NAD M32
Contents
The NAD M32 is an old acquaintance. We’ve had this Master Series at the office before. But to refresh our memory, we did ask for it. And that’s a good thing, because it’s always useful to compare directly. Our listening room has recently been equipped with DAAD diffusers. And that has its impact on the sound quality: the bass is better and the spaciousness has increased. So you see: acoustics do a lot!
Modular
The NAD M32 is – just like the new Classics and M12 pre-amp – a modular amplifier. With the various MDC modules – type of plug-in cards – you can, for example, add a BluOS streamer, obtain hdmi inputs or perhaps purchase an additional set of digital inputs. Without expansion, the M32 costs around 4500 euros. With a BluOS module you’ll get about 5000 euros. well within the bandwidth of this test.
DDFA
It’s probably one of the last NADs equipped with DDFA. This direct digital amplifier – or rather: a dac-chip with 180 watts of power – now has some trouble complying with certain legislations. Well… there’s not much you can do about that as a manufacturer.
The special thing about this way of amplification is that there is in fact no conversion. The PCM signals are directly converted to PWM (pulse width modulation). The result is an extremely clean signal. Free of jitter and coloring. At least that’s the theory. Our experience with DDFA is good. Provided it’s properly set up… More on that later.
Set up!
We’ll take the M32 out of the box and set it up. What you should know is that DDFA does not like filtering. Of course we did try it briefly and yes: the M32 doesn’t like our Isotek Titan either. In short: we took it out of the filter and put it directly into the Kemp which only contains a parallel filter. Better…
Then we enter the menu and set the impedance correctly. After some listening we arrive at 6 Ohm: exactly between the minimum and maximum impedance. The difference is mainly in space and low punch. At 8 Ohm it became a little too loose and woolly. And at 4 Ohm too tight and dry. It’s subtleties, but it’s important.
Finally, we set the analog input card – which is in fact an AD converter – to 192 kHz. In our experience, that sounds best.
The sound of Silence
What the NAD does very nicely is keep calmness and control. The DDFA amplifier technology is simply incredibly fast and quiet. And partly because of this, subtle details are easily audible. Think of the start of a guitar note. Just like with the Yamaha it is almost audible which brand of strings the guitarist uses (if properly recorded). There are not many amplifiers in this class that offer that much resolution without becoming overanalytical. NAD can do that with the M32.
At the same time the grip in the low area is very good. For optimal results, make sure you set the resistance correctly. With us on the Focals 6 Ohm was perfect, on the DALI’s 4 Ohm is better. These settings provide just enough ‘oemf’ without losing definition. Now you shouldn’t expect a warm glow in the mid/low. The NAD’s pretty dry in that area. That can make for a little less ‘sjeu’ in vocal work. Is it more neutral? Perhaps… but it does take away some experience on certain speakers is our experience.
The NAD also chooses an image that is a bit more towards the speakers. Where Yamaha, MOON and Ayre play around the speakers, this NAD plays much more towards the back wall. Like listening to a concert. Choices…
Judgement
NAD puts with the Master Series M32 a versatile amplifier down. A model that can easily grow with you thanks to its modular design. The various MDC modules make it a Swiss army knife. And that has enormous advantages.
The DDFA technology results in calm, detailing and enough grip on the low area. The imaging is somewhat distant compared to some competitors.
| Good for those who love | Less good for those who love |
| Neutrality | Lots of air and depth in sound |
| Check | Sheu in view |
| Simplicity |
Specifications
| Model | NAD M32 |
| Inputs | 2 x single ended, phono, 2 x coaxial, 2 x optical, USB. |
| Speaker Terminals | Spade, Banana, Loose wire – 2 sets |
| Headphones | Yes |
| Exits | Sub-out, pre-out, optical, coaxial, |
| Power | 2 x 180 watts at 8 Ohm, DDFA |
| Expandable | Yes, with MDC modules (e.g. BluOS, HDMI, DAC…) |
| Price | 4499 |
