★ *QOTD: Would you use a receiver for both high-end home theater as well as two-channel audio playback? If yes, what product comes to mind?* ★ *REVIEWING: **bit.ly/3mkah8P** // NEED MORE INFO? ✔︎ THE ⬆︎DESCRIPTION⬆︎* ★ *COMMENT RULES:* - No outside URLs or RUclips links. - Please be respectful to one another. Harassment and threats will not be tolerated.
I use an aventage a880 with an xtz edge and I'm quite happy with that setup. But I'm thrilled that you reviewed the NAD because if I was going to upgrade, I think the NAD would be the route I take
I did for years. The simplicity of a one-box system for most people is ideal, or a great place to start. If you have a thirst for more down the road, add external amplification and you’re off to the races.
I am in awe, I am so grateful that you chose me to be the winner. I have not told my parents that it is coming to them so when they receive the package they will be completely surprised. Love the channel and the reviews! Thank you so much!
Thank you so much! I bought this A/V receiver based on your recommendation and I am really pleased! It preforms exactly as you said and yes it was difficult and time consuming to set up. I bought it from Crutchfield and they have been very knowledgeable and patient. I think this piece may need a 200 page manual.
The NAD T778 is the first AV receiver that I have ever considered for dual purpose 2 channel and AV usage, to be honest. It may be because of those digital Vu meters. Love the meters. Lol
I get it, but the T 778 with its modular architecture may be more of an investment rather than a one time potential throwaway expense. We'll have to see.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews haha I guess only time will tell! Nah they genuinely all look phenomenal but on a college student budget I think I’ll stick with my tv speakers, but might eventually get an str-dn1080 :). Really enjoyed your video on that as well!
No need to connect the BluOS dongle, just use wired network cable. I’m an owner for 6 months, and I’m so pleased with the sound and quality. Running 5.1.4 with Dali Rubicon 6. Amazing sound. DiracLive makes a huge improvement - with a +6db curve for more bass. 90% movie for my usage. But music is amazing also. The weird dongle gives the user an easy way of updating to a newer WiFi standard in the future. The remote is for me the only downside.
I have ordered a set of DALI Oberon 9’s (fronts), Oberon Grand Vokal (center), Oberon 3’s (surrounds), and K-14 (sub) to pair with a new T 778 receiver. When you were setting up the speaker configuration for your Rubicons, did you specify that they were large or small speakers? The manual says that a “large” speaker means any one that can properly handle low frequency effects, but then it goes on to say that in most setups, it’s still better to say that the front speakers are “small” so that more bass is diverted to the subwoofer to produce a better overall bass response. I’m sure I’ll end up testing both of these scenarios, but I’m curious how you ended up configuring your system as it isn’t clear to me from reading the manual alone which option may produce the best LFE sound from a DALI surround sound setup paired with the T 778.
@@brandonlee7895 Large vs small has nothing to do with the size of the speakers. In a surround sound setup, they should be set to small. Else LFE will be send to the fronts and you suddenly have multiple subs with a ton of new possible issues arising
I considered this receiver for my current home theater overall. Ultimately, I chose the Marantz SR8015 with the new Vandersteen Model 2ce Signature III towers. My plan was to buy an integrated amp with home theater pass through but the performance of the SR8015 is good enough that I can wait until I take another step up I speaker quality to add a 2-channel amp for music listening.
I just ordered the Marantz SR8012 which went on sale... I'm pumped, lot of great reviews on it and great build. I wish I could afford the SR 8015 because it looks to be a bit more Future Proof.
@@dynodin81 I picked up a TV with HDMI 2.1 so it was a must have on my reciever. Without that need the SR8012 would've been more than enough. They're both great receivers.
Being 2021, and pretty much everything having some sort of screen and/or touchscreen, I really hope to see more HT receivers (and stereo receivers, for that matter) have a nice large full color (and hopefully touch) display on it. It almost seems crazy this isn't the standard yet. It's nice to see what you're listening too, album art, etc. right on the receiver. The VU meters are cool too. I see a lot of potential with other virtual meters, spectrum analyzers, etc. being integrated into the GUI.
I think the reason this doesn't happen because of the demographic that usually buy stereo or home theater amplifiers - 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s babies. They all grew up with receivers and amplifiers and in-home sound systems. I was born in 2000 and did not grow up with one - i'm an ipod baby. We never had a home sound system, and no one in my generation had any idea about receivers or amplifiers. Some may know about studio monitors, and that's it. I think those new touch screen features are seen as features for the "new" generation, hence, why it's usually not included in a product class catered to those who grew up without touch screens. Just a theory though
Would be great to do a comparison with the Anthem MRX 1140. I know that one has 11 amplified channels vs NAD's 9 but it would be great to hear how those 2 compare in both features, room correction, and sound quality :)
I'm having my home theater installed in the next couple of weeks. Equipment has been ordered and wiring started. I bought the NAD T778, on the advice of the owner of the business, and pairing it with Goldenear Triton One r's, Supercenter XXL and Atmos overhead system. To say I'm excited would be an understatement. Thanks for confirming my decision. :)
@@jrandrianandrasana The system performs beyond my expectations. The surround for movies is outstanding. The 2 channel stereo for music is next level. Listening to a song at reference level(or. close anyway). is a joy. The ribbon tweeters in the GoldenEar mains soften the highs without detracting from them. The bass absolutely hits. Buy once...cry once. :)
Mr. Robertson:: I purchased the NAD778, OMG the sound especially AV is beyond what I could have dreamed. The OSBLU is the most different thing. Day two of getting to find my network, I wish NAD had 800 for support
I have an Arcam AVR300, and it is awesome for 2 channel music. A real 120wpc will drive many speakers to sufficiently loud levels at very high quality.
I have now owned an Yamaha RX 661 reciever for about 12 years. 90% of the time I am using it for playing music. In many years I used the Music enhancement setting, but after a period of serious setup of the equalizer and placement of my monitor audio speakers, I am now using the 2 and 5 ch. Stereo mode or Pure Direct mode. The reciever sounds better and better for every day :). Despite the lag of wifi opportunity or more than 1080p 60hz pass through I am very pleased with this receiver. Every time I am looking at a new reciever or consider a new stereo setup with for example tube amps, I am coming back to the mindset, that I am happy with what I have in place in the livingroom right now :)
I have a G class Arcam AVR with the front speakers bi-amped. RRP was circa £4k new. It's good with stereo, and many professional reviewers have said that it the best sounding AVR they have ever heard for 2 channel music. But for me, it can't beat a £750 to £1,000 stereo amplifier.
@@barney6888 don't get me wrong, if you want a home cinema, you would struggle to beat the Arcam amp. It's brilliant. I am just talking about stereo performance. Truth is I have both. I use the arcam for movies and casual music listening and a stereo amp for sitting down for a proper listen to music. Best get the credit card back out again
I bought this receiver as I was looking for a dual purpose music HT system with music first. The MDC and screen are super bonuses and the Bluos is the easiest and most inclusive of the higher end streamers in my humble opinion. Thanks for the review. Wish the Phono input would have included MC as well, but such is life. No regrets so far.
Concerning Dirac... on both the T778 and the Arcam AVR850, I preferred the out-of-box sound better after several attempts. I chalk this up to the included Mics not being up to the job.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews 16 channels, >2 sub outputs, XLR, Dirac Live with bass control, and amazing measurements on ASR. The only other contender in that price range with these features seems to be Emotiva. Although, curious if Anthem will release an update to the AVM60 soon. But for
Watched this for the FOURTH time :)...purchased an Aurender N100SC over it, but still want one...thank you that it's here to continue to whet my appetite
Another really nice review. I recently wrote you and, depending how you see it, questioned your often positive reviews. I have now realized that I prefer looking/listening to positive things, and when/if i feel the need to find out if something is crap i can read up on other platforms. I actually subscribed after getting thrashed last time so no more leeching over here😂 I like what you guys are doing so please keep doing it🙂👍
Great review, I am presently researching the T778 & found your reviews for the 1st time. I will certainly start watching more of your reviews from now on. Cheers Al... Blacksmiths NSW Australia
New to your channel a few months back, great work. Thanks for your Review and honesty. I upgraded to the Nad from a Yamaha A3070 and the audio performance was a big step up considering not too much more in price (launch prices). The Yamaha is rock solid, barely put a finger wrong, but I was never happy with YPAO and my room sound. The T778 and Dirac have resolved this although the Nad can be a little buggy (but I’m sure it will be ironed out with updates). The panel is gorgeous for displaying album artwork, it’s the first Avr I have wanted to actually be on show. I’ve gone from mainly a movie lover to finding a new appreciation of music, sounds so good.
