 30 amplifier. This amplifier module is definitely helped, however, by having incredible loudspeakers that are partially open baffle in design. There’s a sense of three dimensionality and preciseness when it’s all put together.
Also, I’ve recently been using the Cambridge AXR85 I picked up as a $200 refurb to play with and noticed that it’s not nearly as dynamic or precise as the Allo Audio class D amplifier I own which has less power.
Class D amplifiers, when designed well, are simply amazing, but don’t expect them to add trickery into music that is poorly recorded. Really good speakers can help you get around this.
You can filter the M33 to a more personal emotional level. You can't filter an emotional amp to a more pure level.
I think this is your answer.
M33 has Dirac so you can make your own target curves to make the sound more warm (more lows) or more spacious (more highs) it is interesting how well that works. Spoken bij a C658 owner who uses full Dirac.
@@erikhoogantink8529 the C658 is an awesome device. A lot value for money!
Looks like some Polk Reserves in the background...?:)
Congratulations on 200K subscribers!
Perfection is the system you have.
Do you find live music boring? Live music, at least the acoustic portion, aren't tweaked or given "emotion" by amplifiers. If the M33 is totally neutral, then it's your speakers personality you should be questioning. Love your reviews but I'm having a hard time understanding this one.
You bring up an interesting point and one that I considered. Is it possible that the M33 shows that the Focal speakers are boring, but since none of the other amps we have showcased that or delivered a similar performance, I have to judge the variable in the equation - which is the M33 in that light. Now you are 100% free to critique the way that you have and I don't completely disagree with you. And this is why I say in this review, that if you are confused, so am I.
But no, I don't typically find live music boring.
You are correct in my view. I own the M33. They need to be matched with a speaker with a warm mid-range. They are a bad match for LS50 (which I own) or most KEF spwakers, most B & W, and certainly the focal speakers reviewed here.
Thanks for the reply. As always, a considered response.
NAD M33 matches B&W 802 D2 very well. I use two subwoofers to give more bass weight and they are perfectly controlled by Dirac Live. I respect that you report what you hear during testing in your setup, but with your huge audience I would appreciate if you continued investigating this fantastic amp which in my view is trying to bring digital high-end to a more affordable level and thereby pointing towards the future for hifi. John Darko asked Terry Ellis for some Dirac filters for his setup - in his case that was very smart. Thank you for a very interesting channel and congratulation with 201000 subscribers!
Really missed Kristi, if i wanted to listen to some audiophiles talking about audiophile gear i can choose from a million different ear fetishists (?) That have somehow forgotten that their producing a video i want to look at. Your take was always different and refreshing and also made it easier to pinpoint if a peace of gear would suit my taste since you and Andrew have such different ones. Its like triangulation :D Really want to have you back
Perfection for me does not come from paper specifications or what a device looks like, its about does it make my foot tap does it cause me to engage with the music, paper specifications do not reflect the sound a product or device makes, only when a device is powered up and breathing can you hear its voice and how it talks to you, but lets just remember one simple fact we all hear things differently no two people hear the same , we all want different attributes from a product
All good points!
"The sound is so strangely perfect that it felt lifeless"
From 6:32 to 6:55 That's how I felt when listening to Rotel Michi amps.
Did I miss the obvious quick comparison with the Uniti Atom?
Great video Andrew. I definitely missed Kristi's comments. Im in her boat regarding class A/B amps, and was looking forward to her take on this digital amp.
Regarding your QOTD: There has to be an emotional connection to the sound and the music. I need detail, texture, and punch which I feel comes mainly from class A/B amps.
In-depth and concise as usual... Keep it up!
Thank you.
Great review and amazing product. Like Kristi has said before: these very expensive products make the more affordable make even more sense. Missed her take, stay strong!
The perfection in HiFi for me is when the HiFi disappears and you feel like you are in the room with the band or orchestra playing in front of you. I believe that the goal of music sound recording is to deliver sound as it was produced by voice or music instruments, without coloration, warmth and other adjectives that one like to use.
I'm at a point where I hit like before I even watched the video. One of my favorite corners on UA-cam for sure, especially because of the way you deliver the content and the respectful community. Cheers
Please review the Arcam SA20! I think it is the best value out there for 2 channel amp with built in dac.
I will see if Kristi can look into it and find out if its a good fit but I appreciate the tip!
@@andrewrobinsonreviews thanks! The class a/ab design is excellent. Awesome review! We are getting one of these on demo soon so I am looking forward to getting hands on with it.
I’ve heard others both pitch and review this unit and immediately thought, “I wonder what Andrew thinks?” I first heard a salesman pitch it, and it seemed like the greatest thing since sliced bread, then I heard a reviewer dis it, think twice, and dis it again. Now you say it’s ‘perfect’ but boring. Wow. I would still like to hear it, because, like you say, it has every feature you would want, and no major weak spots. Adding it all up sounds like a ringing endorsement to me. I would rather be bored than disappointed. 🙂
I would certainly prefer more emotion and flavor from an amp. Definitely not the same without Kristi’s take. I hope she comes back soon and ready to rock and roll. I am sorry for discouragement she has had to endure.
Thank you Victor, I hope she will be back very soon!
