I've seen a lot of comments and reports on the 753 and 773... Any 763 users out there? I plan to pick one up, assuming that they don't suffer from the same noise/hum issues that have reportedly plagued certain 753s and 773s, and would love to hear some feedback.
Rosie
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There was no hum/noise from the T773 that I listened to last weekend. Awesome unit!! Do you think the T762 with the c272 amp would be a good way to go. I have a large room and want to buy another set of paradigms to go with my M7s and PW 2200 sub. Would another pair of M7's go well with this, or what is one step up for fronts, thus useing M7s for rear speakers???
I guess you could always step up to M9s for the fronts, if you want to use your M7s for the rear surrounds. However, that would result in some pretty big speakers all around. Keeping your M7s for the fronts and picking up some M5s for the rears may be a little more practical -- not to mention cost-effective. I believe that the M7s and M5s also use the same driver array and have similar sensitivities (93/92), which should ensure good timbre matching and that sort of thing.
The 762 is actually the predecessor of the 763. There haven't been too many changes to it, but the 763 does include the ability to upgrade software through the RS-232 port, which adds a degree of future-proofing (assuming that NAD actually releases software updates). Personally, I plan to buck up the extra cash for the 763, but I'm sure you can get the 762 at a great price right now.
I would start with the receiver, and decide on whether to add a 2-channel amp after listening to it for a while. Your Paradigms are very sensitive, which means that it won't take a lot of power to get decent sound levels out of them.
I have the T763. I just checked it for hum. I have never heard any hum or fan but I stuck my ear at each speaker to make sure I wasn't missing it. I have a TiVo which has a fan on quite a bit. When you have the TV going or the amp, the TiVo fan is inaudible anyway. The T763 is great. I have the Martin Logan Montage as mains and phase technology center, in ceiling surrounds and sub. My only problem is the sub is either defective or not powerful enough. If I set the crossover at 80 it has problems. As soon as I have some spare cash, I may check out a Hsu or SVS.
I got the T763 as a replacement for a T762 which went wacky. NAD agreed to do the replacement. Essentially I have a new $1300 amp for $859. I love the sound and have had no problems.
Jonathan -- Good to hear that your 763 is working. Since I'm looking at the 763, I'm hoping that these NAD quality issues being discussed in other threads are a lot smaller than they appear. I've been without a receiver for a couple of months now, and really don't want to wait another three or four if NAD does have to resolve any issues.
Just out of curiosity, what went "whacky" with your 762, and how long had you had it before it flaked out on you?
Darryl, I have a NAD T773 which I bought because my dealer let me bring a T763 home for a few days to test with my Paradigms. The T763 sold me for sure. I sprung for the T773 because I could swing the extra bucks but if budget is an issue I would not have hesitated to take the T763 home. It really did have awaesome sound.
As far as quality complaints on forums I take them as a grain of salt. No company no matter the brand builds a perfect product so there will always be someone who has a bad experience...and even some unfortunate ones who have multiple bad experiences.
Because people can often be brand-centric this alos skews their opinions. Off the subject but to support my point, I have a 2001 VW Jetta VR6 which has been a great car for the 2-1/2 years I had it. After I got it my buddies who drive Nissans start sending me threads on their forums with guys bashing the Jettas, their quality problems now that their built in Mexico, this problem and that, blah blah. Either I've had a good experience with it, they had a bad experience, both, or they're just full of it and bashing another brand.
From what I've read on the audio forums including this one you will find similar patterns (bashing a brand, that one's made in Chnia now instead of Japan, etc..). So all I'm saying is from my personal experience take it all with a grain of salt.
I am sure some people have had real life problems so not knocking them...we just don't know. For all we know the manufacturers have employees out here polluting folks' opinions for their benefit. I wouldn't put it past them.
Now next week I might be on here slamming my NAD but for now I'm happy (or just fortunate).
And another thing a little off topic...we need to get off the American attitude that things built in China are sub par. I remember the same thing a few decades ago was thought of Japan. I work for an electronicc manufacturer who like everybody else, now builds product in China. The first time I went there I was in absolute awe of the discipline of their workers. I have been manufacturing product in several countries for over 15 years and they are by far, the most disciplined employees I have ever seen.
I was another one who looked at this forum for some time before buying a receiver. I had tried an HK, Marantz, Pioneer Elite before listening to NAD and deciding to go that direction. I was concerned about quality control. The authorized dealer here is a good guy who sells the stuff out of love. I decided to buy the T762 he was using to try to get around quality control instead of buying a new T752. The receiver worked well for several weeks and then the front display went random and I found that after 10 minutes, I could no longer control the amp. It sounded fine, I just couldn't control it at all with the front buttons or the remote. After turning it off, it would then go back to normal and then, 10 minutes later same thing would happen. The authorized service center here decided not to handle NADs anymore (this happened right over XMas time) and NAD offered to replace it with a T763. No problems since. It has been about 1 + month. Love the receiver and love the remote.
The T763 seems pretty similar to the T762 in sound and performance. However, it is heavier and supposedly is a significant upgrade. I think its rated the same spec wise.
"we need to get off the American attitude that things built in China are sub par."
I agree with you to an extent, JDG. Ultimately, it doesn't matter where you manufacture your product, but rather how you manufacture it. If you're using good materials and manufacturing methods, and have a good quality assurance system in place, you will put out a good product.
