NAD T585 Universal DVD Player Review
In many ways, NAD is the quintessential hi-fi separates company and over the years has acquired an enviable reputation for its wares – old-timers will remember the legendary 3020-series budget amplifi ers. NAD has since ‘gone AV’ – ostensibly so that its commitment to sound performance can be experienced with movies, too.
NAD chief Neil Wilson admitted to HCC, ‘It’s taken us a little bit of time to really embrace AV. I believe we turned a corner with the Masters Series,
which has been lauded around the world. Now we’re in a position to roll out some of that technology across our cheaper AV components.’While the company’s commitment to AV may be newly reinvigorated, but what hasn’t changed is the functional design of (most) NAD products – check out the battleship-grey colour-scheme and industrial aesthetic appeal. Just as well, then, that the T585 can be controlled via RS232 or an external IR sensor (sadly, not included). Out of sight, out of mind? Yes, but remember – you’ve still got to insert those DVDs…
NAD’s no-nonsense approach counts in other areas. For a start, the T585 shares many of the design features of the company’s aforementioned ‘cost-no-object’ (and HCC Reference Status awardwinning) Masters Series – specifi cally the M55 player. It may look military – unlike the Masters components – but the tank-like build quality is retained. Not for NAD the lightweight fl imsy DVD trays of lesser players.
Then there’s the strong complement of front-panel controls, capable of commanding many of the functions that would ordinarily require the remote – in this case, a rather sombre affair whose (non-illuminated) layout could be improved.
Back of the tech
Turn the player around, and you’ll fi nd a sensible array of AV connections that includes HDMI 1.1 (with upscaling, if desired), component, two-channel downmix and 5.1 audio outputs (driven by Burr-Brown 24-bit/192kHz ‘hybrid’ digital-to-analogue converters). There’s also a VGA
output, which is highly unusual on DVD players of this price point. It’s only of any value if you’re running out of HDMI/component inputs on your
display, regularly use a computer monitor, or rely on an old offi ce-type projector. Another ‘oddity’ is the 12V trigger input. If the voltage is present, the player works – otherwise it’s placed into standby. Perhaps there is a coming need for such a feature amongst the custom install CEDIA
brigade but I’m struggling to think of many applications.
Given its manufacturer’s hi-fi heritage, it shouldn’t shock you to learn that there’s more to the T585 than DVDs. It supports both the DVD-A and SACD high-res audio formats – and in full 5.1 mode too. SACDs are processed ‘natively’ in DSD form and not – as is commonly the case – converted fi rst to PCM. Like all DVD players the T585 will, of course, spin your CDs. However, this NAD goes one step further by handling the HDCD variant – which was once popular among audiophiles, at least until the coming of ‘true’ hi-res audio.
Such discs are recognised as ‘standard’ CDs by regular players, but HDCD-compatible hardware like the T585 looks for special ‘helper’ content that boosts the resolution from the traditional 16 bits to a useful 20. Audiophiles aren’t too keen on MP3 and WMA, but a NAD engineer has managed to sneak in compatibility with these compressed formats, too. The 5.1 output also delivers Dolby
Digital soundtracks, but stops short at DTS.
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Picture processing
So audio, as we’ve seen, is quite well looked after. How about the video? A nice touch is the video processor – which includes adjustments for black level, colour saturation and gamma but not noise reduction. They have to be accessed from the main menu though, which means you can’t immediately see their effects on playback. The T585 has no truck with codecs like DivX, XviD and WMV – a pity, given that compatible players
can be had for a tenth of the NAD’s asking price. So, not quite as ‘universal’ as I would have liked…
Although NAD has bought in Faroudja’s familiar DCDi deinterlacing technology, scaling only goes as far as 1080i. In other words, there’s no 1080p option, although NAD told us an upgrade will be made available. What is perhaps worse is that the HDMI output doesn’t have a 576i mode (standard-defi nition interlaced, as it comes ‘off the DVD’). The output mode can be selected by a ‘resolution button’, but unless you’re using component the lowest you can expect is 576p.
