NAD C 658 BluOS™ network player/preamp/DAC with Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth®

Audio Section
BluOS Enabled
Remote Control

Audio Section

High Resolution Performance: The NAD C 658 BluOS Streaming DAC offers high resolution performance from input to output. It features the ESS Sabre 32-bit DAC, one of the best performing DACs on the market today with its 118dB Dynamic Range and incredibly low jitter spec. All preamp functions are executed in the digital domain including the same wide range non-truncating digital volume control used in their Masters Series components. This offers an incredibly short analog signal path that, rather uniquely, is identical for all volume settings. Sophisticated active power supplies provide super clean voltages to all circuits to keep noise and distortion at the edge of measurability.

• Supported Audio File Formats: MQA, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, ALAC, ACC, MP3, WMA, and OGG
• Native Sampling Rates: up to 32-bit/192kHz
• Bit-Depths: 16 to 24 bit

Dirac Live Room Correction: The C 658 employs Dirac Live Room Correction software that delivers optimized sound quality for your home theater system. The built-in Lite version of the computer software (for Windows or Mac), with the option to upgrade to a full-featured version for $99, measures the acoustic performance of the system within the listening room and optimizes playback performance to provide the most transparent music reproduction possible. The setup process is automated and very simple, giving you the control they need to precisely tune for the best results. With Dirac Live, you can build the perfect listening environment that corrects for both the timing and colorations in sound using the supplied microphone and its powerful computer software.

Tone Control + Analog Bypass: The NAD C 658 lets you adjust Bass (60Hz) & Treble (20kHz) from -7 to +7dB, as well as Balance between the left & right channels (L10 to R10). Analog Bypass mode allows analog signals to remain in the analog domain without analog-to-digital conversion. In Analog Bypass mode, all DSP circuitry is bypassed, but full tone control functions remain active.

Analog Line-Level Inputs: The NAD C 658 offers two analog line-level inputs consisting of stereo RCA jacks. These two analog stereo RCA inputs can accommodate all kinds of analog line-level source components by offering ideal input impedance characteristics with linear ultra-low-noise buffer amplifiers to prevent any sonic degradation caused by inappropriate loading of the source device.

High-Quality MM Phono Input Stage: The NAD C658 includes a high-quality MM phono input stage with precisely accurate RIAA equalization, high overload margins, extremely low noise, and an innovative circuit to suppress infrasonic noise that is present on all LPs - all without affecting bass response.

Optical & Coaxial Digital Input: The NAD C 658 is equipped with two optical (toslink) digital inputs and two coaxial (RCA) digital inputs. These digital inputs will support 2ch PCM audio up to 24-bit/192kHz (not compatible with Dolby Digital/DTS).

USB-A Port: The NAD C 658 is equipped with a rear-panel USB-A port for connection of a USB mass storage class (MSC) device, such as a thumbdrive or external hard-drive (an external hard-drive will require separate AC power). The unit's USB-A port supports playback of a variety of compressed and high-resolution music files stored on a compatible USB MSC device formatted in FAT 32, NTFS, or Linux ext4. Your connected USB MSC device will appear as a local source within the BluOS app on your Apple iOS or Android OS device. Access and playback of music files stored on your connected USB MSC device will be done through the BluOS app.

Bluetooth aptX HD: The NAD C 658 features two-way wireless Bluetooth capability that is powered by aptX HD for the highest possible sound quality available. aptX HD supports 48kHz/24-bit LPCM audio over a Bluetooth wireless connection for a "better-than-CD" listening experience. The C 685 can act as a Bluetooth Receiver or Bluetooth Transmitter (but not both at the same time). The Bluetooth Receiver and Transmitter modes are only accessible via the BluOS App. You can pair multiple devices with the BluOS Streaming DAC, but only one device can be connected and used at a time (the BluOS Controller app must be used for pairing). The NAD C 658 has a Bluetooth wireless range of approximately 33'.

• Receiver Mode: In Receiver mode, you can wirelessly stream stored music and music apps from your smartphones, tablets and laptops to the NAD C 658. You can control basic playback functions (Play/Pause & Previous/Next Track) from the included remote, but your Bluetooth source device will have to be used for more advanced music navigation. The C 658 does not display song/artist/album information. However, you can view song/artist information and album art from the BluOS app on your Apple iOS or Android device.
• Transmitter (Headphone) Mode: In Transmitter mode, you can wirelessly stream analog & digital inputs of the C 658 and BluOS network content to a set of Bluetooth enabled headphones (only one set of headphones can be connected at a time). Because the NAD C 658 does not support Receiver & Transmitter mode simultaneously, you cannot listen to a Bluetooth audio streaming source on a set of Bluetooth headphones through the C 658. There is no audio output from the C 658's preamp or headphone outputs when the unit is wirelessly streaming to a set of Bluetooth headphones.

