
At CES 2019, the Ventian is where the hi-end audio goodies get rolled out, and we had NAD, who announced the Masters M10, the latest in the hybrid digital amplifier line which integrates multiple technologies to deliver an easy-to-use, total high-end home solution.
The M10 streaming amplifier uses NAD’s HybridDigital amplification, widely regarded as the best and most musical of Class-D power. Boasting a new glass and extruded-aluminium look by award winning design firm DF-ID, the device includes a high-resolution TFT colour touchscreen on the front panel.
In addition to all the networking streaming and online music services enabled by BluOS (which includes MQA playback), the M10 has two analogue line inputs, one each optical and coaxial digital, USB-A, two-way Bluetooth with aptX HD, AirPlay 2, Gigabit Ethernetg plus Wi-Fi, and a useful HDMI ARC input for playing from your TV. With a 32-bit/384kHz ESS Sabre DAC, processing is handled by the 1GHz ARM Cortex A9.
Staying in tune with the trend of minimizing audio hardware’s physical intrusion, the NAD M10 weighs in at a mere 5kg, and measures a 215 x 100 x 260 mm.
The M10 can be combined with music players from NAD, Bluesound, and DALI via the BluOS ecosystem, and is also fully compatible with smart home systems. The M10 will also include a license for Dirac Live with the option for advanced users to upgrade to a Dirac Live Full Frequency version.
The $2,499 Masters Nad M10 is due to be released in February 2019. The product will be available on hi-end audiophile store groove.ae, the exclusive distributor of NAD in the Middle East.