This Gorgeous Music Streamer Offers a Glimpse into the Future of Hi-Fi

Wireless streamers and streaming amplifiers are some of the hottest components in hi-fi right now — every audio company seems to be getting in on the action.

In addition to bringing traditional hi-fi systems into the modern streaming age, they’re incredibly versatile. Most streamers can also connect to a TV, desktop, or turntable. If they have built-in amplification— hence, a streaming amplifier — they can drive passive speakers, too.

Enter the NAD C 700 V2, the latest of these “do-it-all” streaming amplifiers. It’s a standout because of its stunning design — we’re suckers for adorable aluminum boxes with high-resolution colored displays — and it’s not that outlandish price tag.

NAD C 700 V2 Streaming Amplifier

NAD Electronics

NAD C 700 V2 BluOS Streaming Amplifier

Specs

Power	80 Watts per channel (at 8 or 4 ohms)
DAC	ESS Sabre ES9028
Streaming	Wi-Fi (Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and Tidal Connect) and Bluetooth (aptX HD)

• $1,599 at NAD Electronics

As the “V2” gives away, NAD’s C 700 V2 is a new-and-improved version of the C 700 that was released a few years ago. It shares a similar look and works much the same way as its predecessor.

It adds a wide range of wireless streaming options over Wi-Fi (AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect) and Bluetooth (aptX HD). It’s a BluOS streaming amplifier and thus can be grouped in a BluOS multi-room system.

The amplifier can drive speakers up to 80 watts per channel (at 4 and 8 Ohms). It also supports numerous analog connections, including HDMI eARC, so you can connect it directly to your TV and build a home theater system around it. Like its predecessor, this is an audio component that if you “just add speakers,” it’ll do the rest of the work.

NAD Electronics

Of course, the new model has some notable improvements. The “V2” has an upgraded ESS Sabre DAC and promises improved sound. It has a Moving Magnet (MM) phono input, so you can easily integrate a turntable into the system.

Like before, it supports Dolby Digital decoding but is now Dirac Live Ready (for those who want to pay for the room correction technology).

Price and availability

Streaming amplifiers can run the gauntlet when it comes to prices. You can buy one for a few hundred bucks, like the WiiM Amp ($299), and go big on something more powerful and design-focused, like the Naim Uniti Atom ($3,799).

The NAD C 700 V2 falls somewhere in the middle ground at $1,599. This is a slight increase over its predecessor, which was priced at $1,499 when released in late 2021.

The NAD C 700 V2 will be available in August 2024.

NAD Electronics

NAD C 700 V2 BluOS Streaming Amplifier

Specs

Power	80 Watts per channel (at 8 or 4 ohms)
DAC	ESS Sabre ES9028
Streaming	Wi-Fi (Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and Tidal Connect) and Bluetooth (aptX HD)

• $1,599 at NAD Electronics

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