I think perfection is when there's no more changes you want to make to your stereo/space which would effectively remove you from this hobby. Pretty sure many audiophiles, including myself, are in denial that they already reached that point but imagine up problems or look for unrealistic solutions to continue acquiring gear.
Anyway...back to browsing surge protectors..
An incredibly shallow and disappointing review. Thanks, Andrew.
First thing that entered my mind when I saw your shirt was Be kind, please rewind"!!! 🤪🤪🤪
For years I was a stereo guy! But when surround sound was invented I was hooked. I still love to listen to my stereo music but need an amp that does both. So these amps have no interest to me but love to see what is happening in the stereo world. My ideal situation would be a stereo system and a home theatre system - but my wallet says NO WAY!!
Tell Kristi: “what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger” I’m an immigrant and faced a lot of crap when I came to America. Someone told me that saying and has been in my head ever since. It has made me so much better than “them”.
I really appreciate that Jose. I'll let her know. Thank you!
Not everyone in this country is like that. Welcome to YOUR country and home my friend!
@@andrewrobinsonreviews What are you guys talking about? Did I miss something? Are people dissing on Kristi?? Is she from another country? I'm confused!!
@Les Matthews, Steve Guttenberg and Ken M., of Stereophile Magazine put out a video on Friday where Ken made fun of Kristi and objectified her and Steve aired it. That's the long and the short of it. You can read my community post if you want, but the video has been removed and Steve remains silent.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Forget those assholes!!! I'm shocked at Steve but don't know the other guy. We all missed Kristi this video!! They all talk about the WAF and here, finally, one is willing to give it - which we loved - and these trolls are saying mean things? I don't know what they said - but I am a member and will check out the community page. Will get back to you!
The lack of excitement is why retro gear is still popular, cause it is just not perfect. Same reason a musician, eg guitarist will rather use 50 year old stomp boxes and tube amps than buying a Kemper system that can sound 99% like any amp/effect combo you may wish you had the money to buy and keep in perfect shape. I still regret the day my old NAD 3050 died a couple years back. I want all those modern smart solutions NAD has today, but still .. I miss the no nonsense design and looks of the old amps that braught them on the map all over the world some 40'ish year back making really solid well designed amps that everyone could afford. I remember how stunned we were by their cheap 3020 20w amp back then that sounded really good for how little it cost and it easily beat other amps that had over 5 times the watts on the spec sheets. I really have a hard time accepting any modern class D amps. The wattage of them is just as garbage as the "musical" wattage numbers that became common up thru the 80's instead of the more true RMS measurements. Give me a good ole Class AB amp design with a solid 10kg transformer and some well dimensioned Caps in the powersupply
Ya, if it ain’t an emotional connection to what’s being played, no ideal specification will ever make its way to flip the appropriate switch within us.
‘Perfect’ is what YOU like best. I’ve had many store owners tell me how good something is sounding whilst to my ears it’s flat. Advice and good reviews are all great but to live with a hifi you have to love it too
Andrew, perfect HiFi to me is absolute fidelity to the recording. The system should not add or take away anything from what was created. The M33 is therefore IMHO close to perfect. My experience with music is live and mostly large complex ensembles playing classical and jazz. BTW what was Kristie’s take?
As I found with my T778 the M33 requires larger floor standing speakers and you need to tweak the response curve away from the standard HK curve to your liking which is easy to do with the full range Dirac software .
I have one of NAD’s masters series products. It broke after 13 months and the company seems unwilling or unable to repair or replace it in a timely manner. I’d look for a product produced by a company that respects their customers and honors their warranty.
Wait!! Where’s Kristi’s take? Where’s the Ying to your Yang?
She asked for a minute away and I'm respecting her wishes. I didn't want to do this video, but we made the decision to go forward for two reasons. 1. Fan's like you, Sean, who I know support us and more importantly Kristi, who obviously hate that what has occurred these past few days, but who still want to share in this hobby with us --you deserve a video. 2. What occurred has nothing to do with NAD and it would be unfair to lump them into a situation that frankly they have nothing to do with. Equally unfair would be to hold a review of their product for reasons that honestly don't relate to them.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews I totally get it and respect Kristi’s decision. I applaud your professionalism to do this review as well. It couldn’t have been easy for you. To see Kristi hurt by this situation to the point she didn’t want to participate was a surprise and I wasn’t being critical. I just wanted her to know that her opinions and presence in your reviews are respected, valued and missed. I hope that message (echoed in so many comments today) helps her find her way back to participating. Her choice, of course, with no judgment either way. Take care of each other and I hope the rest of your Sunday is a peaceful one.
my idea of perfection is simple:
- Do I love the moment of playing music?
- Does music give me gooseflesh?
- Is it magical?
I think impossible to measure this, it´s all those technical aspects coming together creating that magical moment :-))
Missing Kristi's take! Stay strong and take care, much love!
well... here is what I think. This amplifier will let the speaker's virtues form the character of the sound ! which is quite fantastic... You just have to take this master amplifier, go to a shop, demo your favourite songs with some speakers and pick the one that suits you most... My personal choice would be speakers from DALI and specifically from the Rubicon series and Oh Lord... the sound can not be described as lifeless...