However, and this is where you run into problems, companies that migrate their production overseas to places like China do so to cut costs. Now, if they move their manufacturing to save money, they have probably considered cutting costs in other aspects of manufacturing as well, including quality control systems and materials. Moreover, many countries employ inadequately trained workers in these plants and also experience a high turn-over rate, which further compromises the manufacturing process.
My concern with these NAD issues is that at least a couple (e.g., hum) seem to be systematic. While they could be random quality defects, which is problematic enough, they might also be design/engineering flaws.
To all, For whatever reason, it seems as though these NAD problem threads always come in spurts. In late November and early December, there was a huge wave of honest posters who listed their problems, and were very understandably upset and angry with their experiences. At the same time, there were other posters who used these problem threads as evidence that all NAD products were somehow sub-par and should not be purchased under any circumstances. As Christmas and the new year passed, these problem postings seemed to fade for awhile. Then here we are again with another rush of NAD problem postings. Let me make it very clear that I am not trying to underscore the legitimate problems that some are having with their NAD products. I know that if I had experienced some of the same problems, I would be very frustrated as well. You have every right to be upset and to let others learn of your troubles.
But the bottom line is that as JDG states so well in his posting, all brands have their problems and no one can make a perfect product. The fact that ALL brands sell loads of refurbs on the internet should be testament to this. Where do you think most of those refurbs come from? Most refurbs that are for sale were returned for some reason or another. I knew that this discussion would arise again, so after the last throng of NAD problem threads came and went, I started archiving threads that reported serious quality problems that others were having with many different brands other than NAD. I can post some examples if anyone wishes. Does NAD have more than their fair share of problems? Who knows...only some very indepth studies could prove or disprove that. I think a quote from my car salesman will fit nicely here. As I was in the process of buying my last car, I asked him why the dealership was so committed to customer service. He replied that "a happy customer will go tell two of his friends about his experience, but an unhappy customer will go tell ten of his friends about his experience". As most of you know, I have an NAD T762 and have (knock on wood) had no problems with it whatsoever. Some of you may say "well if there are so many happy NAD owners out there, then why do they not post"? For most casual users of this forum, what purpose would they have to post their positive experiences unless specifically asked to do so? I watched a movie using my 762 last week and had no problems with it, but am I going to start a thread that says "just so all of you know, I watched a movie this weekend and everything was fine"? I think not. But you bet your sweet a** that if someone tried to watch a movie last weekend and their receiver freaked out on them, they will post every time (and rightly so).
I am sorry to ramble here, but I seriously believe (as do MANY others on this forum) that NAD makes a high quality product. Maybe there are some who have problems, but for every one that has problems, there are probably ten people who have nothing but good things to say. So please, if there are any of you out there who are contemplating purchasing an NAD product, or any product for that matter, don't da*n the entire brand or an entire model line just because of what you read or hear from other people. Let YOUR ears be the judge. In the end, that is really all that matters anyway.
These are just my thoughts and views on this subject...please take them as such.
Exactly Darryl. What is more important than the country of origin is the systems, processes, and support in place at the manufacturing location. And I can tell you that no matter the company they are all looking at cost actions to compete.
It could be components, could be labor, cutting corners in the process. It is also done through positive means that is not only more efficient but also yields a better product.
We just don't know as consumers what is behind this.
Good points Johnny! We unfortunately tend to hear the negatives and horror stories on these forums. My problems and bad experience is what initially brought me here. I went out searching for help with my dillema.
I would like to see some reliable untainted quality data out there for all products.
Let me also point out something. All new lines of products can have bugs initially. Buying a brand new line of car is a problem. When a product gets refined and improved, it usually is a good bet. For example, the Marantz line of product has been discussed extensively in this forum. The earlier lines (the 200s or 100s) have been identified as underpowered. The 300 were a vast improvement and are powerful and now the 400 line appear beastly and underrated. My feeling is that the NAD receivers are similar. The new lines are improved with better hardware, heat sinks and power.
As another poster has said, receivers are alot of stuff crammed into a small place. I would presume that (as is typical with electronics these days) if there is a problem, you will see it fairly immediately. Certainly the feel of NAD is a substantial beast.
Finally, the other important question is how the company stands behind the product. My experience was excellent with the company offering (unsolicited) an upgrade.
The T763 is based on the T762 (plus all the other new models, T753 and T773), most bugs on the T762 were fixed by firmware updates. My T762 is installed with a later version of the firmware V1.18 and I can say that I haven't met with any bugs yet! I think that the T763 is quite a stable product as its mostly a T762 with some new revisions, that will improve an already excellent product!One should audition and consider this prod very seriously!
I have always made it a policy to NEVER buy a product when it is first released (automobiles has been my experience). I don't care how good and reliable a company is, there is almost no way to remain competitive and test everything out of a product before it is released, and mass production in the hands of consumers ends up being a means to drive product improvements.
However, never say NEVER because I was so impressed with the T773 I broke my own personal rule. Hopefully I won't regret it.
Robert, I don't actually have an NAD near me and the closest one (about an hour drive) doesn't show the 763, so auditioning is unfortunately out of the question.
Issues you can resolve via firmware updates aren't really a major concern. The "hum" issue mentioned in several threads sounds like it might be a design problem or a component failure, though. I can accept a "noise floor" or some barely audible white/pink noise. But an audible hum from what could be electrical interference or something wouldn't be acceptable.