Stereophile: NAD's Compact Music System

Small, one-box music systems get me all excited. Why? Maybe because I'm attracted to the promise of beautiful sound partnered to the simplicity of a single chassis. Maybe because I'm holding onto feelings from my boombox-filled childhood.

I don't know.

In any case, NAD's C715 looks interesting. It combines an AM/FM tuner, CD player, and 2 x 25W amp in one small (8.5" W) package.

The press release reads:

The C715 is ideal for centralizing and enjoying a sprawling music collection scattered among portable and shelf-top devices. Its compact size makes it perfect for dorm rooms, vacation homes, bedrooms, RVs, and other locations where music is desired but space is at a premium.

"Sprawling music collection?" I've got one of those! "Locations where music is desired but space is at a premium?" Like my Jersey City apartment!?

God, I'm easy.

The C715 offers three analog stereo inputs, one analog out, one digital out, a headphone jack, a USB port, and even a subwoofer output for a powered sub.

I could see this unit matching up perfectly with a pair of PSB Alpha B1s and one of PSBs compact subs.

NAD, by the way, may be best known for their attractive and musical budget-priced amplifiers. See Art Dudley's review of the good, old NAD C320BEE, for instance.

The C715 will be available in November for an equally attractive and musical $499. Cheap.

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Reader Comments

Posted Fri Aug31, 2007, 8:59 PM — By Erik Bobeda

Neat! This would be absolutely perfect for my parents. I left behind the Sony receiver and Yamaha CD carousel when I upgraded, and Mom bought a pair of Paradigm Atoms so that I could set up a system for her upstairs. It pains me to hear the Atoms struggling to achieve with such uninspired electronics driving them. This new piece is ideal, though. It's affordable, compact, simple to use, and offers NAD sound. I'm excited, and I hope she will be, too!

Posted Thu Oct11, 2007, 11:01 PM — By S D Higgins

I used to own a NAD L40 and many years ago in a moment of insanity, foolishly traded it off. By that point the L40 had been discontinued and I've pined for it since. Looks like this may be my ticket back to happiness.

Posted Fri Feb22, 2008, 12:10 AM — By jeffharris

I saw a little blurb in the March 2008 gramophone Magazine. It looks cute. It would be a nice little office stereo. Which speakers to use, though? Forget connecting an iPod with the USB port, get a Griffin AirDock. It has line-out with a reasonable set of RCA cables. Very nice. http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/airdock

Posted Wed Mar26, 2008, 12:34 PM — By Derek

Either TEAC is rebranding the NAD box, NAD is rebranding the TEAC box, or they're both getting the box from a third-party manufacturer. Same specs, same general layout. http://www.teac.com/consumer_electronics/CR-H227i.html

Posted Sun Oct 5, 2008, 12:28 AM — By Rob Scib

I bought one of these on ebay the other day for $400 australian, and believe me it was money well spent! havn't gotten around to building some speakers for it yet but it had no trouble running my B&W 602 s3's.... this is a truely great sounding mini system.... sounds especially good for CD playback, and not too bad on FM either....

Posted Thu May14, 2009, 12:15 PM — By Preston

I have a pair of JBL hls 810 monitors and am on the hunt for the perfect LITTLE receiver for them! they are a bit bright! but for the eighty five bucks i paid for them there PERFECT!!!!! I am running them on a old pioneer integrated amp and a aiwa mini hifi system (haha believe it or not the aiwa sounds TONS better!) I am in the works of building a decent 2 channel system without BREAKING the bank! This little guy worth the trouble?

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