I purchased the T778 and demo-ed it for a week against an old Arcam 350 (which is moving to a second small room) and a newer 850. Here are my conclusions and why I ultimately had to return it... sticking with the 850 for the main room. The T778 has a phenomenal processor, beautiful display, thoughtful hook-ups at back, and even has a built-in Phono amp. Out-of-the-box sound is clean and very detailed in the mids and highs, but it can not plumb the depths of bass on my full-range paradigm Signature S8s and C5, like all of the more powerful Arcam amp sections can. The T778 is half the weight of the Arcams and, while the new digital amps in them are impressive, you won't get any of that chest-thumping SLAM Arcam can give you in your full-range fronts. The T778 has ever so slighttttly better highs than the 850, seeing as it's a 32bit Sabre chip, and the 850 is a 24bit Sirus Logic, but I still found the treble presentation less fatiguing over extended sessions on the Arcam, proving that it's the whole package that has to be judged... Processor+Amp section. When I test an amp section, I always like to do it without the sub to get a measure of it's true, full performance with the fronts. So my conclusion is this -- If you plan on purchasing 2-way speakers for your fronts and centre, and trick out with an awesome sub, or 2, go with the T778. It is really the best bang for your buck. But, if you already have excellent, large full-range speakers, then get yourself an Arcam or separate amps.They will extend that 3D bubble from the centre of the room all the way down to the floor. On each system, my speakers were always consistently set to "large" at 7ft from listening position. No tone adjustments and no Dirac adjustments. For those thinking that Dirac would make the difference and add bass depth to the T778, I tried Dirac several times with the T778. It could never equal the bass weight/depth of the Arcams.
Question: if one is spending $3000, would spending $1500 on a pre amp and another $1500 on an amp yield better performance? In this price range ANY receiver should kick ass at BOTH home theater and stereo listening. It seems to me that it’s more about marketing than performance. For $3,000 you'll have to test drive Marantz and perhaps Denon, although Marantz seems to be preferred with 2 channel. Emotiva? I feel a shoot out coming on!
Does anyone offer a pre-power surround combo for US$3000? I added a two channel power amp to my T778 and am now thrilled with it’s stereo performance. With 9 x 85W it did not lack anything when playing surround material, it was only the two channel performance that lacked a little authority and my two 12” sealed subs didn’t mask that.
@@gottrekk5798 a $3,000 integrated stereo amp would absolutely BLOW for home theater use, where as a good $1,500-$3,000 AVR will do damn good with stereo.
I think the NAD would trounce the AVR10 which really isn't worth bothering with, it is pretty weak. The AVR20 although more expensive is probably more of a comparable to this, but better at delivering a deeper level of bass and music quality due to the amp section they use.
Well after 2 weeks. Sonically. Brilliant. NAD have made some really odd choices. BluOS is heavily app driven. But you can’t use the app to access menus etc. BluOS sounds great, works well. Dirac. It really works. Totally kills my room bass boom. I may upgrade Dirac, not sure at the moment. Video processing, err. I had an issue with a Sony BluRay player. I had a spare so all was good. In summary, heavily skewed towards music, and sacrifices some usability and a lot of features.. movie performance was absolutely as expected. Excellent. it sounds great, and has me wanting to shop for speakers.
Thanks for the great review. That seems like a killer product. Would love to see your take on the new NAD Master M33. Hoping you can get your hands on one.
I use my Anthem MRX720 with an outboard Amp. {Axiom ADA1250} for both H.T. and stereo. I've been very happy with it for probably 4 years now. Was tossed between Anthem, Cambridge and NAD for a while then settled on Anthem.
Congrats to the winner. Your Mum and Dad will be so happy. I’m not jealous......honestly. The NAD seems to be an ideal all you need system and I would love to have this for cinema sound as well as stereo both being high end quality.
Yeah, that is the other one I am looking at too (Anthem MRX 740) ...replacing my aging Anthem MRX310 due to HDMI/4K constraints. I originally went Anthem because they were touted as being a little better for music + theather (though the 310 is outclassed by these) so this NAD really hits the marks for me. I want to try this NAD but there are a lot of owner reviews out there that seem to point to software quirks ...maybe the 740 is the more stable choice fir right now (though I am sure the NAD will get smoothed out in time if the complaints are not edge case). Crutchfield for example currently has 25% of the reviews at 1 star though it also seems receivers are backordered (so if you need a replacement under warrenty you are waiting which adds to frustration).
The reason I'm considering this AV receiver is exactly because I care about 2-ch music playback as well as AV playback.......If the video section had up-to-date support, it might be my leading candidate receiver, but because it doesn't I'm leaning towards Yamaha RXA-8A
Based on a previous conversation i see the Crutchfield link. Great source for purchases. My first purchase from them goes WAY back- a Sony Betamax player. Recently bought a sound bar from them recently based on Andrew’s recommendation. Great videos.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Unbelievable. To use a Tommy Boy quote “holy Snikies”. One funny aside- my wife hates it. She’s not one who likes to feel the sound-. Made me turn it down while i was watching a James Bond movie. I recently sold my house in SoCal and living in a small town in the San Bernardino mountains. The last of my kids just moved back to Columbus Ohio. Will most likely buy a a second home there. Whether we end up with a condo or a house will drive our sound system. Condo is more convenient but you have to deal with neighbors above/below and next to you. Kefor Elac for say a condo.
I currently do use a Yamaha RX-A 1080 as my home theater/ 2 channel center peice. I have a 5.1 system consisting of HTD Level III towers, center and bookshelves (as surrounds). I have the towers bi-amped from the receiver and in PureDirect mode they sound terrific. I just wish that Yamaha would allow hi/low pass filters for each amp channel when bi-amping.
I use my Marantz SR7007 for my home theater 5.2 as well as my 2.2 music system. I even use it (on occasion) to power my headphones. Now that’s an all in one solution a lot of people could enjoy.
Congrats to Joseph! Just as a suggestion, can you please advise on future give aways if they are open to people who live outside of the U.S.A.? It might save me from getting my hopes up next time! Cheers!
Awesome! I would LOVE to see a comparison between the new NAD M66 vs the Bryston BR-20! I'm potentially in the market for either one of these. I currently own a NAD M12 with the BluOS module (usgin a Bryston 4b3 amp, Tekton Lores went I want a real sense of what live music sounds like and B&W 804D3's when I want more detail and resolution). Curious to see how much of an upgrade the M66 would be over the M12 , sound wise not so much features or that it has 4 sub outputs. The M12 gives me everything I need today and sounds great with the bryston amp but curious to see how much better new new unit sounds. I like both brands NAD and Bryston, they have a similar competing products in specs, features and price! I think it would be a great match up! Oh and it would help me a ton, thank you Andrew!!!
Currently, I think about replacing my old Yamaha RX-V2067 against a new AVR and plan to buy a NAD T778. What would you say about the differences of sound quality over the last ten years in these products? I am using a Monitor Audio Bronze Set too, with the Bronze 500 as main speakers in the front. And I like to use the BI-Wiring option in combination with Atmos / Front-Height-Speakers, which was not possible with my old 7 channels Yamaha. Would you say the NAD T778 is a good match with the MA Bronze 500 for stereo music? My full setup: 2 * Bronze 500, 1 * Center C150, 2 * FX in the rear, 2 * Bronze 50 as Front Height / Yamaha RX-V2067, UHD-Player Sony X800M2, Beamer Sony HW65
Hey Andrew! Thanks for all your great videos and love the format with your wife, too! Question: Would you still recommend this today (12/22) as the heart of my most audio system? Pricing is around $3500. I love the NAD sound so looking for reassurance nothing better has come out recently. Thanks so much! David
I'm on the fence with the NAD. It seems like the perfect fit for my needs, but if there is a chance that NAD will release an updated version of the 778 with HDMI 2.1, I'd gladly wait until a release later this year.. Does NAD usually do yearly updates? Do you have any guess as to whether they might release another version this year with refinements? This channel is fantastic, by the way. Recently upgraded my Pioneer Andrew Johnson bookshelf speakers to his ELAC reference speakers and replaced my sub with an SVS 1000 Pro based on your reviews.
