John Darko
MQA is back — and this time it’s hardware. The second version of NAD’s Masters M33 BluOS streaming amplifier has MQA tech on its analogue inputs and MQA tech in its D/A converter.
The ADC that greets all analogue signals utilises something called MQA FOQUS and the DAC that converts the signal back to analogue, ready for Class D amplification, features MQA QRONO. Remember: NAD’s parent company, Lenbrook International, acquired MQA and its assets in 2023 and formed a new company called MQA Labs in 2024.
From the press release: “FOQUS (ADC) and QRONO (DAC) from MQA Labs: Ensure accurate signal conversion and preserve timing, nuance, and spatial cues”. This new round of MQA tech is trying to reduce the time smear in the audio signal.
The supplemental materials issued by Lenbrook in 2024 said the following:
“Time smear is a form of distortion that is the result of representing sound waves as 1s and 0s – think of it as translation from one language to another. Inaccurate translations can sound awkward to a native speaker just as digital audio can sound unnatural if the conversion contains inaccuracies. Time smear is a particular inaccuracy in which sound impulses are not fully aligned, meaning that if you analyze wave graphs from digital audio there is often noise surrounding sound impulses, indicating for example, that sound is being produced even before a sound actually happens in the music. Contrast this with the natural world, where a cymbal clap happens when it happens and does not start a few microseconds before. Therefore, time smear results in unnatural sounding audio, which often manifests in muddiness or a lack of clarity in the sound.”
The DAC inside the M33 V2 is built around an ESS ES9039PRO DAC, which is a significant step up from the first version. Why does the M33 V2 digitise its analogue inputs? Dirac Live room correction is why. Dirac Live software can help tame bass resonances – especially problematic in small rooms – but won’t do anything for the reverberation caused by a room’s numerous reflective surfaces.
The V2 also comes pre-loaded with Dirac Live Bass Control, which can help with subwoofer integration (as we found out in our M66 pre-amplifier review). The subwoofer output level has been given a lift and XLR pre-amplifier outputs have been added to the back panel.
Lastly, the Master M33 V2 uses Gen 2 Purifi Eigentakt™ amplifier modules to drive the connected loudspeakers…
…but if you want a more traditional amplifier – without the BluOS streaming, without the touchscreen control, without the aptX HD Bluetooth, without the Roon Readiness, without Apple AirPlay 2, without the HDMI ARC, without the Dirac, without the MQA DAC and without the MQA ADC – those Gen 2 Purifi Eigentakt™ amplifier modules can also be found in the second-generation Masters M23 power amplifier, also announced this week at Munich High-End. Those modules are married to an in-house designed all-analogue input stage.
From the press release: “Capable of delivering 200W per channel (8 ohms) or 700W bridged, the M23 V2 is the perfect companion to the M33 V2 or M66 preamp, creating an ultra-high-performance, flexible system.”
Oddly, the press release makes no mention of the M33 V2’s power output ratings but it does tell us pricing for multiple territories:
NAD M33 V2: US$5999, £4999 or €6499
NAD M23 V2: US$3999, £3499 or €4499
Shipping begins in August.
Further information: NAD
