Comes with full MQA decoding and rendering capability, allowing for high-resolution music streaming from Tidal. This makes my job really hard. You’d probably like to know what it’s like to use the CS1, but the truth is, it totally depends on what you’re trying to do with it, and the platform/app/streaming protocol you’ve chosen to use. End of the line for endpoints NAD CS1 Endpoint Network Streamer (top) and Wiim Pro Simon Cohen / Digital Trends Today, NAD Electronics, a well-respected manufacturer of top-notch audio-video components, introduced the NAD CS1 Endpoint Network Streamer. This streamer has a conservative, pared-down design and is designed to simplify the addition of wireless streaming ability to any music system. CS1 Front The WiiM Pro provides analog and digital outputs along with inputs to add sources to a multiroom audio setup. (Image credit: WiiM) Analysis: The WiiM Pro brings high-res audio streaming to the masses MP3, AAC, WAV, FLAC, and ALAC — they’re all supported. Pretty much every format you could want, except DSD, which I have to say, is really disappointing given NAD’s audiophile fan base. You may still be able to play them — an app like Bubble can perform on-the-fly DSD transcoding to PCM, but this feels wrong.

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CONNECTIONS

That the CS1 is powered by 5V arriving at its rear-panel USB-C and thus provides some flexibility for those who like to roll their own (linear) power supplies. If that’s you, know that any potential audible lift might be scuppered by the presence/quality of switching regulators inside the unit. Supported 3rd party service providers: Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Apple AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast, DLNA, Roon. Premium differential DAC design based on the superior Texas Instruments PCM5141 DAC, enhancing the quality of sound reproduction with support for high-resolution audio up to 24-bit/192kHz. Founded in 1972 and now sold in over 80 countries, NAD Electronics is renowned for its award-winning line of high-quality components for audio, home theatre and custom installation applications. Since the beginning, NAD’s commitment to four core values – innovation, innovation, simplicity, performance, and value – have earned it a cult-like following that catapulted it to becoming a household name amongst audiophiles and music lovers alike. To this day, the brand continues to design and manufacture some of the most acclaimed and affordable hi-fi components that include modern features and technologies meant to appeal to a new generation of audiophiles. As I said in the intro, it can be tough to get a sense of a network streamer’s sound quality, because it ultimately depends on the gear to which it’s connected. What I can say is that the CS1, when connected to my Pioneer receiver, sounded about the same to me as the Sonos Port and the Wiim Pro when playing sources that were compatible with all three devices. This was true whether I used the streamers’ digital or analog outputs, so if the CS1’s DAC is of arguably higher quality than the ones in either of the other streamers, I guess my sound system (or my ears) weren’t up to the task of being able to tell the difference. All of that to say, the CS1 has everything it needs to deliver great audio quality.

Users can connect the CS1 to their home network via Wi-Fi or hardwire its LAN Ethernet port to their network router. The CS1 has a pair of RCA analogue outputs for connection to a stereo receiver, integrated amp, preamplifier, or a pair of powered speakers. The CS1 also has optical and coaxial outputs for sending digital audio at up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution to powered loudspeakers with digital inputs, or to a home theatre receiver or external DAC. Users can connect the CS1 to their home network via Wi-Fi or hardwire its LAN Ethernet port to their network router. The CS1 has a pair of RCA analogue outputs for connection to a stereo receiver, integrated amp, preamplifier, or a pair of powered speakers. The CS1 also has optical and coaxial outputs for sending digital audio at up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution to powered loudspeakers with digital inputs, or to a home theatre receiver or external DAC. Info and photos by NAD Electronics via OLEX Communications. One more thing you definitely need to know: It’s easy to focus on the words “network streamer” in the CS1’s full product name (CS1 Endpoint Network Streamer), and skip right over the word “Endpoint.” But that word is more important than you might think. Indeed, I’ve reverted to mConnect for most of the streaming, and MQA pass-through and my Qobuz sample rate ladder all come through with flying colours. And if your spouse is on Android, and not an iOS device? They have no control at all because even if the CS1 has been added to Google Home, that app thinks of the CS1 as a Chromecast device and it won’t understand that the CS1 is in the middle of playing an AirPlay 2 session.

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There are low-cost ways to get into high-res music, but many of those options are for listening with headphones. And while there’s nothing wrong with pursuing audio bliss via the best headphones route, some people – me, for instance – prefer listening to music using a good, old-fashioned stereo speakers-plus-amplifier setup. Unleash a world of pure, immersive sound by elevating your home audio experience with the NAD CS1 Endpoint Network Streamer. Seamlessly blend this space-saving music powerhouse into any home stereo or theatre system to instantly gain an affordable, yet highly sophisticated streaming solution. You can orchestrate your own personal audiophile retreat in your den or transform your home office into a theatre-grade soundscape by simply pairing the CS1 with your favorite powered speakers. Physically, the CS1 is pure NAD: solidly built and surprisingly weighty for a device that has no amplifier. If you take a close look, you can see why. NAD has used a metal chassis under the plastic skin, and I have no doubt that the internal components are equally robust, even though I can’t see them. A single button with a tiny integrated LED is the only visible physical control (though not the only button, which I’ll get to in a moment). You use it to wake the CS1 if it’s in standby mode or send it into standby mode. I have no idea why this button even exists. Most network streamers take care of their standby modes automatically.