High-fidelity sound shouldn’t require a complicated setup. The NAD Masters M33 proves that. This all-in-one integrated amplifier streamlines your audio system without sacrificing performance. We’ll take a close look at what makes the M33 special, from its powerful Eigentakt™ amplification to its intuitive touchscreen interface and comprehensive streaming capabilities. Discover how Dirac Live room correction personalizes your sound, and explore the M33’s flexible connectivity options for various audio sources. Whether you’re building a new system or simplifying an existing one, the M33 offers a compelling solution for high-quality audio.
Key Takeaways
- The NAD Masters M33 simplifies high-fidelity audio: Combining several components into one, this integrated amplifier offers streaming, a DAC, preamp, and power amp in a single unit, streamlining your setup without sacrificing sound quality.
- Dirac Live tailors sound to your space: Integrated room correction analyzes and adjusts audio output to optimize your listening environment. Save multiple profiles for different music or listening preferences.
- Eigentakt™ amplification provides exceptional clarity: Experience detailed sound reproduction thanks to the M33’s innovative amplification technology, which minimizes distortion and noise. Versatile connectivity options, including balanced inputs and a phono stage, accommodate various audio sources.
Meet the NAD Masters M33: Streaming Amplified
The NAD Masters M33 is more than just an amplifier—it’s a complete, high-fidelity audio system packed into a single, elegant chassis. Described as a “BluOS Streaming DAC Integrated Amplifier,” the M33 acts as the central hub for all your audio needs. This sophisticated device builds on the foundation of its predecessor, the M10, expanding from a half-width to a full-width design that accommodates a gorgeous color touchscreen and a satisfyingly tactile volume knob. This combination of visual and physical controls gives the M33 a user-friendly feel that’s both modern and intuitive (What Hi-Fi?).
Connect the M33 to high-quality speakers, like the Revel Studio2s, and experience remarkable sound. The M33 doesn’t compromise on performance. It maintains excellent tonal balance, transparency, and dynamic range, effectively replacing your streamer, DAC, preamp, and power amps without sacrificing audio quality (Stereophile). This all-in-one approach simplifies your setup while delivering a premium listening experience.
A standout feature of the M33 is its inclusion of Dirac Live room correction. This technology, often an expensive add-on, comes standard with the M33. Dirac Live analyzes your room’s acoustics and adjusts the audio output to create a more balanced and accurate soundstage. You can even save multiple Dirac profiles, switching between them to suit different music genres or listening scenarios (Future Audiophile). This customization allows you to personalize your sound and get the most from your listening space.
Streaming with the BlueOS Module
The NAD Masters M33’s integrated BlueOS module makes streaming a central part of the amplifier’s functionality. No more messy external devices or complicated setups—everything happens within the M33 itself.
Supported Streaming Services
The BlueOS platform supports a wide variety of popular streaming services. You have access to Tidal, Qobuz, Amazon Music, and plenty of others, all accessible within the BlueOS app, as highlighted by Darko Audio. This means high-resolution audio from your go-to platforms without any extra hardware or software. Keeping your services in one location simplifies listening and makes it easy to switch between them. The M33 also supports streaming from Samba shares on your network, adding flexibility for managing your music library. It’s like having a central hub for all your digital audio, whether it’s from a streaming service or your personal files. See the BlueOS app in action in this Darko Audio video review.
Multi-Room Audio and Roon
The M33 isn’t limited to single-room streaming—it’s built for whole-home audio. The BlueOS module allows for seamless multi-room integration, so you can play music in different areas of your house. Future Audiophile notes the M33’s five memory slots, useful for saving different settings for various listening situations. This works well for households with different musical preferences or if you simply want to switch between speaker setups quickly. Beyond multi-room, the M33 is also Roon Ready. Roon is a sophisticated music management platform with an intuitive interface for browsing and playing your music. Roon integration adds a layer of control and refinement to the M33’s streaming capabilities. Future Audiophile’s review offers more detail on the M33’s performance and features.
Eigentact Amplification: Power and Clarity
The NAD Masters M33 is one of the first amplifiers to use Purifi’s Eigentakt™ technology. This innovative approach to amplification promises exceptional performance and efficiency. But what does it actually mean for your listening experience? Let’s break it down.
High Power Output
The M33 delivers a substantial 200 watts per channel into eight ohms. As Darko Audio points out in his M33 review, this is double the output of the NAD M10. This considerable power output ensures the M33 can drive a wide range of speakers, even more demanding models, with ease and control. You’ll experience dynamic peaks without distortion and maintain a clear, detailed sound even at higher volumes. This makes it a versatile option for various listening environments and home theater setups.
Eigentact vs. Traditional Amps
Eigentakt™ isn’t just about raw power. It’s a different approach to amplification that aims for incredibly low distortion and noise. Darko Audio’s comparison of the M33 to traditional Class D amplifiers highlights some noticeable differences. He observed a slightly tighter bass response compared to his Mytek Brooklyn Amp, along with a more transparent and clear mid-range. When compared to the Hegel H390, Darko noted that while the Hegel might handle less-than-perfect recordings with a bit more warmth, the M33 offered greater detail retrieval. This focus on detail and clarity makes the Eigentakt™ technology in the M33 particularly appealing for audiophiles who value accuracy and a transparent sound in their reproduction. He sums it up by calling the M33, with its Eigentakt™ amplification and Dirac room correction, a “compelling super integrated amplifier.”