Balanced & Unbalanced Preamp Outputs: The NAD C 658 BluOS Streaming DAC offers both Balanced (XLR) and Unbalanced (RCA) preamp outputs to connect to your power amplifier. Balanced connections guard against induced noise and allow long cable runs without compromising sound quality. The preamp outputs can be set to Variable or Fixed.

• Variable: The volume level of the NAD C 658 is controlled from the BluOS Streaming DAC's front-panel volume know or the included remote control.
• Fixed: The output level is fixed and the C 658's volume control is bypassed. This feature is sometimes referred to as "Cinema Bypass" because it allows the C 658 to be used for the front channels of a surround sound system by relegating the volume control function to a surround processor.

Dual Sub Outputs: The NAD C 658 is equipped with two discrete mono-RCA sub outputs to connect up to two powered subwoofers.

High Current Dedicated Headphone Amplifier: The NAD C 658 incorporates a discrete headphone amplifier with low output impedance and very high output voltage capability, enough to drive even high impedance studio monitor headphones. Connecting a set of headphone to unit's front-panel 1/4" jack will mute the preamp outputs. Volume, tone, and balance controls are all operable during headphone listening.

Modular Design Construction (MDC): The C 658 incorporates a unique feature called Modular Design Construction that is exclusive to NAD. With MDC, all major digital circuits can be upgraded and replaced to keep the unit forever young and capable. This NAD innovation is a unique architecture that keeps pace with the fast-changing world of technology. With MDC, the ability to easily upgrade a component to include future digital formats is totally unique and unprecedented. Though installation and setup of any MDC module is straightforward, you are encouraged to have this upgrade professionally installed by their authorized NAD dealer. The C 658 comes with two MDC slots for future expansion.

• Optional HDMI Module: The optional HDM-2 MDC module (sold separately) adds HDMI audio/video switching capability to the C 658 with three HDMI input terminals and one HDMI output. It supports 4K@60 4:4:4, HDR10, and is HDCP 2.2 compliant. With MDC HDM-2 installed, C 658 supports HDMI Control (CEC) and Audio Return Channel (ARC) functions. Both functions are possible if external devices that also support both features are connected to the C 658 via HDMI connection

BluOS Enabled

Wired or Wireless Network Connection: The NAD C 658 can connect to your home network and Internet provider via a hardwired Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45) jack connector or wireless WiFi (802.11 b/g/n) connection. Either network/internet connection allows you to stream music from internet radio, select online music services and stored music libraries on your network using BluOS.

BluOS Wireless High-Resolution Multiroom Audio: The NAD C 658 is part of the BluOS wireless high-resolution multiroom audio eco-system - consisting of powered speakers, soundbar speakers, amplifiers, players, and hard-drives. The BluOS wireless high-resolution multiroom audio ecosystem uses your home's wired or wireless network to connect multiple Bluesound products and play your music in perfect sync, or different music simultaneously, anywhere in your home. BluOS can wirelessly transmit lossless music up to 24-bit/192kHz at ultra-fast speeds with no lag and zero loss in sound quality.

• Compatible Multiroom Audio Sources: The following audio sources can be used for multiroom audio playback - internet radio (including TuneIn & iHeart Radio); online music services (including Tidal, Spotify, Amazon, Deezer, Slacker, and Napster); Bluetooth & USB audio, music libraries (from computers and NAS drives); and Aux inputs (analog or digital).
• Number of BluOS Zones: Up to 16 Bluesound devices can be connected in a strictly wireless environment. Demonstrated practice has shown that you can create up to 8 groups of 8 Bluesound devices or 4 groups of 16 Bluesound devices. If you want to connect more than 16 Bluesound devices, you will need to connect the Bluesound devices to your network using a wired connection. BluOS can then control up to 64 devices in a strictly wired environment.

High Resolution Audio: High-resolution audio tracks are either 24-bit/96kHz or 24-bit/192kHz, and contain up to 6.5x more data than standard CDs, letting you hear all the detail of your favorite music in superior quality. With full support for hi-res audio, you can stream WAV, FLAC, ALAC, AIFF, WMA-Lossless, MQA music files over your home's WiFi network or directly from a connected USB mass storage class device. Bluesound also supports compressed music files such as MP3, AAC, WMA and OGG. Bluesound has been designed to work with today's larger music collections, and has indexed libraries up to 200,000 songs in demonstrated practice (this will depend on the music's metadata & artwork). Bluesound also offers gapless playback by default for all supported file music types.