Is this of note? The truth is that the proprietary deinterlacing technologies of some recent TVs can deliver superior results to what DCDi – now a bit long in the tooth – is capable of. In addition, serious enthusiasts like to employ scalers and video processors – which work best when the source
is operating in its raw native form. Perhaps NAD will look at this either with its proposed fi rmware update or on a second iteration.
It goes without saying that HDMI is preferable to component, because you bypass all of that conversion between analogue and digital. The HDMI 1.1 port employed here is restricted in terms of the audio it can carry. SACD’s DSD streams cannot, for example, be conveyed to a compatible amplifi er in this way.
Pleasingly the T585 is easy to make multi-region – a valuable feature if you’ve accumulated a sizeable collection of Region 1 titles over the years. Here’s how you do it. Press SETUP to bring up the menu and move the cursor to ‘OTHERS’. Key the following numerical sequence into the keypad: 7, 4, 1, 1, 3, 0. This will add a new submenu to the ‘OTHERS’ menu, from which the desired region (specifi c or multi) can be chosen.
Performance
Using the recent zombihorror 28 Weeks Later as a test DVD, my initial impressions of the T585 are positive. The SD visuals aren’t perhaps as finely-detailed as on some of the megabuck DVD players seen in the recent past, but they’re as engaging as the build quality as far as contrast range, black level and colour rendition are concerned. Upscaling – 720p or 1080i – doesn’t add much to the reproduction, but then again you can’t
create information that wasn’t there in the fi rst place.
Further viewing reveals that occasionally, the component output is preferable to the HDMI. My reference Sharp LC-42XD1E TV (a Full HD 42in LCD model) occasionally revealed more vertical defi nition when a 576i component feed was used, regardless of the HDMI mode selected. As revealed, the T585’s HDMI port cannot deliver 576i. A pity, because the latter is slightly ‘quieter’ and fares better as far as colour fi delity is concerned.
It would therefore appear that the Sharp’s proprietary deinterlacer improves over the NAD’s ‘bought-in’ Faroudja solution.
I have no reservations as far as audio quality is concerned – the T585 delivers the goods. I spun an SACD of Shostakovich’s ominous 11th Symphony – which is very ‘fi lmic’ in character – and was drawn into its unfolding drama. Dynamics and detail are handled with equal adeptness here. Vocal performances, whether musical or as part of movie soundtracks, are also represented naturally.
Conclusion
As an audio player, the T585 is highly impressive – indeed, I would stick my neck out and say that it’s one of the nicest-sounding DVD players in its
price bracket. In video terms NAD’s deck can be considered above average. However, the lack of support for 1080p (now specifi ed on much
cheaper players) may disappoint those badge-hunters with compatible displays.
There’s much to like about the T585, but there are items I’d like to put on a wish list, such as the ability to play back DivX discs and a 576i HDMI mode. But if such functionality isn’t required – and audio performance rates highly in your list of priorities – then the T585 is a very creditable new NAD
T585 DVD Audio/SACD Player Features
* Plays DVD-V, DVD-A, DVD+R, DVD-R, VCD, SVCD, SACD, CD, CD-R, CD-RW
* HDMI Output for HD video and audio
* Faroudja DCDi circuit for 480i (DVD standard) video upconversion to 420p, 720p or 1080i
* Component Video Output with Progressive Scan option
* S-Video and Composite Video Output
* 12 bit 216MHz video DAC from Analog Devices
* 10 bit 27MHz video DAC from Cirrus Logic
* Coax and TosLink optical digital audio outputs
* Bass Management for DVD-A and SACD
* Separate 2 channel and 5.1 channel analog outputs
* Dolby Digital and DTS decoding
* HDCD, MP3, and WMA decoding
* 24 bit 192kHz DACs
* RS-232 port
* IR Input
* 12V Trigger Input
* Detachable AC cord
* DVD 6 Remote Control
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