NAD Electronics, a manufacturer of high-performance audio/video components, has introduced its MDC2 second- generation Modular Design Construction platform solution.
The all-new MDC2 architecture allows signals to be passed back-and-forth between module and host component. This opens a far wider range of upgrade options for the new NAD C 399 HybridDigital DAC Amplifier and future MDC2-enabled components. With the MDC2 BluOS-D module installed, listeners can enjoy the benefits of Dirac Live Room Correction, BluOS hi-res multiroom streaming and music management, and more.
Through NAD’s MDC2 platform, component investments will keep pace with future developments. The suggested retail price of the MDC2 BluOS-D module is $549 USD with retail availability in time for the holiday season.
“First introduced in 2006 to reduce technological obsolescence and offer unparallelled value for money, the MDC platform remains the longest-running and most successful future-proofing program in hi-fi, supporting technologies like BluOS, 4K, and HDMI in components over a decade old,” states Cas Oostvogel, product manager, NAD.
“Redesigned from the ground up, MDC2 builds on the success of the original MDC platform for stereo components and now supports bidirectional data protocols, which allows for a wider range of upgrade possibilities than the first-generation MDC platform.”
Here’s a closer look at some of the options available with NAD’s new second-generation MDC2 platform:
Dirac Live Room Correction
The MDC2 BluOS-D is the first expansion module offered by NAD that adds Dirac Live room correction* to a two-channel component. Professional integrators can use the supplied calibrated microphone and Dirac Live app to analyze their room’s acoustics, and then upload correction filters to the MDC2 BluOS-D module. The MDC2 BluOS-D module can store up to five Dirac profiles for different listening positions and room conditions—for example whether the drapes are open or closed.
As well as correcting peaks and dips in frequency response, Dirac Live optimizes impulse response by learning how sounds reflect off various surfaces in the listening space. The result is dramatically improved bass clarity, imaging, and timbral accuracy, on music and movie soundtracks.
BluOS Music Streaming
The MDC2 BluOS-D module also features BluOS high-resolution music streaming. Available for iOS, macOS, Android, and Windows, the flexible BluOS Controller app provides access to hundreds of internet radio stations and more than 20 streaming services. Like all BluOS products, the MDC2 BluOS-D module supports high-resolution playback up to 24-bit/192kHz, as well as MQA. With the MDC2 BluOS-D module, users can share music from any source connected to the host component with up to 63 BluOS-enabled components on the same network. Playback can also be controlled by Alexa or Google voice commands, and from smart home control systems from Crestron, Control4, Lutron, RTI, and others.
Future-Proof 2.0
NAD emphasizes that not only does the MDC2 BluOS-D module include the latest Wi-Fi and Ethernet protocols, but it also supports Apple AirPlay2, Spotify Connect, and Tidal Connect, and incorporates two-way Qualcomm aptX HD Bluetooth. There’s also a USB port for playing music from a connected USB drive. With an MDC2 BluOS-D module installed, MDC2-capable components can play music from a vast range of local, networked, and cloud-based sources. And thanks to its bidirectional communications architecture, MDC2 is ready for technology upgrades that have yet to be conceived.
Summing up the key Features of the NAD MDC2 BluOS-D Module, the platform options include:
- Dirac Live Room Correction
- Calibrated microphone included for Dirac setup
- Wi-Fi and Ethernet networking
- BluOS music streaming to up to 63 zones
- Support for hundreds of internet radio stations and over20 streaming services
- High-res audio support up to 24-bit/192kHz
- MQA audio decoding and rendering
- Apple AirPlay 2 and Siri voice control
- Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice control
- Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect
- Two-way (send/receive) Qualcomm aptX HD Bluetooth
