NAD C 700 BluOS Streaming Amplifier Review

The NAD C 700 proved to be a very flexible component in a small, lightweight form factor. It has full BluOS capabilities, so it is a high-resolution streamer with a super slick interface. The C 700 has a lot of hook-up possibilities including an eARC HDMI jack. The amp has decent power delivery but is at its best with efficient speakers or a medium to small-sized room. I think it’s perfect for people who want a strong all-around amp in a small nice-looking, easy-to-use package.

NAD has been rolling out new stereo control and amplifier products over the last several months. The C 700 BluOS Streaming Amplifier is one of those in NAD’s middle range of components. This is a small, lightweight, cool-running integrated amp that features streaming and networking over the BluOS platform. BluOS has become one of the most highly regarded high-resolution networked streaming platforms throughout the world. It is a very flexible system and can even be found in modestly priced components such as the C 700 under review here.

The C 700 ups that ante by providing line-level inputs and outputs, including a mono low-pass-filtered subwoofer output. This means the C 700 has great flexibility to be used as a preamp, streamer, and integrated amplifier. It even has an eARC-enabled HDMI input for stereo cinema applications.

The NAD C 700 BluOS Streaming Amplifier is one example of a modern stereo component that gives a full embrace to the way most people get their music nowadays – by streaming wirelessly. It does this by including a BluOS module in the chassis. BluOS is a very popular streaming and networking ecosystem that has been embraced by audiophiles around the world for its robust functionality, lossless streaming, cataloging capabilities, and incredible sound quality that rivals the audible performance you can get from Redbook CDs or even SACD’s for that matter.

BluOS is very popular because it simply works; and simultaneously sounds amazing. This may sound funny, but I have never had any connectivity issues with a BluOS streamer. Other products sometimes require a power-user or a call to tech support to figure it all out. Not so with BluOS. In my experience, once I connected to my Wi-Fi (or Ethernet), the NAD automatically goes about identifying the music stored on my NAS. Once I logged into my streaming service(s) it will start playing high-resolution files without a glitch.

The C 700 is equipped to stream lossless/high res from Amazon Music HD, Deezer, Idagio, Qobuz, and Tidal. The C 700 has MQA capabilities as well. It can also serve as a Roon endpoint and plays well in all of the following ecosystems – Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and Tidal Connect. It further responds to voice commands via Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, and Google Assistant. The unit has aptX HD Bluetooth capabilities.

Whew, that’s a lot of stuff, right? Well, they didn’t stop there. NAD went right ahead and provided a decent mix of hard-wired options as well. There are two unbalanced line-level inputs, a coax input, an optical input, an HDMI eARC input, an Ethernet connection, and a USB input.

The NAD C 700 has additional output options besides the quality speaker binding posts. These additional outputs include a pair of unbalanced pre-outs along with a mono subwoofer output. The subwoofer output can be configured for a low pass frequency between 40 Hz and 200 Hz. No crossover slope is specified but we can assume second-order. One more thing – you can listen over Bluetooth speakers or headphones (aptX HD)!

The amplifier technology is trickle-down Hybrid Digital, first pioneered for the NAD Masters Series M2 stereo amp. I reviewed the M2 and was amazed by the power delivery and refined sound of this incredible amp.

The unit itself is small and lightweight. It is roughly half the size of a typical integrated amp. The front panel is dominated by a 5” full-color display. The front panel also has a large volume knob and a pair of navigation buttons. The top of the case has a nifty illuminated NAD badge that changes color depending on the operational state (On or Standby). I liked the look of it and found the readout was just a scoche too small to read when I was at my typical 9’ listening position.

Since this amp is so small and light, the physical part of the setup was a breeze. As I’ve gained a few years, I appreciate components that don’t break my back! I started by connecting the amp to my VIVID Kaya 90’s and I also connected a Pass Labs XP 17 phono preamp as my analog source. I later had to switch out the phono stage for a little two-chassis Vincent PHO 701 model because the Pass Labs preamp totally overloaded the inputs. In all fairness to the little NAD amp, Pass Labs warns their customers that the XP 17 has high output voltage, so this type of miss-match is not uncommon.

I rarely use a hardwired connection for networking. I prefer to use Wi-Fi simply because we now have a very fast and robust Wi-Fi mesh network. In any event, the NAD C 700 worked flawlessly when connecting to the network. I have an iPhone 13, so I just downloaded the BluOS app, found the C 700, and took a few more steps and soon all was connected and communicating.

I use Qobuz for streaming and was able to log in readily once the C 700 became acquainted with the network. The C 700 also showed up as a player option when I was running Roon during the review period. All in all, the setup was smooth and painless.

The readout was very nice and informative. I was not able to read the fine print from my listening chair but the cover art was always enjoyable and all the info you need is in your hand, anyway. So, the functionality of this little amp was definitely spot on.

I didn’t use a subwoofer at first and I also didn’t change any of the basic settings. However, if I did want to make adjustments, the NAD C 700 had a whole slew of adjustability and configuration options. I won’t go into all of it here, but if you are interested to learn more, the full Owners’ Manual has the details – NAD C 700 Manual

When it came to the bass solo, I enjoyed surprising bass extension, clarity, and dynamic shadings. I could feel the bass in my chest. The channel balance was spot on with an excellent depth of stage with the musical image behind the plane of the speakers.

The NAD C 700 BluOS Amplifier is a super flexible, integrated amplifier built on NAD’s popular ecosystem that has been embraced by audiophiles everywhere.

I enjoyed my time with the NAD C 700. It has a great deal of flexibility and a wonderful control interface. It was able to pull off the trick of stepping aside and letting the music take center stage. It’s just that this was less common than with much more expensive amplifiers.

I found that it was at its best when streaming high-resolution files, but it can also serve as the main nerve center for a more complex system, including vinyl. This little amp surprised me at times with the performances I heard and it excelled in staging, detail retrieval, and micro-dynamic shadings.

It was most comfortable driving the friendlier load of a pair of stand-mount speakers as opposed to the large, complex speakers I started with. So, if you have the right speakers and a mid-sized room, then the NAD C 700 may be just what you need to get your music fix on.