Master Quality Authenticated (MQA): The NAD C 658 will playback and decodes MQA content from BluOS network audio sources. Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) is a revolutionary end-to-end technology built into the NAD C 658 that captures and delivers master quality audio. The C 658 includes a powerful decoder and audio renderer for the MQA system. This ensures that MQA-encoded audio files sound exactly like the source. MQA indicators are both shown on the front-panel display of the BluOS Streaming DAC and in the BluOS app on your compatible Apple iOS or Android OS device.

Online Music Services: Many popular music streaming services and internet radio apps are built right into BluOS, giving you an all-access pass to millions of songs and the freedom to listen to everything you want to hear. Using the BluOS Controller app, you can instantly discover and enjoy millions of songs from your existing music services, tune in to your favorite internet radio stations and podcasts from around the world, or access and listen to the music collections stored on your smartphone, tablet or laptop on any and Bluesound in your home. Subscription and purchase fees will apply to online music services.

• Amazon Music: Listen to millions of songs, thousands of playlists, and ad-free personalized stations with Amazon Prime & Unlimited Music. With the addition of Amazon Music HD, you will now be able to play Ultra HD music (24-bit/48kHz to 192kHz) on supported Bluesound devices from the BluOs App when choosing Amazon Music. An Amazon Music (Prime, Unlimited, or HD) subscription will be required
• Spotify Connect: If you subscribe to a free or paid Spotify subscription and have the Spotify App on your Apple iOS or Android smartphone, you can stream Spotify to the Bluesound system using Spotify Connect. Spotify is a digital music service that gives you on-demand access to one of the largest music libraries in the world (over 15 million tracks and counting). Spotify makes it easier than ever to discover, manage, and share music with your friends. You can browse music by artist, album, track, or most popular; and create your own music library with customized playlists.
• TIDAL Connect: The integration of Tidal Connect will enable Tidal users to instantly select and wirelessly stream music to the Bluesound device from within the Tidal app (for Apple iOS and Android OS). TIDAL is a global streaming service that offers over 30 million songs in high-fidelity CD sound quality. TIDAL has two pricing tiers; either $9.99 or $19.99 a month. Both pricing levels allow you to access TIDAL's entire music library. The $19.99 tier has the added benefit of high-fidelity sound at CD-level quality.
• Qobuz: Qobuz offers the biggest catalog of Hi-Fi and Hi-Res albums in the world, both for new releases and specialized genres. For hundreds of thousands of albums, Qobuz includes all the information you need to recreate the appeal of a real CD - the names of musicians, producers, lyrics (everything you need to know to appreciate your favorite albums).  Qobuz offers MP3, CD, and Hi-Res quality subscriptions.
• SiriusXM: SiriusXM Internet Radio is accessible through the BluOS app and lets you listen to over 120 channels of commercial-free music, talk radio, news, sports, entertainment, and more. Subscription fees will apply.
• TuneIn: The Bluesound system includes access to more than 70,000 free internet radio streams from all corners of the globe via the TuneIn internet radio service. Just select the TuneIn logo from the main Music menu and browse among the 70,000 stations neatly organized into popular categories and select a station that appeals to your mood.
• iHeart Radio: iHeart Radio is a free, all-in-one digital radio and music streaming service that lets you listen to thousands of live stations from across the country and allows you to create personalized custom stations featuring songs from the artist you select and similar music.
• Napster: Napster is a streaming music subscription service (starting a $10 per month) that allows you to play the full-length songs you choose on demand from a collection of over 10 million songs, without ads and without having to purchase or download the music.
• Slacker: Get the sound quality that you deserve with the new Slacker music library available in high-quality AAC audio on Bluesound. Listen to music streams at a bitrate of 320kbps and enjoy all your favorite Slacker stations in pristine MP3-quality.
• Deezer: Deezer lets you explore over 53 million tracks (and counting), and discover artists and tracks you'll love with personalized recommendations from the Deezer Editors. Bluesound even supports Deezer HiFi for lossless quality ($19.99 per month).
• Other Services: Other online music services include HighResAudio, Murfie, JUKE, KKBox, SoundMachine, and more.

Computer Audio: BluOS lets you easily connect and share your music collection from a computer or network-attached storage drive and access up to 200,000 tracks for wireless streaming. The BluOS wireless music system will pull music from an existing digital music library across the network on your Windows PC, Mac computer, or NAS drive using Windows or SMB File Sharing (SAMBA) and the BluOS Controller app for Windows (XP-up) & Mac (OS X 10.7-up). However, File Sharing is not enabled by default on Windows or Mac. You will have to manually alter these settings in your computer's menu system.

