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Audio Flynn

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I kind of went off the rails into the realm of all things digital.

 

My thought is to put a review in for my new NAD M32 integrated with BLU OS 2i card on a forum but which one?.

 

Definitely not in Talking tubes or Solid State.

 

Could it be time for a Digital or Digital Amplification sub forum?

 

 

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I will post an initial review mid next week after 10 weeks of listening.

 

First amp change in 14 years. 

Plug and play with hardwired Ethernet connection.

MM phono section can be digitally outputted for archiving out of print records from 1950s and 1960s.

Inference is the M32 was engineered with Tidal and MQA in mind. Previously, I was not interested in MQA.

In 45 years of audio I have never owned an amp that ran this cool.

BLU OS application from my android tablet runs well.

 

https://www.stereophile.com/content/nad-masters-series-m32-directdigital-da-integrated-amplifier

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I (for one) would appreciate your opinions on the ‘user’ friendliness of the device.  Earlier this year I added a Marantz na6006 digital streamer to my 2 channel system. I consider myself somewhat intelligent but struggled with the terminology, technology and an illogical operations manual that may as well have been written in cursive Cyrillic. The digital world in all of its applications must deploy clearer instructions IMHO. If the end user can not obtain the best use of their digital devices it makes little difference how well they ‘can’ work.

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13 hours ago, Bosco-d-gama said:

I (for one) would appreciate your opinions on the ‘user’ friendliness of the device.  Earlier this year I added a Marantz na6006 digital streamer to my 2 channel system. I consider myself somewhat intelligent but struggled with the terminology, technology and an illogical operations manual that may as well have been written in cursive Cyrillic. The digital world in all of its applications must deploy clearer instructions IMHO. If the end user can not obtain the best use of their digital devices it makes little difference how well they ‘can’ work.

I knew there would be a couple of obstacles with firmware updates. M32 in my mind needed to be updated first by USB drive file. Once downloaded on a Windows 10 PC and copied to a very stylish and steel USB supplied by NAD, the USB was easily read with a "cold boot" of the M32. From an audio quality standpoint the M32 should always be in standby mode when not playing. BLU OS 2i card is updated in a separate and completely different set of instructions.

 

I wrote NAD a service ticket. Trying to update the card by WiFi was fruitless. I started programming in HS in 1977 and keep current. NAD seems to be indifferent to the Wi-Fi problems but it is 2020 and tech service was only available by e mail.I ran through the basement 90 feet of Ethernet cable which was about a 2 hour project based upon a recommendation form Arto. Once hardwired all software updated quickly. I am using the BLU OS application on an Android tablet primarily but it runs fine on I Phone or Android phone.

 

Tune In for internet radio within the BLU OS is quite easy to search and use.

 

I see the M32, in order, integrated amplifier, computer, DAC and Streamer.

 

The BLU OS card was a must for me. This is the Belle living room system I want my wife to find easy to use. We both like Tidal at age 60 for me to find recordings I have never heard or rarely heard. I cannot own everything in music software.

 

Impressive technology and lifestyle improvement.

 

More to come next week.

 

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11 hours ago, Audio Flynn said:

I knew there would be a couple of obstacles with firmware updates. M32 in my mind needed to be updated first by USB drive file. Once downloaded on a Windows 10 PC and copied to a very stylish and steel USB supplied by NAD, the USB was easily read with a "cold boot" of the M32. From an audio quality standpoint the M32 should always be in standby mode when not playing. BLU OS 2i card is updated in a separate and completely different set of instructions.

 

I wrote NAD a service ticket. Trying to update the card by WiFi was fruitless. I started programming in HS in 1977 and keep current. NAD seems to be indifferent to the Wi-Fi problems but it is 2020 and tech service was only available by e mail.I ran through the basement 90 feet of Ethernet cable which was about a 2 hour project based upon a recommendation form Arto. Once hardwired all software updated quickly. I am using the BLU OS application on an Android tablet primarily but it runs fine on I Phone or Android phone.

 

Tune In for internet radio within the BLU OS is quite easy to search and use.

 

I see the M32, in order, integrated amplifier, computer, DAC and Streamer.

 

The BLU OS card was a must for me. This is the Belle living room system I want my wife to find easy to use. We both like Tidal at age 60 for me to find recordings I have never heard or rarely heard. I cannot own everything in music software.

 

Impressive technology and lifestyle improvement.

 

More to come next week.

 

Thanks for the overview. Now for me who has not been programming since age 16 what you needed to do would’ve buried me. I know tons of really important stuff but I am way down low on the digital food chain. Even with your knowledge you felt the need to hardwire the digital connection. For me it is all voodoo magic. It all works predictably fine until it doesn’t. It is not the wires, they are all connected where they should be, the same as when everything actually operated. It is something gone awry in the ‘magical’ part of the streamer or the WiFi or the service provider or something else from the planet Mars. For me, for now..... it is just unreliable and not under my control. Like yourself I do appreciate the nature of the music service. But from them to my ears it is all ‘Bibbity-boobity-boo’.

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Since I have built dozens of tower case computers it does not bother me to do the work.

 

What is bothersome is the reviews I have read including Stereophile do not mention any struggle with the firmware and software upgrades.

 

If you could not run ethernet cable in your home and expected WIFI to be plug and play after buying a $ 3000-5000 amplifier streamer you would be pretty upset with a significant obstacle.

 

The M32 works exceptionally well now but I cannot ever see using WIFI for it.

 

Seems like many of the audio manufacturers are stumbling over each other to introduce these designs.

 

The new McIntosh to me is ridiculous. 

 

10 analog inputs? Whatever would a listener need 10 analog inputs for ? Betamax, VHS, Video disc, Cassette, R to R, Phono, Outboard DAC and I am still not to 10.

 

https://www.mcintoshlabs.com/products/integrated-amplifiers/MA12000

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2 hours ago, Audio Flynn said:

Since I have built dozens of tower case computers it does not bother me to do the work.

 

What is bothersome is the reviews I have read including Stereophile do not mention any struggle with the firmware and software upgrades.

 

If you could not run ethernet cable in your home and expected WIFI to be plug and play after buying a $ 3000-5000 amplifier streamer you would be pretty upset with a significant obstacle.

 

The M32 works exceptionally well now but I cannot ever see using WIFI for it.

 

Seems like many of the audio manufacturers are stumbling over each other to introduce these designs.

 

The new McIntosh to me is ridiculous. 

 

10 analog inputs? Whatever would a listener need 10 analog inputs for ? Betamax, VHS, Video disc, Cassette, R to R, Phono, Outboard DAC and I am still not to 10.

 

https://www.mcintoshlabs.com/products/integrated-amplifiers/MA12000

 

If you try harder you can get three more.

JJK

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