Just ordered a Marantz SR8012 that went on sale! I definitely want to minimize as many components in the living room as possible but also trying to find that balance of Audio quality for 2 CH listening but still having my surround sound for music. Hopefully the SR8012 will be able to check those boxes.
I have both T777 with VM300 and T778, and I would recommend upgrading to T778 if you can afford it. It has a completely new amplifier design, which is better sounding. But also shaving off nearly half the weight due to getting rid of the trafo.
@@mariusuglemodalen1496 hi Marius, and isn’t the trafo responsabel for good sound? There is no NAD dealer in the neighbourhood :( I love my T777 very much but I am missing the 4K resolution. The looks of the T778 are stunning, can you give me more info please?
I use a AV receiver for movies and 2 channel music. I use a NAD T785. It sounds AWESOME with my MoFi Studiodeck+ turntable and either my Parasound Z-Phono USB or SoundSmith MMP4 phono-stage. I don't use dsp for my lp's. I have KEF Q950 mains and PSB center and surrounds. PSB 5I powered sub times 2, 10 inch.
This is exactly where I'm at. I'm looking at Marantz and Yamaha to be my pre amp. I was even using a high end integra pre/pro but my Oppo HA 1 sounds better.
My guess is, that unless you absolutely needed the extra power, one could get by just fine with the T 778, so no preamp/amp combo needed. Thanks for watching!!!
Andrew, does anyone do a 5.1 receiver on a high end scale it seems that the upper end of sound quality with 11+ channels that I wouldn’t need which is unpractical and costly if they wouldn’t be used to it’s full capabilities. Your channel is excellent with good range of products, precise explanations with easy to understand dialogue. Big hello from Scotland.
AVRs split (almost) power over amount of speakers connected. It's much easier for 9.2 AVR to run 5.1 system and have better performance. 5.1 can sounds better than 9.2 depends on speakers (quality over quantity).
I keep being told "you can't have both in one unit", but now you are saying maybe. It is a serious question, and maybe someone needs to expand this with maybe side by side tests with the Denons, Marantz's and Yamaha top end receivers. We all know they are great for Cinema, but they are not cheap and I think they SHOULD excel with two channel playback as well. We somehow need this information.
The Yamaha RX-A3080 sounds perfectly fine for my 2 channel listening as well. I have a 60k dedicated 2 channel separates system as well. Diminishing returns are huge in this voyage man.
AVRs are primarily design for HT systems, stereo amps are design %100 for music only. That's why Denon, Marantz, Yamaha are making separately AVRs and 2ch amps. Although agree with diminishing returns.
@@gottrekk5798 I think you are missing the point. No matter what they are primarily designed for, they all have a stereo function. Also these are expensive units. I also know they do use similar amplification modules to their Amplifier cousins. Bearing in mind that they obviously vary in how well they do this, it would be good if this information was available before purchase.
@@skyengeh every serious audiophile believes only own ears. When you visit HiFi shop and directly compare amps with the same speakers in the same room with favourite music sitting in a sweet spot and focusing on critical listening you will know exactly what's going on. Buying based on someone else's opinion is not a good idea.
@@gottrekk5798 Once again you miss my point, There are far too many combinations for me to try everything. So previously i have purchased by comparing highly rated products against other highly rated products so I can decide. The reviews are merely a place to start, even before I go to the shop with my music. My simple point is the conversation about using top end AV receivers compared with top rated stereo amplifiers for music is just not there, so I don't even have a starting point. Yes of course I can do it all myself but surely that is why reviews exist, to give an initial idea.
Thanks for the video. I have the NAD T187 pre/ pro upgraded with Dirac/ atmos and 4K hdmi. It has some minor issues but sounds really good with Dirac enabled. Movies or music have never sounded this good. Some issues with hdmi like 4K HDR can give a blank screen with the Nvidia shield. NAD are not as large as like Sound united so some issues is almost expected. Maybe they have the dongle to be able to easy upgrade it when new tech becomes available? Just like the MDC modules. Which are not cheap... spent about $1500 on these upgrades.
Just ordered one for my office system. I wanted proper room correction and preferably a class D amp, though that's quite rare in receivers. Bit on the expensive side, but I think this will replace my brilliant NAD stereo amp without me missing anything, since I use an Arendal 1723 1S sub to handle the low frequencies. Really big shame it doesn't have HDMI 2.1 though - at this price range it's almost absurd.
I have it in my system for some weeks now, I have a Proac speaker system. Before, I had NAD t785, very powerfull, and an old school amplifier if ever there was one, 25 kg, two thoroidial transformers. The reason why I am sharing this, this was a beast, the t778 isn’t as impressive, it has only half the wheight and for an old school audiophile, wheight is almost The holy grail as far as audiophile hardware goes. But this , rather flimsy piece of hardware as perceived has indeed a lot of impact. The dealer and I had some problems with the Dirac installation, but the amp seamed very impressive anyway. After some time, the dealer came back to implement the Dirac and, whow, what a difference it made, you can accept the reasoning in the post here, but for me, the Dirac filter made a substantial gain in sound quality for me, at least when watching movies, the difference is quite staggering as compared with the filter off. That said, for music only, I don’t want to be a snob or anything like an old and boring guy, but I like my proac response2,5 so much more with my copland tube amps, for music, no match, for movies the NAD is really impressive, especially with the Dirac filter
Thanks for the review. It was very helpful. I'm in the market for a AVR 7 or 9 channel that also plays music well. Any chance you could review an Anthem receiver? I read good things about their products.
Great review! I'm in the process of rebuilding the sound system and since I love movies as much as music, I came up with the following plan: 1. AVR-X3700H - cheapest receiver with all the features I need + pre outs disconnctable from internal amps. 2. KEF LS50 Meta 3. single KEF LS50 as center channel 4. 2x SVS SB2000 subs Speakers and subs are on the way and receiver already here. Next step is to figure out which power amp to connect. There are 3 channel power amps from parasound and emotiva, but I have no way to "test" them. A two channel power amp might be an option too. For back and height channels, probably going to use my very old bose acoustimass for now. My biggest disappointment so far, was to find out that HEOS can't handle Tidal MQA :/ I'd really like to get suggestions on power amp and "how to fix" MQA.
@@gottrekk5798 thanks for your reply. That's probably the plan. Just not sure which power amp to pick that will make audible difference without selling a kidney :)
This seems to be outdated in reference to the Emotiva MR1L...especially for the pricing....any word on them possibly updating this great looking model? I know they recently did new amps...
Anyone know if the BluOs on the T778 can be streamed through the unit to a dedicated stereo rig (pre and power amp)? In other words, can the T778 function like a Node would for stereo duties?
My Dad was a Hi-Fi buff when I were a lad way back in the early 80s.. We had literally dozens of retailers you could go to and listen to kit before buying it ..Now they’re like hens teeth! I’m desperate to make a purchase but it feels like a leap of faith more than a choice these days... I miss the high street, the biggest casualty of the internet.
Thx! I am considering changing to a high end 2 speaker solution for movies as well with B&W 804. Would not want to miss the streaming options, though, and connect my tv. Budget 3k. Would you recommend the t778 or something else?
Is it true that once you have DIrac'd the system, you can't turn up any individual speakers? Also, can I see and adjust the settings from my TV? It would be a lot easier for me to do that. Thanks.
I don't have the space to have HiFi and AV system so got the NAD T777 V3. The good is the sound, in both stereo and for AV is just outstanding. The detail and texture of the sound makes you thing the band is in the room with stereo and with AV your in the middle of the action. The down side is as with the T778, HDMI selection if flaky often having to play with other things to get the devise selected. The last update has stopped the phone NAD app from working. It just lacks the Japanese solid reliability. Having said that the Arcam seems to be much the same from what I read on-line. If NAD could just work with someone like SONY the output could be amazing.
I have a pair of Focal Aria, polk center speaker, polk 12 woofer, two polk book shelf speakers, I am using a onkyo tx-nr 676 at 100 watts per channel..seems like my volume "number" is at 55 to make the speakers come alive....is this unit 85 wpc going to be more efficient? i'm kind of new to this....what would you recommend (anybody) ? only using 5 channels Thanks...great review..
