Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I auditioned a few CD players at the time I brought this. It has a really nice tonal quality and plenty of details. The imaging is good and you can clearly tell the positions of the instruments and well as tease each instrument apart. I combined mine with a NAD350 amp and this combination seems to wokr really well - detailed warm and engaging sound. Recommended

Price Paid:  $400.00 from Internet Dealer

Summary:
Well I was happy with this player for a long time. It had nice sound, worked well for a few years of light usage. When it worked, it worked nicely. The HDCD was a plus and it seemed to be built with decent parts. I don't know that I can describe a tonal character to it.. it seemed fairly neutral. It has a crisp sound but certainly not harsh, I suppose it's the typcial British hi-fi sound. The problem is that now it doesn't work. It skips on good CDs. Apparently there is a bad transport on it because I tried the same CDs on a NAD 512 which I bought the 541 to replace. Ironically, the 512 plays discs fine. I don't think I could recommend buying this though, unless you got it dirt cheap and planned to throw it out after a few years. I've had problems with both NAD CD players I've owned now. In hindsight I wish I had gone with Rotel or Cambridge.

Strengths:
Sounds good when it works.

Weaknesses:
Poor durablity.. transport crapped out after a few years of light usage.

Similar Products Used:
NAD, Rotel, Musical Fidelity

Price Paid:  $300.00 from united online

Summary:
I have owned the c-540 now for 3 years and I still love it.I have not had the problems many others have encountered.It produces a clean full bodied sound producing ample clear base,and clear midrange.For the price I paid it was already an older model back then.Also,I have not encountered the cd-r problems others have as well--maybe some are not not "finalizing" the burning process.What really shines with this player are very well recorded cd's--especially,cd-r's--it has fantastic soundstage ! I'll take re-mastered music,run it thru some eq software i use to boost the dynamics of the recordings even more for burnt cd's--this player is very capable of reading and producing the sounds if given the chance.Yes, it's low end by todays standards but thats fine by me cause i'm still rockin with all sorts of music and need nothing more.I guess i'm one of the lucky ones who did not get a lemon and cannot afford any of the high end Arcams,Accuphase etc....makes me curious about the new c-542 model cause this player has decent capacitors and a nice uniform electrical layout.I'm happy with my purchase and thats what it's all about right ! I think lots of folks dislike it due to playing badly recorded cd's and there are plenty out there to be had.If anyone is interested in boosting your cd collection to the next level-check out Goldwave software.

Strengths:
strong base,good midrange,treble is very clear and not distorted

Weaknesses:
sort of a cheap transport one has to be careful with

Similar Products Used:
Denon 1989

Price Paid:  $0.00 from Sound City

Summary:
This review is for the C542. My existing player quit, so I started searching for a reasonbly priced replacement. I had read favorable reviews of the C540i so I started to research NAD products. AudioEnz.com had a nice review of the C542, so I rolled the dice and ordered one. Boy, am I glad that I did. This player is outstanding, especially with a MSRP of $499. The two-channel portion of my system is a Conrad Johnson PV-14 preamp, a Coda/Continuum Stage amplifier, and VonSchweikert VR-4 speakers. I've also spent a considerable sum on cabling (which does make a difference if you have good components). My system is very detailed and the C542 really shines. Normally, a $499 player is reviewed in conjunction with less expensive equipment, so it's hard to know just how good the player would work with my system. I'm not a audio reviewer, but I've been an audio fanatic for over 20 years. (The review on AudioEnz.com was well done, check it out). All I can say is that the player makes the music sound as if the musicians are in my listening room. Everything sounds real. The player is detailed, but not harsh. The soundstage is large and deep with the vocalist centered between the speakers. I think that I would need to spend a lot more money to get a better player.

Strengths:
Sound quality.

Weaknesses:
None at this price.

Similar Products Used:
Arcam Alpha 7, Ultech UCD100, Revox S22, Pioneer DVD-A45i, Technics DVD-A10, misc products from Japan

Price Paid:  $399.00 from Audio Designs, Albuq

Summary:
This review is for the NAD C542 Cd player. Was much anticipated. I read reviews and was interested in a "high end" cd player. I am a tube enthusiast and build much of my own equipment and find it to outperform most of the "High End" pieces that I've had the pleasure of auditioning in local high end shops but never could afford. I am not an electronic engineer however, and a cd player along with it's digital circuitry is WAY beyond my abilities so this is one item I must simply pay for the best of without getting emotional about DIY.
I can't wait to get my "Low Fi" friends to hear this cd player. I have had to argue with them to explain spending a "whopping" $400 on a cd player that they can't understand could possibly be better than even the cheapest cd player out there. "Aren't all cd players the same? Don't they just convert digital to analog?" How can one be better than another?" OH MY GOD. How many times do I have to endure this?
The NAD C542 has met all my expectations of what a high end cd player should be and then some. Does it get better than this regardless of $$? This item will satisfy me for a long time to come. I really think this cd player would be hard to beat as a reference unit, aside from the very most expensive refined units in the world accompanied by the most complementing (end expensive) equipment it would take to reveal it's advantages. AND even then, as my local hi-fi delaer so convincingly explained to me...."after a certain dollar amount it's all about flavors" rather than "improvements".
After my previous cd player...a modified Harman Kardon 5 disc changer...I am convinced that cd can sound very good...as I am a vinyl lover...and the HDCD feature of this unit has allowed me to realize this even furthermore. I CAN hear the benefit of HDCD clearly. I credit this to my system more than the cd player itself. I am fortunate to realize that my 12+ years of tinkering with electronics and audio components has paid off and this NAD C542 is the one component that is the culmination of this realization.
Source signal quality seems to prevail here. Honestly, I wasn't aware that my whole system could sound this good.
Two hours after I purchased this cd player I returned to the store with a couple of cds I listened to on it to compare them on his "High-End" systems and there was no comparison even then. My dealer's $1000+ NHT, Genesis, and Meridian speakers and NAD and Meridian amps did not match the performance of my modified (but still mostly stock) 60's Dynaco ST-70, homemade tube preamp, and homebrew single driver tower array speakers combined with this superb NAD cd player.
Now I am not saying what I have is the best in the world, but I CAN testify that in the realm of "audiophilia" money does not necessarily buy you audio nirvana, in fact it more probably will leave you desiring more.
NAD's C542 is a cd player that will leave you wanting no more unless you are Bill Gates and money is absolutely no object. But so far I can't desire more regardless of $$. If you already have something close to this item, then what is $399 for at least some improvement? The bottom line is that I definitely can't imagine a better sounding cd player for less than THOUSANDS more than what this unit costs.
Keep in mind one note. Not correct to mention in "weaknesses"....took a few hours to "break in". No problem as the more I listened the better it got. Just want to mention this so you dont succumb to disappointment after 5 minutes of listening fresh out of the box.

Strengths:
Detail and accuracy. Superb imaging and soundstage (product of the detail and accuracy). Awesome bass extention AS ADVERTISED, very noticeable. Refined time coherency AS ADVERTISED. Reveals more of my systems' capabilities, positive and negative.

Weaknesses:
ALL COSMETIC. Build quality does not match superior sonics. Remote looks like a generic universal WalMart unit but works great. Does not show time remaining per track. None of these weaknesses affect it's excellent sound quality though, which is the primary aim of this forum. Who cares about these imperfections when it sounds so good?

Similar Products Used:
Modified Harman Kardon FL8400 5 disc changer.
Nakamichi CD Player 3
Vintage first generation Sony CDP-610ES
Many others.