NAD Launches Innovative C660 CD Recorder With MP3 Decoding To Augment Classic Series

CD-R/RW Recorder Delivers Up To 20 Hours Of Music, Playing MP3-Encoded Discs At Near-CD Sound Quality

11-Jan-01

NAD, the highly regarded manufacturer of affordable, high performance audio components, leads off an elaborate new lineup of stereo and home theatre products with the C660 CD Recorder, a dual-tray CD-R/CD-RW deck that combines NAD sound quality with the convenience of the CD-R format. With the additional benefit of sophisticated built-in MP3 decoding capability, the C660 can deliver more than 20 hours of background music (ten hours per disc) without interruption when playing MP3-encoded CD-Rís at near-CD sound quality.Combining superior MP3 capabilities with CD recording (at up to 4x normal speed), the dual-tray C660 effectively moves MP3 from the inconvenience of the computer realm to the operating ease and sound quality of a home audio system. The C660 employs a separate DSP (Digital Signal Processing) IC to run the Fraunhofer MP3 algorithm, universally regarded as the best-sounding MP3 decoding engine. The ability to play the two transport sections either simultaneously (two zones) or sequentially, for extended playing time, makes the C660 an ideal candidate for custom installation.MP3 has rapidly developed into a standard for convenience purposes, but has been largely confined to the computer environment and to standalone MP3 portables. At best, MP3 files have been subject to playback through a mediocre PC soundcard connected to an audio system or through portable MP3 players. Needless to say, sound quality with either can be wildly variable. The solid-state portable players use integrated circuits (ICs) that combine MP3 decoding, digital-to-analog conversion (DAC) and analog output circuitry in one chip. By contrast, the C660 offers the opportunity to play back MP3 outside the computer with superior MP3 decoding. Rather than an all-in-one IC, the C660 uses a separate digital IC just to decode the MP3 data stream. Then the signal is passed on in the digital domain to the DACs and associated analog circuitry used for normal CD playback. Convenient MP3 Playback Consider, too, the convenience factor. The computer is often in a different location than the audio system. To listen to MP3 music, you have to boot up the computer, switch on the monitor, and navigate the rather cumbersome interface of keyboard and mouse - hardly a convenient way to access your favorite music. With the C660, operation is simple and can be done from the listening chair with the supplied remote control. Playing back MP3-encoded discs with the C660 is as easy as operating a normal CD player. Loaded with an MP3 disc, the C660 becomes an ideal source for background music, capable of more than 10 hours per disc of continuous, uninterrupted MP3-encoded music playback. Lastly, consider the background noise a PC generates. Virtually all computers have built-in fans to keep the computerís interior temperature at an acceptable level. Typically, these fans create a lot of noise that distracts from the music. The C660 operates virtually noise-free. The C660 is one of the first products to bridge the gap between computers and audio systems.About MP3 The penetration of computers in households is rapidly increasing and, with it, the number of CD burners. MP3 provides a good compromise between the amount of data needed and sound quality. At a data rate considered to be ""near-CD quality"" (128kbps, the default Internet standard), more than ten hours of music will fit onto a CD-R. With the accessibility of free software for MP3 coding, itís easy to ""rip"" tracks from normal audio CDs, encode them as MP3 files and burn them to a CD-R. MP3 will further proliferate and likely replace the current portable music formats (CD, cassette and MD) with solid-state players. In a domestic environment, MP3 has the potential to become the family ""music server,"" playing a variety of music directly (in a jukebox-like fashion) in different rooms and downloading music into solid-state portable players, all simultaneously.Why A Double Deck?The dual-deck integration enables the NAD C660 to copy CDs at up to four times the original speed without quality loss. This means a typical CD can be copied in about 15 minutes. This is not possible with a separate components setup - copying can be done only in real time. Note that the C660 is one of very few CD recorders that can copy at 4x - most are more limited. Newer CDs also contain CD-Text information, which, with many CD players, is not available on the digital output. CD copies made on the C660 will have CD-Text. Moreover, the C660 is an excellent performer in its own right as a conventional CD player. Besides its recording capabilities, the C660 will deliver a significant upgrade in performance over many existing CD players.The C660 will also play ""un-finalized"" discs, so users can add tracks in multiple recording sessions to make full use of the disc's capacity and still be able to listen to it between recording sessions.Making compilation CDs also becomes easier, because itís all done on the C660, thus eliminating the hassle of separately programming a CD player and making sure everything has been properly set - track order, recording levels (when recording analog), correct inputs and outputs and the like. Furthermore, on a combined player, all copies are done in the digital domain, with optimized, short signal paths and all critical circuits running from the same clock. The benefit is significantly reduced timing errors on the digital data stream (jitter), producing a better-sounding copy, compared to recording from separate units. In keeping with NADís philosophy, a combined player offers improved ease-of-use, more flexibility and better performance when compared to a separate player and recorder. The C660 is the first true high performance CD recorder with audio quality comparable to our own highly reviewed CD players. The MSRP for the C660 CD recorder is $999.