NAD M50.2

I posted earlier, but I think I made an error so I just decided to redo it. 

I purchased an M50.2 recently. I was also looking for an “all-in-one”
streamer option, and was debating between this, the Aurender N10, the Aries and the Nimitra. 

In the end, even though the M50.2 doesn’t support DSD, it still hit 90% of the other stuff I wanted. It rips CDs nicely. The software (BluOS) does a good job with the metadata and CD covers, but the files are acessible via network shares if you want to do more.  Along with the conventional stereo digital outputs, it also includes HDMI for multichannel audio (assuming you can find some) but it’s nice to have the option.  It will back up data to an external HDD. The BluOS app on the iPhone works, but if you want to go with Roon instead, that’s always an option. 

The sound quality is good, and the unit is silent. No complaints there. If you need any other information, let me know. 

I know this is a tough or unanswerable question since you bought the NAD, but do you suspect the sound quality is as good, as say, Aurender through a great DAC? 
And I am pretty computer illiterate when it comes to computers in audio systems, but once CDs are ripped to the NAD, is it easy to move them off?

Take this with a grain of salt, but if you’re using USB, then as long as your DAC is using asynchronous USB and your data is clean (the NAD performs error checking when ripping...if the track’s checksum doesn’t match the metadata on the CD, it rescans) then, well, data is data. I don’t see how any digital source can be any better than the other, especially if you’re processing the PCM through a standalone DAC. 

As I mentioned, the NAD mounts network drives, so all you need to do is scan your network on your PC and the drives pop up.  You can, if you choose, to simply drag and drop the files from there or attach a USB drive and go to the BluOS app and select backup, which will make it mirror the internal files to the external USB drive. Pretty easy. 

Thanks for the info, avlee. When it comes to digital, with me, all bets are off. I used to have a PS Audio Perfectwave transport. It supposedly took data off the CD numerous times, and dumped that data into a buffer. So, in theory, the data should be "perfect". I just auditioned the new PS Audio Directstream transport. No contest. The Directstream kills the Perfectwave. Why? Clocking errors or clocking precision? I don't know. It also sounds different moving from AES/EBU to coaxial. It even sounds different swapping between different brand digital interconnects. Why? I don't know.

It may sound different because the dB levels coming from each different type of connector might be different from the transport.  Volume affects tone.

I caution you about thinking that any conductor will provide a different profile than another.  Conductors are conductors.  Audioholics had a great article which actually shows data.  That being said, I'm not going to try to convince you of anything.  Cables...are a sensitive issue for many.

Keep in mind that PCM data is PCM data.  If something sounds different, it's because the DAC is interpreting the data differently.  If there are bit-level differences, digital audio is not like analogue audio.  You'll hear pops or discontinuous audio, not fuzzy static or interference.  I can't speak for PS Audio, but if you listened to a Directstream transport in the store, you can't compare that to how your system at home sounds.  Or how your memory thinks it sounded.  Speakers, DACs, room layout and acoustics...these are going to all confuse the issue.

With regards to the NAD M50.2, it's a solid piece of kit, and I just set up the trigger in system to turn it on when I activate the correct input on my surround processor.  It's a clever device which fills 90% of my needs.  Airplay would be nice (or Airplay 2?) and if they allowed me to transmit DSD via HDMI, I'd be on cloud 9.  We'll see what they end up doing.