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| NAD T743 Home Cinema Receiver |
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|  Average Rating: 3 out of 5 No. of Reviews: 1 RRP: £388.83 Year: 2004 Description: 5 x 50W Simultaneous Minimum Continuous Power into 4 / 8 ohms105W, 145W, 165W IHF Dynamic Power into 8, 4 and 2 ohms, respectively.
Dolby Digital, DTS, ProLogic II, EARS and Enhanced Stereo5 A/V Custom Presets store unique speaker level and tone control settings.
Direct access speaker level adjustment for surround, center and subwoofer.
Stereo BypassNAD Soft Clipping ™6 A/V Inputs, 3 with S-Video, 2 Full Tape Loops.
Component Video, 2 Inputs and 1 Output, HDTV Compatible2 Audio Inputs, 1 Tape Output6 Digital Inputs, 4 Coaxial, 2 TOS Link freely assignable.
5.1 Analogue Input (for DVD-Audio)Speaker A + B switching (Speakers B stereo only)2 x IR Outputs, IR Input2 x 12V Trigger Outputs, 12V Trigger Input.
Preamp Outputs for all 5.1 channels (2 Subwoofers)Amplifier Input for 3 amplifier channels.
RDS FM/AM Tuner with 30 direct access presets.
HTR-2 - 8 Device Illuminated Learning Remote with Macro function
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|  | | Posted: 25/11/05 | | 'GREAT RECEIVER, BUT HAMSTRUNG BY HISS PROBLEM.' | | Strengths:
User Interface
Superb Learning Remote Control
Solid chassis | | Weaknesses:
Hiss/Hum issue in all channels, and via headphones. | | Overall:
I purchased a NAD T743 earlier this year, based upon glowing reviews I had read on the web.
When I got the receiver home, I soon noticed a few problems:
1. Hiss through front speakers. Not audible from listening position.
2. Hiss/Hum through all surround channels. Audible from listening position.
3. Strong hiss through headphones.
Setting the hiss aside, the sounds quality is excellent. With music playing, the hiss is definitely not audible, and it sounds really very nice.
However when watching movies with surround sound, obviously there often quiet periods in the film, and during these periods the hiss/hum from the surround speakers was quite distracting.
The hiss through the headphone jack was so bad I couldn't contemplate listening to headphones with this receiver.
I returned the T743 to the dealer, and they replaced it with another T743 on the spot. They had not heard of such problems before.
Sadly, the replacement T743 suffered from similar problems. Playing around with this unit, I discovered more about the nature of the hiss/hum problem.
Getting the new unit home, I found that the buzz was much improved, however there was still a significant hiss coming from all channels.
When in stereo mode, the hiss was not audible from my listening position.
However, with any surround mode activated, the hiss from all 5 speakers was distractingly audible from the listening position.
The hiss from the front speakers seems to be pure white noise.
The hiss from the effect speakers (centre & surround) was much worse than the front channels. Not only was the hiss louder, but also contains some hum.
I also noticed that doing certain things on the T743 would increase the hum sound. For example, displaying the surround mode on the front panel display would result in a hum for the period that the surround mode was displayed. Seems that the display or attached electronics is producing some interference that is getting into the audio circuitry.
The hum sound was at its worst when a digital input was selected. Analog inputs had considerably cleaner sound. This is sad considering that digital is supposed to eliminate noise/interference issues. It made no difference whether a coax or optical digital source was used. Both were equally poor, indicating issues with the DAC (Digital to Analog Convertor).
All tests were conducted with volume set to -74dB, and no devices connected (except speakers). This hiss does not get louder as the volume is increased. The hiss/hum is also present in all preouts.
(Note: -74dB is the lowest audible volume setting on the T743. The actual lowest setting is -oodB (minus infinity dB), at which setting all hiss stops. Of course, all audio stops too! The hiss does not get louder when the volume is set to normal listening levels.)
For movies with quiet scenes (ie. any movie), the hiss was an annoying distraction.
Listening to headphones with the new unit had similar hiss problem. The headphone hiss is so bad, I wouldn't listen to headphones with the T743.
This hiss/hum sound is not loud, and in many locations might not be noticeable due to ambient noise. However, my home is quiet, and sitting in the middle of 5 speakers hissing during quiet bits in movies, I finally threw in the towel. I decided to return this 2nd unit too.
The salesman at the shop was technically minded, and quite surprised by these problem. He spent some time with me testing the units I returned, and we also tested a T743 in the showroom. This showroom unit also had similar levels of hiss on all channels and on the headphones. Also, a T753 in the showroom also had similar levels of hiss through speakers and headphones.
We tested other brands in the showroom. Sadly NAD stood out as having the only brand having hiss/hum problems.
I am very disappointed to discover this hiss/hum problem, as I otherwise VERY much like NAD AV receivers.
The fit and finish is superb, the simplified feature set exactly what I was looking for. I really appreciate NADs "less is more" approach. I must especially congratulate NAD on the user interface of the T743. The front panel, on screen menus, and *ESPECIALLY* the learning remote control are so very good!
The chassis is well put together, and looks and feels very solid.
The ability to freely associate all video/audio/digital inputs is really handy. Source volume can be set for all inputs so that you are less likely to have to tweak the volume when selecting another input.
A wonderful touch is the ability to name inputs. I used this to name an input "iTunes", and this is displayed on the T743s screen when that source is selected! Otherwise the input would be "AUX1" or something similarly lifeless.
Radio station presets can also be named!
The learning remote control included with the T743 is outstanding. I used it to control every device I own, including TV, DVD, VCR, CD and of course the T743.
Call me mad, but I even like the look of the T743!
Sound quality (hiss/hum set aside) is also excellent. However this hiss problem is serious enough that I decided to purchase another brand at this time.
I hope this hiss/hum noise issue will be solved in the next generation. Until then, I cannot consider purchasing a NAD receiver. I wrote to NAD expressing my concerns, but have not had a reply after many months.
I ended up getting a Denon AVR-2105. It is not particularly good looking, the chassis looks and feels a bit flimsy, the user interface is clumsy, and it has no learning remote. But the sound quality is excellent, and there is absolutely no hiss/hum on any channels or headphones. But this is not the topic of this review! ;-) |
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| | | | Performance | | 40% | | Build | | 80% | | Value | | 60% |
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