I have a home theatre set up , components purchased circa 2007, and budget decent quality. The avr receiver is a Denon 2807,, Powering a complete 7 series Focl speakers ( 726 3 way , fronts, a centre and 2 way book shelf speakers for rears. I use two bluray players 1 a Sony for movies etc, then the newer bluray is an Cambridge Audio Azur 752, which I use for Audio, various disc formats ( cd, sacd and bluray audio). I find I mostly listen to music 2 channel for bout 80% , and then the rest being movies and concert videos. I still prefer the act of putting a disc in a player, but getting something to replace the Denon, whilst I can still play a sacd or similar and movies, maybe stream music from Tidal, and source cd,s ripped to a external hard drive, in one of the many lossless Audio codecs…
Thanks for the video. Am looking at getting this,but you say you had a problem with ARC-EARC with LG TV. I have the LG 77c9 model,can I ask what the problems were. Thanks.
I have a 7.1 system, with 3 way tower front speakers , 4 ohm, 89 db sensitivity with a power handling 200-400 watts. Not concerned with respect to 7 channel movie performance but more so 2.1 stereo music listening. Love everything about design etc. but remain concerned about the amp’s ability to push my towers for stereo music - Your thoughts? ( I am old fart in process of significant upgrades to existing Onkyo system). Thank you.
Hi Andrew. Thorough and descriptive as always. You truly do have a great delivery when you conduct your reviews. One question - in the coming years I may consider purchasing the Martin Logan esl x’s for my main listening room. Would the 778 be a good candidate? Keep up the great work.
It will likely do it, but I don't think it would be a "great" candidate. You could get the 778 and NAD's new stereo amp just for the MLs and probably be okay. Or go with an even beefier amp just for them, but I cannot say if the 778 is going to be perfect. Suitable, yes? But ideal, I have no idea.
I have the smaller ESL model, and use my AVR's pre-out ports to move the signal to a bladelius amplifier, which then feeds my Logans. My father has the ESL X-models, which he has been running straight from his Anthem mxr-receiver for quite a few months now, and has been quite pleased with it. I think Anthem would be something to concider, as it can churn out 140W/channel (iirc) which is enough to get the electrostats to sing. I'd still personally get either an outboard integrated amp or monoblocks in tandem with an AVR, so for my use-case the NAD is quite mouth watering.
Thanks for the video, i would love to use an avr for both movies and music, but would be great if radio fm would be in for daily listening. Anyway i bought the canton karat gs edition, what has 180 watts, so i am not shure at all what avr i should use to drive them on its best. Maybe u can help me there... Have a great day u both and greetings from Bavaria
The new Sony ES Receivers are out. Please test one or two of them if you can. I have the STR-ZA2100ES that you tested. Bought it 2020 and I love the sound and power its got. The new models are supposed to be beasts.
@@spaige660 Haha, this is my favorite comment! Almost like if you pay attention they put the information out there for you and then you don't have to rely on other people doing the work for you!
Is it possible that the dongle is separated to fit their modular viewpoint? Besides the hdmi, the first thing that comes to mind to evolve rapidly would be the streaming services; if it is easy to replace then it solves the problem of obsolescence. Just a thought
Hi Andrew What would you think of a Pioneer SCLX904 with a Klipsch Series 10" sub woofer and a pair of Klipsch Reference Dual 6-1/2" 400 watt floor speakers. I want to use it as a straight stereo to start with then add more speakers later on and use it as a TV Home Theater system when funds permit, about a year down the road. The room stays at an 83 degrees temp at all times so I was thinking of a system that has a built-in cooling fan, I think the 904 has one? Please comment and thanks in advance. Tbox
Could anyone share their experience in setting up speaker configuration on the T778? The setup page has you choose if your speakers are “large” or “small”, but specifies that the only difference is whether or not a speaker can properly handle low-frequency effects (< ~200 Hz). The manual states “In most subwoofer-equipped systems, setting front speakers to ‘Small’ is usually the better option.” I will be pairing my new T778 with a 5.1 surround sound set up comprised of DALI Oberon 9’s (fronts), Oberon Grand Vokal (center), Oberon 3’s (surrounds), and K-14 (sub). All of these speakers have excellent low-frequency response, however, based on the wording in the manual, I’m not sure if my overall bass response would benefit more from saying the speakers are small to let the subwoofer handle most of the bass, or saying that they are large and allowing them to handle some bass while the subwoofer only deals with the LFE channel audio.
Well they didn't send it to me, NAD sent the dongle, which is a total swing and a miss. I saw the card during our review, but I can only (really) comment on what is in front of me. Thanks for watching!
There is a BluOS MDC module but I don't think it is compatible with the T778. I'd definitely check with the manufacturer before going that direction. If it was I can't see why NAD would have chosen the dongle route.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews BluOS is part of the HDMI module (VM310). You only need the dongle for wifi and Bluetooth. PS Dirac works without the dongle also using the front USB port
Personally, I like Yamaha A/V receivers. I have been using Yamaha receivers since the early 90s. And if I had the money and was going to spend $3000.00 on a receiver or amp I would just go all out and go with McIntosh.
I am using a receiver(Yamaha 2080) for both however my Yamaha pre outs are connected to the Parasound A52+ to power my fronts, center and surrounds. Time for you to convince me I should sell the yamaha for the T778. What is the one reason you like the NAD over the Yamaha?
Don't. How's that? Because you're not using your Yamaha for power, you have a better two-box solution in your current setup than what the NAD can match with respect to power. The NAD's user interface is superior to Yamaha but I'm not sure I'd change anything JUST for a better menu system. The question really is, what's the reason I would prefer NAD over Parasound in this instance, and I do not know how to answer that as I have not directly compared the two.
★ *QOTD: Would you use a receiver for both high-end home theater as well as two-channel audio playback? If yes, what product comes to mind?*
★ *REVIEWING: **bit.ly/3mkah8P** // NEED MORE INFO? ✔︎ THE ⬆︎DESCRIPTION⬆︎*
★ *COMMENT RULES:*
- No outside URLs or RUclips links.
- Please be respectful to one another. Harassment and threats will not be tolerated.
Me personally NO, I wouldn't use even Top model AVR for high quality stereo experience. 🙂
I use an aventage a880 with an xtz edge and I'm quite happy with that setup. But I'm thrilled that you reviewed the NAD because if I was going to upgrade, I think the NAD would be the route I take
@@damienlahoz great option, though your current rig sounds nice!
@@JoroIrl Appreciate you weighing in and answering our QOD.
I did for years. The simplicity of a one-box system for most people is ideal, or a great place to start. If you have a thirst for more down the road, add external amplification and you’re off to the races.
I am in awe, I am so grateful that you chose me to be the winner. I have not told my parents that it is coming to them so when they receive the package they will be completely surprised. Love the channel and the reviews! Thank you so much!
You are so welcome!
@Joseph Gagliardi do you have an update?
Thank you so much! I bought this A/V receiver based on your recommendation and I am really pleased! It preforms exactly as you said and yes it was difficult and time consuming to set up. I bought it from Crutchfield and they have been very knowledgeable and patient. I think this piece may need a 200 page manual.
Glad to hear after a lengthy setup you're pleased with the results! Thanks for your support!
I’m glad you’re reviewing NAD products. I’ve owned a few over 20+ years and have always enjoyed them. Cheers.
They're great! One of my first hifi purchases was an NAD BEE integrated some 20+ years ago. Total BEAST for little money!
I like this minimalistic matte black design! Also, the touch screen 👌🏾
It's super nice.
The NAD T778 is the first AV receiver that I have ever considered for dual purpose 2 channel and AV usage, to be honest. It may be because of those digital Vu meters. Love the meters. Lol
I have owned a few NAD receivers over the years and have found them to be exceptional
I love seeing stuff I can’t afford :), crazy to see how far tech can go without a budget. Phenomenal vid!
I get it, but the T 778 with its modular architecture may be more of an investment rather than a one time potential throwaway expense. We'll have to see.
Thank you for watching, Tom!
@@andrewrobinsonreviews haha I guess only time will tell! Nah they genuinely all look phenomenal but on a college student budget I think I’ll stick with my tv speakers, but might eventually get an str-dn1080 :). Really enjoyed your video on that as well!
@@WalterWeight1 On a college budget, I would consider maybe a soundbar to go with your TVs and call it good!
99% of the people watching this videos and subscribed to this channel, can’t afford 90% of the things featured here.
No need to connect the BluOS dongle, just use wired network cable. I’m an owner for 6 months, and I’m so pleased with the sound and quality. Running 5.1.4 with Dali Rubicon 6. Amazing sound. DiracLive makes a huge improvement - with a +6db curve for more bass. 90% movie for my usage. But music is amazing also. The weird dongle gives the user an easy way of updating to a newer WiFi standard in the future. The remote is for me the only downside.
