AH NJOE TJOEB vs NAD 542 for rock

I don't know the 542 but my Njoe Tjoeb is far better than the NAD S500 that I owned previously.

If you get the base version, I think you might find it a bit too forgiving overall. I have one and I really like it for the more harsh sounding cd's but I've got a different cd source for most listening. Can't comment on how the NJOE sounds with the upgrades in place.

If you can find a used AH! (upgraded) unit. Buy it.
I like mine.

The NAD is an extremely nice player for the money with the added HDCD feature. If you go with the NAD you'll soon realize the advantage HDCD can provide. I own a 542i and to my ears has bested a couple of highly regarded players that listed for double the price. I haven't heard the Njoe so can't compare. I can garuntee either player will make a noticeable difference. Good luck.

I am running my Von Schweikert VR-1s with a Njoe Tjoeb with the upsampler and a Creek 5350SE. I love this system. I have swapped the Tjoeb in and out of my main system and found the Classe was better with the Dynaudios and the Tjoeb was better with the VR-1s. Very detailed and life-like to my ears. Good luck!