HybridDigital nCore Amplifier for Hi-Res Audio Streaming
NAD Electronics announced the Masters Series M10, a BluOS enabled streaming amplifier that can serve as the heart of an audiophiles’ whole-home system. Or it can be combined with other players in a BluOS ecosystem of wirelessly networked music players throughout the home.
BluOS supports the new standard for High Res streaming, Master Quality Authenticated (MQA). BluOS also supports over 15 free and paid subscription services as well as supporting locally stored music libraries.
The NAD M10 includes Dirac Live Room Correction to ensure music can be precisely dialed in for optimum performance. In addition to audiophile quality sound, the M10 features complete connection flexibility allowing it to integrate into virtually any environment. The M10 also has inputs for all your other audio sources, both analog and digital. It even has an HDMI Audio Return Channel to make it easy to integrate with most modern flat panel TVs allowing the sound to come through your high fidelity speakers yet be controlled by your TV remote. The M10 is fully compatible with all the leading smart home systems to control lighting, shades, HVAC and security from one smartly styled interface.
State-of-the-Art Amplification
The M10 utilizes HybridDigital amplification featuring the remarkable Hypex nCore amplification stage offers state-of-the-art performance along with the ability to drive virtually any loudspeaker. Conservatively rated at 100 watts per channel, the M10 is both highly efficient and remarkably powerful, with the ability to render even the subtlest musical details with lifelike realism. Effortless dynamics and a complete absence of electronic noise are hallmarks of this advanced technology.
Dirac Live Room Correction* (LE version) is featured on the M10 and offers a remarkable increase in fidelity by correcting both frequency response and time domain impulse response. Dirac Live, when properly calibrated, demonstrably improves clarity, naturalness, and pinpoint imaging.
BluOS Music Management and Control
BluOS is the operating system at the heart of the M10 that pulls music from the cloud or from a locally stored library and logically organizes it and makes it easily accessible. The user can easily play all their music from the internet including Apple AirPlay 2*. With over a dozen premium music services fully integrated, including High Res sources with full MQA decoding, the M10 opens the entire music catalog and puts it at their fingertips in Studio Master Quality.
BluOS Whole-Home Audio System
BluOS is able to sync rooms together or play different music in different rooms all in High Resolution. The M10 can be combined with music players from NAD, Bluesound, and DALI with more products being added to the ecosystem every day there is an ideal product for every room and at a wide variety of price points.
A Master in Control Flexibility
Completely operable by Wi-Fi connection to the BluOS App, one need never touch the M10. But as you approach the M10 the elegant, high resolution TFT color touch screen beckons as the graphic changes from ‘now playing’ to ‘control panel’ allowing many operations directly from the front panel without opening the App. M10 users can benefit from hands-free control of their music from any Amazon Alexa supported device or via Siri. The M10 is fully compatible with all the leading smart home systems from leading companies like Apple, Crestron, Control4, Lutron and many others. This means that along with your lighting, shades, HVAC, and security, you can seamlessly control your BluOS multi-room music system from a common interface. An IR remote control is also included.
Elegant Design, Luxury Materials
Industrial design was commissioned to DF-ID, a renowned design firm associated with many of the world’s top luxury brands. Principal David Farrage utilize panels of glass and extrude aluminum to create a unique look for the M10 that is both elegant and understated at the same time.
“The Masters M10 is a perfect example of an audiophile component that is luxurious and smart yet at the same time, discreet.”, stated Greg Stidsen, NAD’s Chief Technology Officer. “It can effectively perform the same function that required a rack full of components just a few years ago and in many ways, is superior. Though the elegant form factor of the M10 takes up very little space and could be hidden away, but with its attractive design and striking display, why would you want to?”
Price and Availability
The NAD Masters Series M10 will be available in February 2019 for $2,499. Now selling for $2,749 at Crutchfield.
Features
- BluOS Streaming Amplifier
- HybridDigital nCore Amplifier
- Continuous Power: 100W into 8/4 Ohms
- Dynamic Power: 160W into 8 Ohms / 300W into 4 Ohms
- 32-BIT/384kHz ESS Sabre DAC
- 1GHz ARM CORTEX A9 Processor
- Dirac Live Room Correction*
- Color TFT display with Proximity Sensor
- AirPlay 2 Integration*
- Two-way Qualcomm aptX HD Bluetooth
- BluOS multi-room compatible
- Gigabit Ethernet
- HDMI eARC
- USB Type A Input
- Stereo Line Inputs, Coax/Optical Inputs
- Preamp Output, Subwoofer Output
- IR Input, 12V Trigger Out
- Apps for iOS, Android, Mac OS, Windows, Crestron, Control4, RTI, URC, Elan, Lutron, iPort
- Wide variety of premium music services supported in App, including Amazon, Spotify, Tidal, TuneIn, Napster, Deezer, Qobuz and many others
*These features will be implemented via future software upgrades.
Note: The M10 will include a license for Dirac Live (LE version) with the option for advanced users to upgrade to a Dirac Live Full Frequency version.
Update (2021)
This product has been replaced with a new (V2) version called the NAD Masters M10 V2 BluOS Streaming Amplifier.