@@lifeevent88 yes, Connect with Ethernet
I have ordered a set of DALI Oberon 9’s (fronts), Oberon Grand Vokal (center), Oberon 3’s (surrounds), and K-14 (sub) to pair with a new T 778 receiver.
When you were setting up the speaker configuration for your Rubicons, did you specify that they were large or small speakers? The manual says that a “large” speaker means any one that can properly handle low frequency effects, but then it goes on to say that in most setups, it’s still better to say that the front speakers are “small” so that more bass is diverted to the subwoofer to produce a better overall bass response.
I’m sure I’ll end up testing both of these scenarios, but I’m curious how you ended up configuring your system as it isn’t clear to me from reading the manual alone which option may produce the best LFE sound from a DALI surround sound setup paired with the T 778.
@@brandonlee7895 Large vs small has nothing to do with the size of the speakers. In a surround sound setup, they should be set to small. Else LFE will be send to the fronts and you suddenly have multiple subs with a ton of new possible issues arising
I own the T778 since 1 year now, and i enjoy it every day without any bugs.
I considered this receiver for my current home theater overall. Ultimately, I chose the Marantz SR8015 with the new Vandersteen Model 2ce Signature III towers. My plan was to buy an integrated amp with home theater pass through but the performance of the SR8015 is good enough that I can wait until I take another step up I speaker quality to add a 2-channel amp for music listening.
I just ordered the Marantz SR8012 which went on sale... I'm pumped, lot of great reviews on it and great build. I wish I could afford the SR 8015 because it looks to be a bit more Future Proof.
@@dynodin81 I picked up a TV with HDMI 2.1 so it was a must have on my reciever. Without that need the SR8012 would've been more than enough. They're both great receivers.
@@dynodin81 on sale where?
@@1L3g3nd On Amazon, it's $800 bucks off from the original price, and on Accessories4less it's 37% Off.
Being 2021, and pretty much everything having some sort of screen and/or touchscreen, I really hope to see more HT receivers (and stereo receivers, for that matter) have a nice large full color (and hopefully touch) display on it. It almost seems crazy this isn't the standard yet. It's nice to see what you're listening too, album art, etc. right on the receiver. The VU meters are cool too. I see a lot of potential with other virtual meters, spectrum analyzers, etc. being integrated into the GUI.
I think the reason this doesn't happen because of the demographic that usually buy stereo or home theater amplifiers - 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s babies. They all grew up with receivers and amplifiers and in-home sound systems. I was born in 2000 and did not grow up with one - i'm an ipod baby. We never had a home sound system, and no one in my generation had any idea about receivers or amplifiers. Some may know about studio monitors, and that's it. I think those new touch screen features are seen as features for the "new" generation, hence, why it's usually not included in a product class catered to those who grew up without touch screens. Just a theory though
Would be great to do a comparison with the Anthem MRX 1140. I know that one has 11 amplified channels vs NAD's 9 but it would be great to hear how those 2 compare in both features, room correction, and sound quality :)
I'm having my home theater installed in the next couple of weeks. Equipment has been ordered and wiring started. I bought the NAD T778, on the advice of the owner of the business, and pairing it with Goldenear Triton One r's, Supercenter XXL and Atmos overhead system. To say I'm excited would be an understatement. Thanks for confirming my decision. :)
Hi ! So after many years, what is your verdict about this setup ? How does it perform as hifi/stereo setup ? Thx
@@jrandrianandrasana The system performs beyond my expectations. The surround for movies is outstanding. The 2 channel stereo for music is next level. Listening to a song at reference level(or. close anyway). is a joy. The ribbon tweeters in the GoldenEar mains soften the highs without detracting from them. The bass absolutely hits. Buy once...cry once. :)
@@ronburgundy6579 okay, thx for your feedback !
I still use AV Receivers from Nakamichi, AV10, AV8, AV7 & RE-10 for two channel playback and enjoy watching your channel, Dion from NZ
Hello. I just got a nakamichi av-1s. Not much info about it. Is it the same as av1. What is power output? Thanks
I’m addicted to your videos now and it’s hurting me financially 😂. Can you use the pre outs on the t778 to use an external amplifier for stereo sound?
Mr. Robertson:: I purchased the NAD778, OMG the sound especially AV is beyond what I could have dreamed. The OSBLU is the most different thing. Day two of getting to find my network, I wish NAD had 800 for support
I have an Arcam AVR300, and it is awesome for 2 channel music. A real 120wpc will drive many speakers to sufficiently loud levels at very high quality.
I have now owned an Yamaha RX 661 reciever for about 12 years. 90% of the time I am using it for playing music. In many years I used the Music enhancement setting, but after a period of serious setup of the equalizer and placement of my monitor audio speakers, I am now using the 2 and 5 ch. Stereo mode or Pure Direct mode. The reciever sounds better and better for every day :). Despite the lag of wifi opportunity or more than 1080p 60hz pass through I am very pleased with this receiver. Every time I am looking at a new reciever or consider a new stereo setup with for example tube amps, I am coming back to the mindset, that I am happy with what I have in place in the livingroom right now :)
I have a G class Arcam AVR with the front speakers bi-amped. RRP was circa £4k new. It's good with stereo, and many professional reviewers have said that it the best sounding AVR they have ever heard for 2 channel music. But for me, it can't beat a £750 to £1,000 stereo amplifier.
@@barney6888 don't get me wrong, if you want a home cinema, you would struggle to beat the Arcam amp. It's brilliant. I am just talking about stereo performance. Truth is I have both. I use the arcam for movies and casual music listening and a stereo amp for sitting down for a proper listen to music. Best get the credit card back out again
I bought this receiver as I was looking for a dual purpose music HT system with music first. The MDC and screen are super bonuses and the Bluos is the easiest and most inclusive of the higher end streamers in my humble opinion. Thanks for the review. Wish the Phono input would have included MC as well, but such is life. No regrets so far.
Just another great review from a seriously dedicated genius.
Concerning Dirac... on both the T778 and the Arcam AVR850, I preferred the out-of-box sound better after several attempts. I chalk this up to the included Mics not being up to the job.
From nearly all accounts, the $75 UMIK-1 offers much better results.
Yes, I would totally use for both 2 channel and HT. I am building a dedicated HT soon and I have my eye on the Monolith HTP-1!
What has you "sold" on the Monolith?
@@andrewrobinsonreviews 16 channels, >2 sub outputs, XLR, Dirac Live with bass control, and amazing measurements on ASR. The only other contender in that price range with these features seems to be Emotiva. Although, curious if Anthem will release an update to the AVM60 soon. But for
Watched this for the FOURTH time :)...purchased an Aurender N100SC over it, but still want one...thank you that it's here to continue to whet my appetite
I love my C368. I have always found NAD power understated
Another really nice review. I recently wrote you and, depending how you see it, questioned your often positive reviews. I have now realized that I prefer looking/listening to positive things, and when/if i feel the need to find out if something is crap i can read up on other platforms. I actually subscribed after getting thrashed last time so no more leeching over here😂 I like what you guys are doing so please keep doing it🙂👍
Great review, I am presently researching the T778 & found your reviews for the 1st time. I will certainly start watching more of your reviews from now on.
Cheers Al...
Blacksmiths NSW Australia
Awesome, thank you!
New to your channel a few months back, great work.
Thanks for your Review and honesty.
I upgraded to the Nad from a Yamaha A3070 and the audio performance was a big step up considering not too much more in price (launch prices). The Yamaha is rock solid, barely put a finger wrong, but I was never happy with YPAO and my room sound. The T778 and Dirac have resolved this although the Nad can be a little buggy (but I’m sure it will be ironed out with updates). The panel is gorgeous for displaying album artwork, it’s the first Avr I have wanted to actually be on show. I’ve gone from mainly a movie lover to finding a new appreciation of music, sounds so good.
