NAD M5

The NAD M5 is a 5.1-channel CD/SACD player that provides multi-channel and stereo playback for SACDs, and stereo playback for audio CDs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs, and MP3 & WMA CDs. Featured is a durable heavy gauge steel chassis that eliminates noise and vibration, a professional-grade digital-to-analog converter for extracting fine details from high-resolution SACDs, and a wide array of audio outputs including RCA, balanced XLR, and optical/coaxial digital.

There’s also a video output for displaying the player’s setp menus on a monitor. Experts praise the HDCD decoding, SACD capability, and solid build, but are quick to note that this isn’t an audiophile-grade unit. Vocal harmonies tend to mix together, the soundstage is sometimes blurry, and bass comes off as boomy and indistinct. However it does fare well for its price range.