Dirac Room Correction: Personalized Sound
This section explores one of the NAD Masters M33’s most compelling features: Dirac Live room correction. It’s a powerful tool that significantly improves your listening experience by tailoring the sound to your room’s acoustics.
How Dirac Analyzes Your Room
Dirac Live measures how sound behaves in your listening space. It identifies problem areas—like reflections and resonances—that can color the audio. As Darko Audio points out in their M33 review, Dirac “gives us an opportunity to learn about the acoustics of our room including the many problems…it allows us to correct for some of the problems of our room in software.” Think of it as a custom tune-up, calibrated for your environment. This analysis creates a clearer, more accurate soundstage, revealing details you might otherwise miss.
Customizing Your Sound Profile
The NAD Masters M33 stands out with its personalized sound customization through Dirac Live. The M33 offers five memory slots for different Dirac profiles, as highlighted in this Future Audiophile review. This lets you experiment with various settings. Create a profile for focused listening, another for movies, or even individual profiles for different people. Darko Audio also notes in their video review the flexibility of loading different sound curves: “I could have different filters in each slot and use them for different types of music if I wanted to.” This adaptability makes the M33 ideal for various listening preferences and situations.
Phono Stage and Analog Inputs: Flexible Connections
The NAD Masters M33 offers a great deal of flexibility for various analog audio sources, including turntables. This adaptability comes from its thoughtful design, including a built-in phono stage and balanced inputs.
Cartridge Compatibility
The M33 simplifies vinyl playback with its integrated phono preamp, supporting both moving magnet (MM) and moving coil (MC) cartridges. This covers most turntables available today. The M33’s phono stage is unique because of its analog implementation. As Darko Audio notes in his M33 review, the gain and RIAA equalization happen in the analog domain before digitization. This approach maintains the analog signal’s quality for as long as possible. Connect your turntable directly to the M33 without an external phono preamp, simplifying your setup and potentially improving your vinyl listening experience.
Benefits of Balanced Inputs
Beyond its phono stage, the M33 features balanced analog inputs. These connections offer better noise rejection than standard unbalanced connections, especially helpful for longer cable runs or in environments with potential interference. Darko Audio also mentions in his video review using these balanced inputs to connect his Chord Huei phono stage. This shows the M33’s flexibility, allowing users to connect high-end external components. Even if you don’t currently use balanced connections, having them on the M33 provides options for connecting various audio sources.
Connectivity: Expand Your Audio Setup
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Streaming
The NAD Masters M33 makes streaming easy. It supports several options, including Samba shares on your network, Spotify Connect, and multi-room audio. The M33 is also Roon Ready, meaning you can seamlessly integrate it with your existing Roon setup for a complete music management experience. All this makes connecting the M33 to your network and enjoying high-quality streaming from various sources simple. You can learn more about the M33’s streaming features from this Darko Audio review.
Digital and Analog Inputs
Beyond streaming, the M33 offers a wide selection of digital and analog inputs for your audio sources. A built-in phono stage supports both moving magnet (MM) and moving coil (MC) cartridges, so you can easily connect your turntable. The M33 also includes balanced analog inputs and a balanced digital input (AES/EBU), giving you plenty of options for connecting CD players, digital audio players, and other audio components. This wide array of inputs makes the M33 a versatile hub for your entire audio system. For a closer look at the M33’s connectivity, check out this video review from Darko Audio.
User Interface and Control: Simple and Seamless
Touchscreen and Physical Controls
The NAD Masters M33 offers a user-friendly experience with its large color touchscreen and a convenient volume knob. This combination blends modern technology with a classic, tactile control. Reviewers, such as What Hi-Fi?, appreciate this balanced approach, especially the touchscreen’s generous size. Darko Audio, in their video review, points out the screen’s responsiveness, making menu navigation effortless. This dual control system accommodates different preferences, allowing users to interact with the M33 in a way that feels intuitive.
Using the BlueOS App
The NAD Masters M33 seamlessly integrates with the BlueOS app, extending its functionality and control. This app provides access to various streaming services, including Tidal, Qobuz, and Amazon Music, as highlighted in Darko Audio’s M33 review. The BlueOS app also enables multi-room audio capabilities for these services, letting you synchronize audio playback throughout your home. Moreover, the app integrates with Dirac Live room correction, offering five memory slots for customized sound profiles, as discussed in Future Audiophile’s review. This feature allows you to fine-tune the audio output to match your room’s acoustics and personal preferences. The BlueOS app offers a comprehensive and user-friendly way to manage and optimize your listening experience.
