NAD Announces C399 HybridDigital nCore Amplifier That’s Upgradable

Jul 04, 2023

The new C 399 HybridDigital nCore Amplifier can be expanded and upgraded with modular cards.

For those of us who love audio equipment, the name NAD is highly regarded and blends value for money and performance to a whole new level. The Canadian company has just launched the C 399, a hybrid digital DAC amplifier. The C 399 uses NAD’s HybridDigital nCore amplification. This advanced technology has only been available in NAD’s Masters Series amplifiers. However, the technology has trickled down to the C 399, which is the new flagship integrated amplifier in NAD’s Classic Series.

The C 399’s digital section uses a 32-bit/384kHz ESS Sabre DAC for converting digital signals to analog form. This is the same high-end chip that NAD chose for its acclaimed M10 and M33 Masters Series amplifiers. The C 399 is also the first amplifier to incorporate the latest generation of the company’s Modular Design Construction (MDC) technology: MDC2. This innovative system enables users to slot in optional modules that provide functions such as BluOS Hi-Res multi-room music streaming, Dirac Live room correction and more. It’s a way of futureproofing the amplifier.

“As with every NAD amplifier, the C 399 gets the basics right: a precise volume control with accurate channel balance, low-noise circuits, and correct input and output impedances. The C 399 with its HybridDigital nCore output stage and high-resolution ESS Sabre DAC can reproduce all your digital and analogue sources to a level of excitement and refinement that is unprecedented in its class”, says Cas Oostvogel, NAD Electronics’ Product Manager.

“Ever since the launch of the legendary 3020 integrated amplifier in 1978, the NAD brand has been synonymous with value and performance. The C 399 takes that reputation to a whole new level. Thanks to NAD’s innovative new MDC2 architecture, the C 399 can serve as the hub of a world-class music system today, and for many years to come.”

The NAD C 399 can be updated using the Modular Design Construction (MDC) technology. MDC2 is an ... [+] innovative system with optional modules that can be slotted in to provide functions such as BluOS Hi-Res multi-room music streaming, Dirac Live room correction and more.

The C 399’s HybridDigital nCore amplifier is energy efficient and yet remarkably powerful. It can deliver 180W per channel continuous power, plus 250W per channel instantaneous power, enabling the C 399 to take musical transients in its stride. The HybridDigital nCore design has a wide bandwidth, flat frequency response, clean clipping behavior with instant recovery, high current capability, and stability when used with demanding low-impedance speakers. Noise and distortion are very low under all operating conditions.

Also trickling down from the Masters Series is the ESS Sabre ES9028 high-resolution DAC, a chip that’s noted for its wide dynamic range, ultra-low noise and distortion, plus near-zero levels of clock jitter. This DAC enables the C 399 to reproduce digital sources with musicality, precision and clarity.

In 2006, NAD first introduced Modular Design Construction (MDC), an innovative architecture for upgrading audio gear with new functions. Many NAD products have rear-panel slots for MDC modules that can bring UHD (4K) support, HDMI switching, BluOS multi-room music streaming, Dolby Atmos surround processing, plus many other functions.

The C 399 is the first product to feature NAD’s new MDC2 architecture. The two-way communications between the module and host component enables new functions to be added to an existing NAD product. The C 399 has Wi-Fi and Ethernet for connecting to a local network. The optional MDC2 BluOS-D module enables listeners to play music from their favorite streaming services using the C 399 controlled by the BluOS Controller app which is available for Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows. Like all BluOS products, the MDC2 BluOS-D supports dozens of streaming services as well as working with Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and TIDAL Connect. Two-way communications enable the MDC2 BluOS-D to stream music from local sources as well and can connect the C 399 to BluOS-enabled components in other rooms around the home.

At the rear of the NAD C 399 are all the inputs you could ever want including eARC, two optical ... [+] inputs, analog line level and even a phono stage.

The Dirac Live function can measure a room’s acoustics using a supplied microphone and app. The corrections can be uploaded to the MDC2 BluOS-D so the sound is tailored to the anomalies of any space. Dirac Live improves bass clarity, imaging, and timbral accuracy. Thanks to its two-way architecture, the MDC2 BluOS-D can performs Dirac Live room correction for any sources connected to the C 399.

For attaching external audio devices, the C 399 offers two optical and two coaxial digital inputs, plus an HDMI-ear port for relaying audio from a connected TV. Support for eARC means the amplifier output can be controlled using the TV’s remote. Fans of analog sources will appreciate the two pairs of RCA line-level inputs, plus there’s a MM phono stage with ultra-precise RIAA equalization, extremely low noise, and high overload margins. The phono preamp also has an innovative circuit that suppresses the infrasonic noise present on all vinyl, without compromising bass response. The line inputs include low-noise buffer amplifiers to prevent sonic degradation.

In addition to two sets of speaker outputs, the C 399 has preamp output jacks and dual subwoofer outputs for attaching to a power amp or adding some low-level grunt. Two-way aptX HD Bluetooth enables 24-bit streaming from mobile devices, plus a high-quality output to Bluetooth wireless headphones. Also built-in is a dedicated headphone amplifier with low output impedance and high output voltage, enabling the C 399 to drive demanding high-impedance studio monitor headphones.

Pricing & Availability: The NAD C 399 is available for pre-order and costs $1,999 / £1,799 / €1999.

More info: nadelectronics.com

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