AirPlay 2: The C 658 will support AirPlay 2 through an available firmware update. With AirPlay 2, you'll be able to stream just about any sound (including music, books, podcasts and more) from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac to the Bluesound system - all in sync. You can even watch movies and videos from Netlfix or YouTube on your Apple device while streaming the audio through to the Bluesound system. AirPlay 2 also gives you more options for control, including using Siri voice assistance.  If you are an Apple Music subscriber and add the M10 to the Apple Home App on your iPhone or iPad, you can use your iOS device or HomePod to say things like - "Hey Siri, play jazz in the Living Room" or "Hey Siri, turn up the volume in the Kitchen." You can even group Gen 2i Bluesound products with older Bluesound products in the BluOS App to add AirPlay 2 compatibility to your entire BluOS system.

Roon Ready: Roon Ready network devices (such as Bluesound and NAD) have Roon's streaming technology built-in, and are certified by Roon Labs to provide the highest level of quality and performance in network streaming. Roon is a feature rich music library and playback application that compiles all the music files available to your network and makes them easily available to play across all other Roon enabled audio devices in your home. Roon manages digital music files (including FLAC, WAV, AIFF, ALAC, DSD, and MQA) collected on hard drives and networked storage. It can also watch your iTunes library, and optionally integrate with the Tidal and Qobuz music streaming services. Roon is available for mobile, laptop or desktop devices. When you open the Roon app, it will display your complete audio library together with its metadata and artwork along with all the Roon enabled devices around your house. Simply select the music you wish to play and the Bluesound product or other Roon device in which you want to hear it on.

Remote Control

BluOS Controller App: The free BluOS Controller app (for Apple iOS 9.3-up, Android OS 4.1-up, Windows XP-up, and Mac OS X 10.7-up) turns your mobile device or computer into a full-featured wireless remote control for the NAD C 658 and the BluOS wireless multiroom audio system. The BluOS Controller app on your compatible device uses your home's WiFi network to connect with Bluesound devices, so you can play all the music you love anywhere in your home for a wireless multiroom music experience. Get on-demand access to your music libraries on your home network, stream live Internet radio from almost any place in the world, or listen to one of the many music services available on Bluesound, all from the palm of your hand with the easy-to-use BluOS Controller app.

• Multiroom Audio: Play a different song at the same time in different rooms, or group all your BluOS enabled devices together and listen to your favorite music in perfect sync throughout your home.
• Now Playing Screen: Control your music and adjust the volume in any room, get rich album artwork and detailed artist info, right from the Now Playing screen. Even check what quality you are streaming at to ensure the best possible listening experience.
• Individual Songs & Playlists: Tap a song and have it play instantly, or create and edit playlists on the fly by simply adding songs or entire albums to the play queue. Playlists can then be saved inside the app and listened to at any time.

Alexa & Google Assistant Voice Control: The NAD C 658 will support Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice control through an over-the-network firmware update (now available). Using an Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant enabled device (sold separately - see Accessories Tab), you can use your voice to access your music libraries on your local network, select presets from online music services, control music playback functions such as Play/Pause/Skip, adjust volume levels, play music in different rooms, and even group rooms together. Each Alexa voice command will need to start with the phrase "Alexa or Google, ask Blue Voice to" or "Alexa or Google, tell Blue Voice to". Alexa and Google Skills for BluOS will need to be setup through the Amazon Alexa app (for Apple iOS 11.0+ or Android OS 4.4+) or the Google Home App (for Apple iOS 11.0+ and Android OS 5.0+ ).

• The Bluesound device does not feature a built-in microphone and requires a separate Alexa or Google Assistant enabled device (sold separately - see Accessories tab) for voice control.
• Click here for more information regarding Alexa setup and voice commands. Clich here for more information regarding Google Assistant setup and voice commands.

IR Remote: The included IR remote control handles the key functions of the NAD C 658, and provides basic playback function for BluOS network content and Bluetooth audio streaming. The IR remote can also be used to directly command other NAD products that respond to applicable common remote control codes. This includes NAD Stereo Receivers, Integrated Amplifiers, and Preamplifiers. It has additional controls to remotely operate NAD CD Players and AM/FM Tuners. It will operate up to a distance of 23'. The remote requires two "AA" alkaline batteries (included).

12V Trigger In/Out: The +12V trigger output lets you turn on/off another device along with the NAD C 658. The BluOS Streaming DAC can also be turned on/off by another device using the +12V trigger input. The units' +12V trigger input and output consists of female 3.5mm jacks.

IR In/Out: The IR input is used to control the NAD C 658 using an optional infrared repeater system (sold separately) or the IR output of another component. The C 658's IR output can be used for control of another NAD component. The units' IR input and output consists of female 3.5mm jacks.

Auto Standby w/ Auto Sense: The NAD C658 BluOS Streaming DAC can be setup to automatically go into standby mode if there is no user interface interaction and no active source input for 20 minutes. The Auto Sense feature enables the C 658 to wake up from standby mode when triggered by a network source or active source input. Auto Standby must be set to "On" for the Auto Sense feature to work.