I purchased the T778 and demo-ed it for a week against an old Arcam 350 (which is moving to a second small room) and a newer 850. Here are my conclusions and why I ultimately had to return it... sticking with the 850 for the main room. The T778 has a phenomenal processor, beautiful display, thoughtful hook-ups at back, and even has a built-in Phono amp. Out-of-the-box sound is clean and very detailed in the mids and highs, but it can not plumb the depths of bass on my full-range paradigm Signature S8s and C5, like all of the more powerful Arcam amp sections can. The T778 is half the weight of the Arcams and, while the new digital amps in them are impressive, you won't get any of that chest-thumping SLAM Arcam can give you in your full-range fronts. The T778 has ever so slighttttly better highs than the 850, seeing as it's a 32bit Sabre chip, and the 850 is a 24bit Sirus Logic, but I still found the treble presentation less fatiguing over extended sessions on the Arcam, proving that it's the whole package that has to be judged... Processor+Amp section. When I test an amp section, I always like to do it without the sub to get a measure of it's true, full performance with the fronts. So my conclusion is this -- If you plan on purchasing 2-way speakers for your fronts and centre, and trick out with an awesome sub, or 2, go with the T778. It is really the best bang for your buck. But, if you already have excellent, large full-range speakers, then get yourself an Arcam or separate amps.They will extend that 3D bubble from the centre of the room all the way down to the floor. On each system, my speakers were always consistently set to "large" at 7ft from listening position. No tone adjustments and no Dirac adjustments. For those thinking that Dirac would make the difference and add bass depth to the T778, I tried Dirac several times with the T778. It could never equal the bass weight/depth of the Arcams.
Question: if one is spending $3000, would spending $1500 on a pre amp and another $1500 on an amp yield better performance? In this price range ANY receiver should kick ass at BOTH home theater and stereo listening. It seems to me that it’s more about marketing than performance. For $3,000 you'll have to test drive Marantz and perhaps Denon, although Marantz seems to be preferred with 2 channel. Emotiva? I feel a shoot out coming on!
For music $3000 on integrated stereo amplifier.
Some people do not like too many boxes. We have enough boxes like cable box, PS4, streaming box and routers etc......
@@tomchan2559 that's why soundbars are getting more popular me think.
Does anyone offer a pre-power surround combo for US$3000?
I added a two channel power amp to my T778 and am now thrilled with it’s stereo performance. With 9 x 85W it did not lack anything when playing surround material, it was only the two channel performance that lacked a little authority and my two 12” sealed subs didn’t mask that.
@@gottrekk5798 a $3,000 integrated stereo amp would absolutely BLOW for home theater use, where as a good $1,500-$3,000 AVR will do damn good with stereo.
I just purchased the T778. I use it with a Hegel H190 voor the front channels. Thank you fot your review
I’d love to see this compared to the Arcam AVR10
I think the NAD would trounce the AVR10 which really isn't worth bothering with, it is pretty weak. The AVR20 although more expensive is probably more of a comparable to this, but better at delivering a deeper level of bass and music quality due to the amp section they use.
I actually sprung for one of these yesterday. I think it may be just what I am looking for!
Well after 2 weeks.
Sonically. Brilliant.
NAD have made some really odd choices. BluOS is heavily app driven. But you can’t use the app to access menus etc.
BluOS sounds great, works well.
Dirac. It really works. Totally kills my room bass boom. I may upgrade Dirac, not sure at the moment.
Video processing, err.
I had an issue with a Sony BluRay player. I had a spare so all was good.
In summary, heavily skewed towards music, and sacrifices some usability and a lot of features..
movie performance was absolutely as expected. Excellent.
it sounds great, and has me wanting to shop for speakers.
After 22 months. It exploded. Sparks and smoke etc.
Thanks for the great review.
That seems like a killer product.
Would love to see your take on the new NAD Master M33.
Hoping you can get your hands on one.
Love that one! It's a beast. 👍🏼
I use my Anthem MRX720 with an outboard Amp. {Axiom ADA1250} for both H.T. and stereo. I've been very happy with it for probably 4 years now. Was tossed between Anthem, Cambridge and NAD for a while then settled on Anthem.
I have a NAD M15HD2 processor with upgraded MDC paired with a NAD M25 amplifier that is amazing in two channel or home theater use.
Congrats to the winner. Your Mum and Dad will be so happy. I’m not jealous......honestly.
The NAD seems to be an ideal all you need system and I would love to have this for cinema sound as well as stereo both being high end quality.
Cool video! How do you compare the Nad to the older Naim Uniti Atom for music listening?
Great review, pretty much as expected from NAD, be interesting to see how this compares to the Anthem MRX740, any plans for a review of this?
No immediate plans but perhaps later this year. Thank you for watching!
Yeah, that is the other one I am looking at too (Anthem MRX 740) ...replacing my aging Anthem MRX310 due to HDMI/4K constraints. I originally went Anthem because they were touted as being a little better for music + theather (though the 310 is outclassed by these) so this NAD really hits the marks for me. I want to try this NAD but there are a lot of owner reviews out there that seem to point to software quirks ...maybe the 740 is the more stable choice fir right now (though I am sure the NAD will get smoothed out in time if the complaints are not edge case). Crutchfield for example currently has 25% of the reviews at 1 star though it also seems receivers are backordered (so if you need a replacement under warrenty you are waiting which adds to frustration).
This NAD T778 is looking nice, but how are the sound characteristics? Is it dynamic? I heard that this receiver does not have much bass.
I love your voice! So soothing!
The reason I'm considering this AV receiver is exactly because I care about 2-ch music playback as well as AV playback.......If the video section had up-to-date support, it might be my leading candidate receiver, but because it doesn't I'm leaning towards Yamaha RXA-8A
Based on a previous conversation i see the Crutchfield link. Great source for purchases. My first purchase from them goes WAY back- a Sony Betamax player. Recently bought a sound bar from them recently based on Andrew’s recommendation. Great videos.
Are you enjoying the soundbar?
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Unbelievable. To use a Tommy Boy quote “holy Snikies”. One funny aside- my wife hates it. She’s not one who likes to feel the sound-. Made me turn it down while i was watching a James Bond movie. I recently sold my house in SoCal and living in a small town in the San Bernardino mountains. The last of my kids just moved back to Columbus Ohio. Will most likely buy a a second home there. Whether we end up with a condo or a house will drive our sound system. Condo is more convenient but you have to deal with neighbors above/below and next to you. Kefor Elac for say a condo.
So glad that the designers left a volume knob on tha Amp....
I currently do use a Yamaha RX-A 1080 as my home theater/ 2 channel center peice. I have a 5.1 system consisting of HTD Level III towers, center and bookshelves (as surrounds). I have the towers bi-amped from the receiver and in PureDirect mode they sound terrific. I just wish that Yamaha would allow hi/low pass filters for each amp channel when bi-amping.
It would be great if NAD made this product only as a preamp.
Bought one after considering reviews like this. Thanks!
Hope you enjoy it!
I love it!
I use my Marantz SR7007 for my home theater 5.2 as well as my 2.2 music system. I even use it (on occasion) to power my headphones. Now that’s an all in one solution a lot of people could enjoy.
Congrats to Joseph! Just as a suggestion, can you please advise on future give aways if they are open to people who live outside of the U.S.A.? It might save me from getting my hopes up next time! Cheers!
Awesome! I would LOVE to see a comparison between the new NAD M66 vs the Bryston BR-20! I'm potentially in the market for either one of these. I currently own a NAD M12 with the BluOS module (usgin a Bryston 4b3 amp, Tekton Lores went I want a real sense of what live music sounds like and B&W 804D3's when I want more detail and resolution). Curious to see how much of an upgrade the M66 would be over the M12 , sound wise not so much features or that it has 4 sub outputs. The M12 gives me everything I need today and sounds great with the bryston amp but curious to see how much better new new unit sounds. I like both brands NAD and Bryston, they have a similar competing products in specs, features and price! I think it would be a great match up! Oh and it would help me a ton, thank you Andrew!!!
Hello, is it much better in cinema the nad to the yamaha 3080?
Currently, I think about replacing my old Yamaha RX-V2067 against a new AVR and plan to buy a NAD T778.
What would you say about the differences of sound quality over the last ten years in these products? I am using a Monitor Audio Bronze Set too, with the Bronze 500 as main speakers in the front. And I like to use the BI-Wiring option in combination with Atmos / Front-Height-Speakers, which was not possible with my old 7 channels Yamaha.
Would you say the NAD T778 is a good match with the MA Bronze 500 for stereo music?
