Best Streaming Preamplifier Award, 2024-2025 – EISA
Product of The Year Award 2024 - StereoNET
A Revolutionary Hi-Fi Streamer, DAC, and Preamp
NAD's Masters M66 BluOS Streaming DAC-Preamplifier is a revolutionary hi-fi component that combines an audiophile-grade DAC with a high-resolution multi-room music streamer. Featuring Dirac Live Room Correction and Dirac Live Bass Control, its elegant design and vibrant 7″ touchscreen exudes quality and class.
Pair the M66 with NAD’s M23 power amplifier for a stunning system that excels technologically, sonically, and visually. Of course, the Masters M66 BluOS Streaming DAC-Preamplifier can be paired with any high-performance amplifier.
"Best Streaming Preamplifier"
The Expert Sound and Imaging Association (EISA) gave the M66 its Best Streaming Preamplifier Award for 2024-2025.
According to EISA, "With the M66, NAD has given audiophiles a preamplifier that’s a fit for both streaming and vinyl playback – and a fine match for the mighty M23 power amps of its flagship Masters series. A host of connections, including HDMI ARC and dedicated MM and MC phono inputs, gives the M66 the flexibility to stand out in a crowded market…"
Award-Winning Performance
The M66 won a StereoNET Product of The Year Award 2024 in the Preamplifier category.
"There are two schools of preamplifier design – less is more, and more is more. The M66 falls into the latter, being filled to the brim with sophisticated functionality, connectivity, and features. Yet this doesn’t come at the expense of sound quality – which is something that NAD is of course famous for. It crowbars an audiophile preamp, a BluOS streaming DAC and a powerful room correction system into its admittedly large and heavy aluminium chassis. One of its flagship Masters Series products, it sounds excellent across all of its myriad sources."
NAD's Most technically Advanced Preamp
Not only is the Masters M66 BluOS streaming DAC-preamplifier the most advanced preamplifier NAD has ever offered, it represents an entirely new class of hi-fi separate components. In addition to a plethora of inputs, including MM/MC phono and HDMI eARC, the M66 incorporates an audiophile-grade DAC and a high-resolution multi-room music streamer.
With its elegant aluminum casework, super-smooth digital volume control, and vibrant 7″ touchscreen, the M66 exudes class and quality.
Along with the full-bandwidth version of Dirac Live Room Correction, the M66 features Dirac Live Bass Control, allowing independent control of each connected subwoofer for smooth, consistent response throughout your listening room. The combination of Dirac Live Room Correction and Dirac Live Bass Control enables the M66 to deliver more accurate in-room performance than any two-channel component ever offered.
Music Everywhere
Featuring a high-resolution network streamer based on the acclaimed BluOS multi-room music-management system, the M66 provides access to more than 20 streaming services, including several that offer lossless and high-resolution audio.
Using the intuitive BluOS app on a smart device or personal computer, you can play music from your favorite streaming service, your personal music libraries, and thousands of Internet radio stations, in resolution up to 24-bit/192kHz. Like all BluOS-enabled components, the M66 has full MQA decoding and rendering capability.
With BluOS, you can listen to music in just one room – or you can share music over your home network with up to 63 additional BluOS-enabled components from NAD and other hardware partners. The M66 integrates easily with home-control systems from Control4, Crestron, ELAN, RTI, URC, and others. Listeners can also control playback by voice using Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple Siri.
Dirac Live Onboard for Perfect Response
The M66 integrates Dirac Live Room Correction and Dirac Live Bass Control. Connect the supplied calibrated microphone to the M66’s USB port and then launch the Dirac Live app on a smart device or personal computer. The app will walk you through the calibration process and then generate correction filters that compensate for acoustic problems like standing waves and unwanted reflections. You’ll enjoy more textured bass, improved tonal accuracy, vastly improved clarity, and more focused imaging.
In a first for a stereo component, the M66 features four balanced and four single-ended subwoofer outputs and integrates Dirac Live Bass Control, which allows independent calibration of multiple subwoofers. Dirac Live Bass Control optimizes subwoofer output in both the frequency and time domains, achieving a seamless blend between the subwoofer(s) and main speakers, delivering smooth, consistent bass response through the entire listening area, not just in the sweet spot.
