NAD, the highly regarded manufacturer of high-performance audio components, introduced the T 973 Seven Channel Amplifier and T 163 A/V Tuner Preamplifier during CEDIA EXPO 2003 last week in Indianapolis. Separate components have always been the audio enthusiast's preference and occupy the highest tier of performance for consumer electronics products. Embracing this philosophy NAD releases a brand new A/V preamp/amplifier combination for the most sophisticated 7.1 home theater systems.

The new T 973 Seven Channel Amplifier benefits from NAD's proprietary PowerDrive™ topology, delivering maximum performance under virtually any circumstance, independent of the loudspeakers.

The T 163 offers the widest array of surround formats including Dolby Digital EX, DTS ES Discrete and Matrix, DTS NEO:6 decoding along with 7.1 Matrix, Dolby ProLogic II and the proprietary NAD EARS circuitry for creating natural surround sound from any format input, 7.1, 6.1, 5.1 and 2.0 stereo, digital or analog.

NAD T 973 Seven Channel Amplifier

The exclusive PowerDrive circuitry employed in the T 973 automatically senses a loudspeaker’s impedance characteristics and adjusts its power supply settings to best cope with that specific load. This ensures remarkably dynamic and distortion-free performance, even from demanding 4-ohm designs. The result is an amplifier that easily the highly desirable characteristics of high dynamic power and low impedance drive capability.

NAD has always been very conservative when quoting output power ratings, choosing the far stricter and more conservative Full Disclosure Power rating, with all channels driven simultaneously, at any frequency 20Hz to 20kHz, with less than 0.08% THD at 8 and 4 ohms.

The T973 employs monoblock construction to deliver a tremendously powerful 140wpc of continuous power with all seven (7) channels driven simultaneously at rated distortion into 4 or 8 ohms. Dynamic power is even more impressive, with an unprecedented 220 watts into 2 ohms!

Each element of the individual channel circuitry, save the power supply is fully independent, eliminating inter-channel influences. Active ground isolation further eliminates any possibility of inter-channel interference. The power supply was carefully designed using NAD’s exclusive “Holmgren” transformer with a special core and materials to enhance efficiency, making the transformer less sensitive to DC offsets on the AC mains voltage.

Each section features an FET Class A input and driver stage circuits employing high speed, high current discrete output devices to promulgate superb dynamic quality. The result is musical detail, impact, and soundstage stability and depth unmatched by multichannel amps of even two and three times the T 973’s price.

Individual gain adjustment for each channel promotes easy, accurate system configuration, as does the T973’s integral 12V trigger turn-on response. Ruggedness and in-system reliability are critical to successful custom-installed systems so the T 973 utilizes a combination of fuse and electronic non-intrusive protection, which is dependable, fail-safe, and sonically transparent. Each channel is fully protected against excess temperature, DC fault, and loudspeaker short-circuits.

NAD T 163 A/V Tuner Preamplifier

The T163 A/V Tuner Preamplifier combines all the control, flexibility and decoding functionality for the most demanding home theater enthusiast. It offers the latest 7.1, 6.1 and 5.1 digital surround formats with conversion of the decoded digital bitstream using high performance 24-bit /192 kHz DACs on all channels. Also included is HDCD decoding and a "Stereo Enhanced" mode, bypassing all processing.

What makes the T 163 unique and even more functional is the inclusion of a FM/AM tuner that offers a high level of sonic performance and signal pulling capability thanks to its MOS/FET front end, PLL tuning, and accurate IF stage. This is topped off with an easy to program 30 station-preset memory and RDS display.

The T 163 provides a full suite of inputs and outputs to accommodate all the latest digital audio and video products including three HD-Compatible Component Video inputs, six Digital Inputs (4 Coaxial, 2 TOS Link), two Digital Outputs (1 Coaxial, 1 TOS Link), two Subwoofer outputs, a 7.1 analog input, three 12-volt triggers and a RS-232 communication port. The RS-232 port allows for future software upgradability and the integration in advanced after market control systems, like Crestron and Aegis.

With a Zone 2 audio and video output, the T163 is really two components in one, allowing fully independent programs to be played in two different rooms simultaneously. The ZR 2 remote handset is supplied to control all Zone 2 functions from the local or remote location.

With direct access to channel volumes on the HTR -2 remote control, it is easy to make fine level adjustments to the subwoofer, center channel, and surround channels without stopping the movie or music to enter the speaker set-up menu. Five AV Presets allow you to store up to five unique speaker configurations for instant recall. Input section, speaker selection and size, crossover frequency, level, distance, bass management and surround mode can all be adjusted to suit and saved to the non-volatile AV Preset memory.

The T 163 is set to retail for $1499 with the T 973 selling for $1999 MSRP. Both will be available in October 2003.
 

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