Sound Quality: Detail and Resolution
Hi-Res Audio
The NAD Masters M33 truly shines when playing high-resolution audio. Whether streaming from your network storage or a cloud service like Tidal or Qobuz, the M33 delivers a pristine listening experience. Reviewers at Stereophile found no drop in quality compared to a separate component setup. This seamless integration of streaming and high-fidelity playback shows the M33’s well-engineered design. The amp’s support for various high-resolution formats, combined with Dirac Live room correction, ensures your music sounds its best, regardless of the source or your room’s acoustics.
Performance Across Genres
The NAD Masters M33’s versatility is another strong point. This isn’t an amplifier pigeonholed into one genre. From the intricacies of a classical symphony to the raw energy of a rock concert, the M33 handles it all with remarkable clarity and precision. What Hi-Fi? noted its ability to capture the nuances of different musical styles, allowing listeners to appreciate the subtleties in their recordings. The amp’s dynamic range and tonal balance ensure that both quiet and loud passages are reproduced faithfully, making the M33 a great all-around choice for any music lover. Whether you enjoy jazz, classical, or rock and roll, the M33 delivers a consistently engaging and enjoyable listening experience.
Build and Design: Form and Function
Premium Materials
The NAD Masters M33 prioritizes premium materials and a sleek aesthetic. Described as a “BluOS Streaming DAC Integrated Amplifier,” the M33 takes the successful design of the M10 and expands it to a full-width component. The front panel is dominated by a large color touchscreen, accompanied by a satisfyingly substantial volume knob. This thoughtful combination of digital and analog control enhances both usability and visual appeal, adding a touch of understated elegance to any audio setup. What Hi-Fi? offers a closer look at the M33’s design.
Home Integration
The M33 excels in its seamless home integration, making it a versatile option for serious listeners. One reviewer, using the M33 with Revel Studio2 speakers, found the sound “impressive” when playing source files from a NAS or cloud service. They noted no compromise in tonal balance, transparency, or dynamic performance compared to the separate streamer, DAC, preamp, and power amps it replaced—five components condensed into one streamlined unit. This highlights the M33’s ability to simplify a complex audio system without sacrificing sound quality. Read the full Stereophile review. The inclusion of built-in Dirac room correction with five memory slots adds another layer of adaptability. This allows you to experiment with different settings for various music genres, listening preferences, or even individual listeners. Future Audiophile explores Dirac in more detail.
Is the NAD Masters M33 a Good Fit?
Ideal User
The NAD Masters M33 builds on the success of the M10 but in a full-width component, making it a great option for those who want a visually substantial addition to their audio setup (What Hi-Fi?). It’s designed for someone looking for a premium, all-in-one solution—a high-quality streaming integrated amplifier rather than a basic receiver. AVForums describes it as having top-notch specs in a sleek Masters-level casing. If you want to simplify your system and play high-resolution audio from your network or cloud services, the M33 might be just what you need. A Stereophile reviewer found the sound quality impressive when playing files from a NAS and cloud services.
Before You Buy
The M33 includes Dirac room correction to optimize the sound for your listening environment. Future Audiophile notes that the M33 comes with a limited-bandwidth version of Dirac, offering five memory slots for saving different settings. This lets you experiment with various sound profiles and store your favorites. Consider whether the included version of Dirac will work for you, or if the full-bandwidth upgrade is necessary. Think about your current setup, too. A Sound & Vision reviewer replaced five separate components (streamer, DAC, preamp, and two power amps) with the M33 without sacrificing performance. If you want to consolidate your system and simplify your audio chain, the M33 offers a compelling, streamlined approach.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does the NAD Masters M33 require separate components like a preamp or DAC?
No. The M33 is designed as an all-in-one solution. It combines a streamer, DAC, preamp, and power amp into a single unit, simplifying your setup without compromising audio quality. This integrated approach eliminates the need for extra cables and components, creating a cleaner, more efficient system.
What’s the advantage of Dirac Live room correction on the M33?
Dirac Live analyzes your room’s acoustics and adjusts the audio output to compensate for any imperfections. This creates a more accurate and balanced soundstage, revealing details that might be lost due to room reflections or resonances. The M33 allows you to save multiple Dirac profiles, so you can tailor the sound to different music genres or listening scenarios.
Can I stream music directly to the NAD Masters M33?
Yes, the M33 has a built-in BlueOS module that supports various streaming services like Tidal, Qobuz, and Amazon Music. You can control playback through the BlueOS app, which also manages multi-room audio if you have other compatible devices. The M33 also supports streaming from Samba shares on your network, providing flexibility for playing music from your personal collection.
What is Eigentakt™ amplification, and how does it benefit the M33?
Eigentakt™ is a type of amplification technology that aims for extremely low distortion and noise. It allows the M33 to deliver a powerful and clean sound, even at high volumes. This results in a more transparent and detailed listening experience, allowing you to hear the nuances in your music more clearly.
What types of turntables are compatible with the M33’s phono stage?
The M33’s built-in phono stage supports both moving magnet (MM) and moving coil (MC) cartridges, covering a wide range of turntables. This eliminates the need for a separate phono preamp, simplifying your vinyl setup. The analog implementation of the phono stage ensures the signal remains analog for as long as possible, preserving the quality of your vinyl playback.
