NAD T 787 & T 777 Modular AV Reciever Preview

The last time we've written a preview article about a NAD modular receiver, we didn't have a lot of information available to ascertain exactly what features and upgrades would be offered.  With the release of the company flagship T 787 A/V receiver, NAD has been more forthcoming in their press releases.

From the recent press release:

MDC [Modular Design Construction] is an exclusive NAD feature that offers the owner an easy upgrade path to future technologies, protecting their investment from technology obsolescence and ensuring long-term satisfaction. Now in its seventh year, with three generations of MDC Upgrade Modules, Modular Design Construction is a proven, award-winning program. MDC Upgrade Modules are replaceable circuit modules that update the digital technology of the AV receiver or preamp processor to new standards and features. So instead of buying a completely new unit for the next version of HDMI or new surround modes, owners of an NAD T 787, T 777 or T 187, can simply purchase the required module, if and when needed, for a fraction of the cost of a new model.

NAD's two new upper echelon receivers, the T 787 and the T 777 are built with serious audio quality in mind. This means that they not only carefully evaluate the components that create the sound and choose the ones that work best together, but also are concerned with they feature set and include only those that will enhance the audio and video performance. 

T 777 Front                                                            T 777 Rear

To this end, the new offerings sport 24-bit/192kHz Burr Brown DACs and are fully compatible with all the newest HD audio codecs. In addition, they have included their proprietary EARS (Enhanced Ambiance Retrieval System) DSP which is a non-logic matrix surround mode. The amplifiers (200 watts per channel for the T 787, 140 watts per channel for the T 777, seven channels for each) and are stable into 4 ohms. With all channels driven over the full frequency bandwidth the T 787 will put out 120 watts per channel and the T 777 will provide 80 watts. With this rating, NAD differentiates themselves from many manufacturers which use less rigorous methods so that they can claim more power. In addition, the T 787 features dual power supplies - one for the front channels and the other for the center and surround channels. Lastly, there are two zones of audio (second zone can be output via RCA or powered) with nine pairs of speaker outputs for easy configuration switching.  Tipping the scales at 55lbs (T 787) and 45lbs (T 777) it's easy to see that their heft is what makes them so powerful.

The NAD T 787 and T 777 aren't all about audio, though. They have seven HDMI 1.4 inputs and dual outputs that support full HD and 3D video at resolutions up to 1080p with frame rates of 24, 50, and 60 FPS. NAD has decided to leave the video processing up to the source (or, likely, an external scaler) or perhaps to the display. While we would have preferred to see some sort of on-board scaling, this has never been NAD's focus so we're not surprised to see it left off of these new offerings. These receivers do support On Screen Display for all video output formats making it easy to setup and configure the receiver no matter what video formats you are using.

T 787 A/V Receiver Rear

Taking a look at the back, we see quite a bit of crowding. The HDMI inputs are stacked which, while technically not a problem, may make hooking up new components a pain. There are three each optical and coaxial digital audio inputs. There are 7.1 channel analogue inputs and 7.2 channel outputs. NAD is one of the few companies still supporting s-video inputs as well as composite video. Three component video inputs and one output tare included and the the T 787 will upconvert your analogue video sources to HDMI. The Ethernet port is not used for streaming content (NAD would prefer you buy their C 446 for that) but, instead, is used for IP control for custom installs. There are no USB ports, no phono input (odd omission considering the non-web-connected crowd likely to be interested in this receiver), no HD radio tuner, support for any of the height/width channels. Both the T 787 and T 777 sport Audyssey's MultEQ which should make setting up and calibrating your speakers much easier.

For those looking to get into separates, NAD  has also announced their T 187 pre-pro and matching T 975 Amplifier.

Conclusion

For those looking for solid audio performance over the latest features, NAD appears to deliver with their new generation of A/V receivers and separates. NAD has done a lot to make sure that their amplifiers and components will give you all the power you need without any distortion. For video...well, the receivers will pass the signal unmodified. The seven HDMI inputs and two outputs are a great improvement for the company as is the inclusion of 3D and Audyessy MultEQ XT room correction. For $4,000 for the T 787 and $3,000 for either the T 777 or T 187 A/V pre-pro, these products don't come cheap. However, the fact that NAD made these products  upgradable via their "Modular Design" approach will likely ease audiophiles concerns about future obsolescence.  The question is whether the rest of the public will value their sound quality as much as the hard-core audiophiles.  NAD knows their fan base well and NAD owners rarely seem displeased with product performance or feature sets.

For more information, please visit www.nadelectronics.com.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.