A Master Class in Sound and Versatility: NAD Masters M66 BluOs Streaming DAC/Preamplifier Plays High-Res Music, Hooks up to Almost Anything, Includes Room Correction

The most technologically savvy preamplifier in NAD’s 50-year-plus history, the Masters M66 BluOs streaming DAC/preamp is designed to help bring live and studio performances into to your listening room. Complete with a high-resolution multi-room streamer, Dirac Live Room Correction, Dirac Live Bass Control, and all the connectivity most any listener could ever want, it mates with practically any high-end amplifier to give you a foundation you’ll never forget. Consider it an on-tap spring for experiencing massive dynamics, textured bass, tonal accuracy, crystal-clear transparency, and focused imaging. 

Housed in an aluminum chassis that shows off the vivid elegance of the seven-inch touchscreen, M66 provides instant access to more than 20 streaming services as well as the BluOs ecosystem that provides full MQA decoding, whole-home playback potential, and Internet radio access. Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, and integration with home-control platforms by Control4, Creston, ELAN, and more come standard. Ditto voice control commands using Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Siri. M66 also includes two MDC2 (Modular Design Construction) expansion slots that allow you to add new capabilities when they come online — basically making the unit as future-proof as components come.

Such versatility extends to Ethernet and Wi-Fi networking, and an array of inputs and outputs that will satisfy even users with big, complex systems. How’s this for versatility: Two optical and two coaxial S/PDIF inputs; one AES/EBU balanced digital input; two pairs of RCA line-level analog inputs, one pair of XLR balanced inputs; and four balanced and four unbalanced subwoofer outputs complement an HDMI port with eARC support for your TV. What about vinyl LPs? Covered, via an audiophile-grade MM/MC phonostage with RIAA equalization, high overload margins, and an infrasonic filter. Got headphones? Hook ‘em up to the M66’s dedicated headphone amplifier, complete with low-output impedance and high-output voltage capability. 

Inside, things get even more interesting. In addition to harboring ESS SABRE ES9038 PRO SAC and ES9822 PRO ADC chips, M66 is the first component with NAD’s Dynamic Digital Headroom (DDH) circuitry. Once you activate it in your BluOS app, DDH eliminates digital inter-sample peak clipping distortion — leading to benefits particularly noticeable with percussion. Rim shots will sound more impactful but less strident; cymbals will be more realistic and less splashy. M66 also employs a resistor-ladder control circuit for its volume control. Its design reduces thermal and related distortions, and accurately matches left- and right-channel output across the entire volume spectrum.

Need more evidence of M66’s sonic pedigree? Its analog and digital sections are separated and shielded from each other with their own separate power supplies sections. If you prefer, you can activate Analog Direct mode to bypass all digital processing. Separate signal paths for analog and digital sources, vibration-resistant support feet, and defeatable Wi-Fi/Bluetooth circuitry add to the appeal. As does Dirac Live Room Correction and Dirac Live Bass Control. Simply connect the supplied calibrated microphone to the USB port and launch the Dirac Live app, which will. walk you through calibration and generate correction filters that compensate for acoustic problems like standing waves and unwanted reflections. Similarly, Dirac Live Bass Control independently calibrates multiple subwoofers and optimizes subwoofer output in both the frequency and time domains, achieving a seamless blend between your subwoofer(s) and main speakers. 

In every way, M66 is worthy of its Masters badging. Have questions or want to know more about this exceptional component? Call a Music Direct audio consultant at 312-433-0200 and we’ll happily talk you through the feature set and possibilities with your system. 

“To top it off, the M66 supports connection of up to four subwoofers, expertly integrated through Dirac Live Bass Control. This opens the door to a huge sonic performance leap, taking an already fine-sounding DAC/streamer/preamp to another level.”
—EISA Award, 2024-2025, Best Streaming Preamplifier