My full setup: 2 * Bronze 500, 1 * Center C150, 2 * FX in the rear, 2 * Bronze 50 as Front Height / Yamaha RX-V2067, UHD-Player Sony X800M2, Beamer Sony HW65
Hey Andrew! Thanks for all your great videos and love the format with your wife, too! Question: Would you still recommend this today (12/22) as the heart of my most audio system? Pricing is around $3500. I love the NAD sound so looking for reassurance nothing better has come out recently. Thanks so much! David
I'm on the fence with the NAD. It seems like the perfect fit for my needs, but if there is a chance that NAD will release an updated version of the 778 with HDMI 2.1, I'd gladly wait until a release later this year.. Does NAD usually do yearly updates? Do you have any guess as to whether they might release another version this year with refinements?
This channel is fantastic, by the way. Recently upgraded my Pioneer Andrew Johnson bookshelf speakers to his ELAC reference speakers and replaced my sub with an SVS 1000 Pro based on your reviews.
They don't update to 2.1 you buy a new HDMI card and swap it for the old one. But no plans yet but it may come soon.
I use my Denon 7200WA both for HT and music listening... Pure Direct mode helps much for music because it sounds clearly better than other modes...
Just ordered a Marantz SR8012 that went on sale!
I definitely want to minimize as many components in the living room as possible but also trying to find that balance of Audio quality for 2 CH listening but still having my surround sound for music. Hopefully the SR8012 will be able to check those boxes.
No it won’t, Marantz is only second to Denon at being awful for music.
Great review and nice set decoration as always.
Thanks. It's our living room, but thanks!
Hi Andrew, i have the NAD T777 and was thinking to ad the VM310, or do i better upgrade to this NAD T778?
I have both T777 with VM300 and T778, and I would recommend upgrading to T778 if you can afford it. It has a completely new amplifier design, which is better sounding. But also shaving off nearly half the weight due to getting rid of the trafo.
@@mariusuglemodalen1496 hi Marius, and isn’t the trafo responsabel for good sound? There is no NAD dealer in the neighbourhood :( I love my T777 very much but I am missing the 4K resolution. The looks of the T778 are stunning, can you give me more info please?
Thank you very much for your reply mate. Love your channel.
Thank you so much, Roan Schoerie! We appreciate you watching.
I use a AV receiver for movies and 2 channel music. I use a NAD T785. It sounds AWESOME with my MoFi Studiodeck+ turntable and either my Parasound Z-Phono USB or SoundSmith MMP4 phono-stage. I don't use dsp for my lp's. I have KEF Q950 mains and PSB center and surrounds. PSB 5I powered sub times 2, 10 inch.
This is exactly where I'm at. I'm looking at Marantz and Yamaha to be my pre amp. I was even using a high end integra pre/pro but my Oppo HA 1 sounds better.
My guess is, that unless you absolutely needed the extra power, one could get by just fine with the T 778, so no preamp/amp combo needed. Thanks for watching!!!
If you had to choose between arcam 31, anthem 740/1140 or this NAD T778 which is better?
Andrew, does anyone do a 5.1 receiver on a high end scale it seems that the upper end of sound quality with 11+ channels that I wouldn’t need which is unpractical and costly if they wouldn’t be used to it’s full capabilities.
Your channel is excellent with good range of products, precise explanations with easy to understand dialogue.
Big hello from Scotland.
@ekim andersom Anthem does.
AVRs split (almost) power over amount of speakers connected. It's much easier for 9.2 AVR to run 5.1 system and have better performance. 5.1 can sounds better than 9.2 depends on speakers (quality over quantity).
I keep being told "you can't have both in one unit", but now you are saying maybe. It is a serious question, and maybe someone needs to expand this with maybe side by side tests with the Denons, Marantz's and Yamaha top end receivers. We all know they are great for Cinema, but they are not cheap and I think they SHOULD excel with two channel playback as well. We somehow need this information.
The Yamaha RX-A3080 sounds perfectly fine for my 2 channel listening as well. I have a 60k dedicated 2 channel separates system as well. Diminishing returns are huge in this voyage man.
AVRs are primarily design for HT systems, stereo amps are design %100 for music only. That's why Denon, Marantz, Yamaha are making separately AVRs and 2ch amps. Although agree with diminishing returns.
@@gottrekk5798 I think you are missing the point. No matter what they are primarily designed for, they all have a stereo function. Also these are expensive units. I also know they do use similar amplification modules to their Amplifier cousins. Bearing in mind that they obviously vary in how well they do this, it would be good if this information was available before purchase.
@@skyengeh every serious audiophile believes only own ears. When you visit HiFi shop and directly compare amps with the same speakers in the same room with favourite music sitting in a sweet spot and focusing on critical listening you will know exactly what's going on. Buying based on someone else's opinion is not a good idea.
@@gottrekk5798 Once again you miss my point, There are far too many combinations for me to try everything. So previously i have purchased by comparing highly rated products against other highly rated products so I can decide. The reviews are merely a place to start, even before I go to the shop with my music. My simple point is the conversation about using top end AV receivers compared with top rated stereo amplifiers for music is just not there, so I don't even have a starting point. Yes of course I can do it all myself but surely that is why reviews exist, to give an initial idea.
Thanks for the video. I have the NAD T187 pre/ pro upgraded with Dirac/ atmos and 4K hdmi. It has some minor issues but sounds really good with Dirac enabled. Movies or music have never sounded this good. Some issues with hdmi like 4K HDR can give a blank screen with the Nvidia shield. NAD are not as large as like Sound united so some issues is almost expected. Maybe they have the dongle to be able to easy upgrade it when new tech becomes available? Just like the MDC modules. Which are not cheap... spent about $1500 on these upgrades.
Thank you been waiting for this
Could we see a review of 2 channels please
Hope it was worth the wait!
Just ordered one for my office system. I wanted proper room correction and preferably a class D amp, though that's quite rare in receivers. Bit on the expensive side, but I think this will replace my brilliant NAD stereo amp without me missing anything, since I use an Arendal 1723 1S sub to handle the low frequencies.
Really big shame it doesn't have HDMI 2.1 though - at this price range it's almost absurd.
I have it in my system for some weeks now, I have a Proac speaker system. Before, I had NAD t785, very powerfull, and an old school amplifier if ever there was one, 25 kg, two thoroidial transformers. The reason why I am sharing this, this was a beast, the t778 isn’t as impressive, it has only half the wheight and for an old school audiophile, wheight is almost The holy grail as far as audiophile hardware goes. But this , rather flimsy piece of hardware as perceived has indeed a lot of impact. The dealer and I had some problems with the Dirac installation, but the amp seamed very impressive anyway. After some time, the dealer came back to implement the Dirac and, whow, what a difference it made, you can accept the reasoning in the post here, but for me, the Dirac filter made a substantial gain in sound quality for me, at least when watching movies, the difference is quite staggering as compared with the filter off. That said, for music only, I don’t want to be a snob or anything like an old and boring guy, but I like my proac response2,5 so much more with my copland tube amps, for music, no match, for movies the NAD is really impressive, especially with the Dirac filter
Just saw your video on elite screens channel! How cool is that
Congrats Joseph!!!
Thanks for the review. It was very helpful. I'm in the market for a AVR 7 or 9 channel that also plays music well.
Any chance you could review an Anthem receiver? I read good things about their products.
Great review!
I'm in the process of rebuilding the sound system and since I love movies as much as music, I came up with the following plan:
1. AVR-X3700H - cheapest receiver with all the features I need + pre outs disconnctable from internal amps.
2. KEF LS50 Meta
3. single KEF LS50 as center channel
4. 2x SVS SB2000 subs
Speakers and subs are on the way and receiver already here.
Next step is to figure out which power amp to connect. There are 3 channel power amps from parasound and emotiva, but I have no way to "test" them.
A two channel power amp might be an option too. For back and height channels, probably going to use my very old bose acoustimass for now.
My biggest disappointment so far, was to find out that HEOS can't handle Tidal MQA :/
I'd really like to get suggestions on power amp and "how to fix" MQA.
Get 2 ch power amp, AVR can easy drive the rest. I am assuming you will use 2 speakers only for music .
@@gottrekk5798 thanks for your reply. That's probably the plan. Just not sure which power amp to pick that will make audible difference without selling a kidney :)
Very hard to say, many variables. I would personally consider the new NAD C 298, it's similar to the one inside NAD M33.
This seems to be outdated in reference to the Emotiva MR1L...especially for the pricing....any word on them possibly updating this great looking model? I know they recently did new amps...
Anyone know if the BluOs on the T778 can be streamed through the unit to a dedicated stereo rig (pre and power amp)? In other words, can the T778 function like a Node would for stereo duties?
