Sharon, Mass.
– NAD Electronics has begun shipping its first networked audio component, the
$800-suggested C 446 digital media tuner.
The C 446, which
is shipping, also connects to a variety of new music sources.
The device features analog AM/FM tuner,
Internet radio, ability to stream music from
networked PCs and NAS drives incorporating Universal Plug-and-Play (UPnP) and
DLNA standards, Ethernet port, and embedded Wi-Fi. It also has USB audio
playback and connection to an optional iPod/iPhone dock for music playback. The
C446 lacks an amplifier.
The component decodes the MP3, FLAC, WMA, WAV
and AAC compressed-music formats.
Other features include 24bit/192kHz audio DAC, an RS-232 serial
interface port for integration with home automation systems, and ability to
convert analog FM/AM to a S/PDIF digital output.
In 2009, the
company introduced
with embedded Wi-Fi to stream audio, video and
photos from a networked PC.
In a separate
announcement, the company said it began shipping the $900-suggested T 748 A/V receiver, a 7.1-channel model
supporting 1080p 3D video, HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC), Dolby TrueHD
and DTS Master Audio, and EARS, a proprietary technology that up-converts
stereo to surround sound.
It also
features give nameable A/V presets that combine settings for specific source
components or specific source material, such as action movie, gaming or stereo
music listening. The presets incorporate specific speaker settings and surround
modes.
Other
features include analog-video up-conversion to HDMI, connection to an optional
iPhone/iPod dock, FM RDS and RS-232 interface for control from home-automation
systems.
