Archive: NAD 502

NAD's nifty 502

By Andrew Fox

June 2005 (originally appeared June 1993)

NAD 502 CD player. $649 in 1993.

Towards the end of last year a new series of NAD models began appearing featuring updated styling and improved performance. The 502 CD player is the first digital product of this series and replaces both the 5420/5425 as NAD's budget CD player.

Simple minds

The 502 ($649) is no exception to NAD's no frills approach. The front panel design is outwardly similar to previous efforts but looks more modern. With 11 buttons there is plenty of clear space to make learning the layout a breeze. Functions offered are the basics only, such as play, stop, scan and skip but you do get programming (up to 21 tracks) as well.

For all seasons

Musically pleasing is what my notes said about the 502 after the first couple of hours of listening. The first impression is one of good rhythmic integrity. The music bounces along happily and doesn't drag. Group performances through the 502 had spirit and enterprise though at times the performers didn't quite gel together as they should have. Oscar Peterson's We Get Requests sounded vibrant yet the essence of many tracks wasn't there. The 502 glossed over some of the interplay and musicianship that makes this album such a classic.

The NAD fared far better with albums like Magical Ring from Clannad and Christy Moore's Smoke and Strong Whisky. The slower tempo and simpler arrangements allowed the 502 to display its talents more fully.

Particularly on the Clannad album the 502 showed an ability to capture acoustic space and place it correctly. This album can sound quite 'wrong' if a player goes overboard on trying to capture the feeling of the music. The 502 managed to maintain the balance between atmosphere and music.

Tapestry

Tonally the 502 showed a slight richness in colour. Instrumental and vocal detail gained added warmth without becoming rose tinted in texture. This sort of character allowed the 502 to make those albums with a thinner balance sound quite pleasant.

The lower frequencies of the 502 have a fruity and rounded character that is easy on the ears but can obscure instrumental detail.

The 502 recovered its fair share of detail but left you expecting more. You got the impression that this player was subtly rounding the edges off images.

Court and spark  

The 502 gave a good account of itself when interpreting musical dynamics. The transition between soft and loud is wide enough for you to sit up and take notice if you were dozing off! I'd put a lot of this player's vibrant nature down to its ability to trace dynamic swings within the music.

At the other end of the frequency range there wasn't the shear extension that other players offer yet the NAD's biggest advantage in this department is that it won't cause listener fatigue either. There is enough life to support music containing lots of high frequency information but the character of the treble means you miss the last few ounces of air and detail.

Body and soul

The NAD's tonal signature helps to give images a real sense of body and purpose. No way could you accuse this player of sounding thin. The body gives images character and in turn leads the listener to believe in the music that little bit more. I must admit that the 502 did, after a while, make me ignore the effect it was having on the incoming signal. You can sit back and relax to the music it delivers even though this music has its own sonic flavour.

Sound Advice

NAD's 502 will appeal to all manner of listeners but primarily to those who aren't too worried about the last ounce of every minor audiophiliac category being present. Its price and simplicity add to its sonic virtues and for me, represent the icing on the cake. Definitely worth a listen.