My Dad was a Hi-Fi buff when I were a lad way back in the early 80s.. We had literally dozens of retailers you could go to and listen to kit before buying it ..Now they’re like hens teeth! I’m desperate to make a purchase but it feels like a leap of faith more than a choice these days... I miss the high street, the biggest casualty of the internet.
Thx! I am considering changing to a high end 2 speaker solution for movies as well with B&W 804. Would not want to miss the streaming options, though, and connect my tv. Budget 3k. Would you recommend the t778 or something else?
Is it true that once you have DIrac'd the system, you can't turn up any individual speakers? Also, can I see and adjust the settings from my TV? It would be a lot easier for me to do that. Thanks.
This is like watching a super model that i can never have so, i gotta conform with the wal mart model at home
I don't have the space to have HiFi and AV system so got the NAD T777 V3. The good is the sound, in both stereo and for AV is just outstanding. The detail and texture of the sound makes you thing the band is in the room with stereo and with AV your in the middle of the action. The down side is as with the T778, HDMI selection if flaky often having to play with other things to get the devise selected. The last update has stopped the phone NAD app from working. It just lacks the Japanese solid reliability. Having said that the Arcam seems to be much the same from what I read on-line.
If NAD could just work with someone like SONY the output could be amazing.
I have a pair of Focal Aria, polk center speaker, polk 12 woofer, two polk book shelf speakers, I am using a onkyo tx-nr 676 at 100 watts per channel..seems like my volume "number" is at 55 to make the speakers come alive....is this unit 85 wpc going to be more efficient? i'm kind of new to this....what would you recommend (anybody) ? only using 5 channels Thanks...great review..
I have a home theatre set up , components purchased circa 2007, and budget decent quality. The avr receiver is a Denon 2807,, Powering a complete 7 series Focl speakers ( 726 3 way , fronts, a centre and 2 way book shelf speakers for rears. I use two bluray players 1 a Sony for movies etc, then the newer bluray is an Cambridge Audio Azur 752, which I use for Audio, various disc formats ( cd, sacd and bluray audio). I find I mostly listen to music 2 channel for bout 80% , and then the rest being movies and concert videos. I still prefer the act of putting a disc in a player, but getting something to replace the Denon, whilst I can still play a sacd or similar and movies, maybe stream music from Tidal, and source cd,s ripped to a external hard drive, in one of the many lossless Audio codecs…
Thanks for the video.
Am looking at getting this,but you say you had a problem with ARC-EARC with LG TV.
I have the LG 77c9 model,can I ask what the problems were.
Thanks.
Not to mention, I lost count of the "not to mentions"... Great review though!
I have a 7.1 system, with 3 way tower front speakers , 4 ohm, 89 db sensitivity with a power handling 200-400 watts. Not concerned with respect to 7 channel movie performance but more so 2.1 stereo music listening. Love everything about design etc. but remain concerned about the amp’s ability to push my towers for stereo music - Your thoughts? ( I am old fart in process of significant upgrades to existing Onkyo system). Thank you.
Hi Andrew. Thorough and descriptive as always. You truly do have a great delivery when you conduct your reviews. One question - in the coming years I may consider purchasing the Martin Logan esl x’s for my main listening room. Would the 778 be a good candidate? Keep up the great work.
It will likely do it, but I don't think it would be a "great" candidate. You could get the 778 and NAD's new stereo amp just for the MLs and probably be okay. Or go with an even beefier amp just for them, but I cannot say if the 778 is going to be perfect. Suitable, yes? But ideal, I have no idea.
I have the smaller ESL model, and use my AVR's pre-out ports to move the signal to a bladelius amplifier, which then feeds my Logans. My father has the ESL X-models, which he has been running straight from his Anthem mxr-receiver for quite a few months now, and has been quite pleased with it. I think Anthem would be something to concider, as it can churn out 140W/channel (iirc) which is enough to get the electrostats to sing. I'd still personally get either an outboard integrated amp or monoblocks in tandem with an AVR, so for my use-case the NAD is quite mouth watering.
Thanks for the review. Help me in my final decision to purchase one.
Thanks for the video, i would love to use an avr for both movies and music, but would be great if radio fm would be in for daily listening. Anyway i bought the canton karat gs edition, what has 180 watts, so i am not shure at all what avr i should use to drive them on its best. Maybe u can help me there... Have a great day u both and greetings from Bavaria
If this can power difficult-to-drive speakers do you think it would go well with the B&W 702 s2s?
It may do okay on its own, though I’d still be tempted to add an amp for the front left/right channels.
The new Sony ES Receivers are out. Please test one or two of them if you can. I have the STR-ZA2100ES that you tested. Bought it 2020 and I love the sound and power its got. The new models are supposed to be beasts.
What would you choose if you had to choose between Anthem AXR 740, NAD T778 and the Yamaha RX A6A?
T778 as I have not heard the Anthem.
Keep showing that leather chair and I'm going to have to buy it!
Kristi can help you with that ;).
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Don't worry, I can READ and HEAR so I know where to go ;).
@@spaige660 Haha, this is my favorite comment! Almost like if you pay attention they put the information out there for you and then you don't have to rely on other people doing the work for you!
Is it possible that the dongle is separated to fit their modular viewpoint? Besides the hdmi, the first thing that comes to mind to evolve rapidly would be the streaming services; if it is easy to replace then it solves the problem of obsolescence. Just a thought
Hi Andrew
What would you think of a Pioneer SCLX904 with a Klipsch Series 10" sub woofer and a pair of Klipsch Reference Dual 6-1/2" 400 watt floor speakers. I want to use it as a straight stereo to start with then add more speakers later on and use it as a TV Home Theater system when funds permit, about a year down the road.
The room stays at an 83 degrees temp at all times so I was thinking of a system that has a built-in cooling fan, I think the 904 has one?
Please comment and thanks in advance.
Tbox
Could anyone share their experience in setting up speaker configuration on the T778? The setup page has you choose if your speakers are “large” or “small”, but specifies that the only difference is whether or not a speaker can properly handle low-frequency effects (< ~200 Hz). The manual states “In most subwoofer-equipped systems, setting front speakers to ‘Small’ is usually the better option.”
I will be pairing my new T778 with a 5.1 surround sound set up comprised of DALI Oberon 9’s (fronts), Oberon Grand Vokal (center), Oberon 3’s (surrounds), and K-14 (sub).
All of these speakers have excellent low-frequency response, however, based on the wording in the manual, I’m not sure if my overall bass response would benefit more from saying the speakers are small to let the subwoofer handle most of the bass, or saying that they are large and allowing them to handle some bass while the subwoofer only deals with the LFE channel audio.
There is an MDC Bluos Module which you just put into the reciever. You don't have to use the dongle. Great review! Love the NAD class D amps. 😊
Well they didn't send it to me, NAD sent the dongle, which is a total swing and a miss. I saw the card during our review, but I can only (really) comment on what is in front of me. Thanks for watching!
There is a BluOS MDC module but I don't think it is compatible with the T778. I'd definitely check with the manufacturer before going that direction. If it was I can't see why NAD would have chosen the dongle route.
@@macmanjpc yeah, when I looked at the card on their website I didn't see any text that stated it was compatible with the T 778.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews BluOS is part of the HDMI module (VM310). You only need the dongle for wifi and Bluetooth.
PS Dirac works without the dongle also using the front USB port
Is this worth the upgrade over the 758 if one's looking at a 5.1.2 atmos system?
Personally, I like Yamaha A/V receivers. I have been using Yamaha receivers since the early 90s. And if I had the money and was going to spend $3000.00 on a receiver or amp I would just go all out and go with McIntosh.
that's arguably a lot more money, more than double or close to triple.
Hello, Andrew!
What kind of TV cabinet is in this video?
bit.ly/392U6sW
@@andrewrobinsonreviews thank you)
I am using a receiver(Yamaha 2080) for both however my Yamaha pre outs are connected to the Parasound A52+ to power my fronts, center and surrounds. Time for you to convince me I should sell the yamaha for the T778. What is the one reason you like the NAD over the Yamaha?
Don't. How's that? Because you're not using your Yamaha for power, you have a better two-box solution in your current setup than what the NAD can match with respect to power. The NAD's user interface is superior to Yamaha but I'm not sure I'd change anything JUST for a better menu system. The question really is, what's the reason I would prefer NAD over Parasound in this instance, and I do not know how to answer that as I have not directly compared the two.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews thank you. Don’t is perfect