Designed for Peak Performance
At the heart of the M66’s digital section are ESS Technology’s flagship Sabre DAC and ADC chips. These audiophile-grade designs are known for their exceptionally wide dynamic range, ultra-low noise and distortion, and outstanding time-domain performance.
The M66 is the first component to feature NAD’s innovative Dynamic Digital Headroom (DDH) circuitry. When activated in the BluOS app, DDH eliminates digital inter-sample peak clipping distortion, which can occur during digital-to-analogue conversion with sudden high-frequency transients. The benefits are especially noticeable with percussion instruments. Rim shots are more impactful but less strident. Cymbals are more realistic and less splashy.
For volume adjustment, the M66 employs an ultra-precise resistor-ladder control circuit. Compared to traditional analogue circuits, the M66’s digital volume control markedly reduces thermal and related distortions, maximizes dynamic range, and more accurately matches left-channel and right-channel output across the entire volume range.
Analog AND Digital Excellence
By default, analog signals are converted to digital so that functions like Dirac Live Room Correction and Bass Control are available with all sources. However, the M66 has a selectable Analog Direct mode that bypasses all digital processing, and separate signal paths for analog and digital sources.
Internally, analog and digital sections are physically separated and shielded from each other with their own separate power supplies sections, so that analog signals are unaffected by digital interference when Analog Direct mode is engaged. Listeners can even use the BluOS app to disable the M66’s Wi-Fi and Bluetooth circuits to prevent RF interference.
From Turntables to TVs, Connect Everything
With its full suite of analog and digital inputs, the M66 can accommodate all your source components. Vinyl fans will appreciate the M66’s ultra-quiet MM/MC phono stage, which features precise RIAA equalization, high overload margins, and an innovative circuit that suppresses the infrasonic noise that is always present with vinyl playback without affecting bass response.
For TV and movie viewing, there’s an HDMI eARC port for connection to an HDTV. Other options include two coaxial and two optical S/PDIF inputs, an AES/EBU balanced digital input, two pairs of RCA line-level analogue inputs, and one pair of XLR balanced inputs.
Four Subwoofer Outputs, a Dedicated Headphone Amp – And Bluetooth
In addition to unbalanced RCA and balanced XLR outputs for connection to a power amplifier, the M66 also has four unbalanced RCA and four balanced XLR subwoofer outputs. The M66’s dedicated headphone amplifier has very low output impedance and very high maximum output voltage, enabling it to drive demanding high-impedance studio monitor headphones.
The M66 also has Bluetooth connectivity, with support for the AAC, LDAC, and aptX HD codecs.
Future Forward MDC Architecture
The Masters M66 represents the pinnacle of what is technically achievable in a two-channel preamplifier today, and it will maintain its technological leadership for decades to come. On the rear panel are two expansion slots that support MDC2, the latest generation of NAD’s Modular Design Construction future-proofing technology. As technology evolves, this will enable M66 owners to add new capabilities simply by inserting an MDC2 module into one of the slots.
Everything about the NAD Masters M66 BluOS streaming DAC-preamp is intended to inspire pride of ownership, including the gorgeous 7″ touchscreen, the elegant aluminum casework, and the silky-smooth digital volume control. With its leading-edge technology, unmatched versatility, and superb build quality, the Masters M66 is truly a masterpiece of sound.
BluOS Adds Pandora and Presto Music Services
Bluesound is excited to announce the integration of the popular Pandora and Presto Music services into the BluOS platform.
Pandora offers exceptional music discovery features and curated radio stations. Its integration offers BluOS music lovers access to another seamless and intuitive way to enjoy their favorite tracks and discover new music based on listeners' tastes.
Presto Music specializes in classical and jazz recordings with high-quality content. In select markets, users can now savor Presto Music's vast collection of classical and jazz recordings. With a library boasting 200,000 albums in CD-quality and 34,000 albums in stunning 24-bit/192kHz, subscribers will revel in a focused, extensive, and continuously expanding catalog. The service is tailored with a powerful search engine designed explicitly for classical and jazz music, offering rich composers, artists, and genre profiles, recommendations, and featured releases.
To access these new services, simply update to the latest firmware and download the BluOS Controller App (version 4.2.0) from the Apple App Store, Google Play, or bluos.io/downloads.