Price Paid:  $840.00 from Audiogon

Summary:
This is actually an S500i which had limited distribution in the USA. It has a different transport than the S500. You can see my review of my modified S500. This unit has also been modified by Reference Audio Mods East. The total modification is around $2000. This brings the total cost to a liitle less than $3000. What did I get for this money?
Well this is probably the best $3000 player in the world. The modification is too extensive to list but includes buffer silver wire transformers on the output. Listened to this unit last night with Triangle Celius and Musical Fidelity 308 integrated. This is not my system but it's a quality set-up. It competition was a MF308CR with their X10-V3 buffer stage.
Not even close to the NAD S500i. We discovered details on CD's that we not there on the MF308CR.
It's a 5 of 5 even though it's not even broken in yet. Jaw-dropping good.
Don't sell your S500 units, modifiy them.

This a reference quailty unit at a bargain price.

Strengths:
Live performance quality. Amazing detail and soundstage. Much improved bass versus my other S500 even with similar modification. Transparent and lightning quick on transients. Great separation on instruments and vocals.

Weaknesses:
Why can NAD make a product this good out of the box?

Cost of modification.

Similar Products Used:
Krell SACD Standard
Levinson 390s
ARCAM FMJ32
Musical Fidelity 308CR/X-10V3
MF A5

Price Paid:  $135.00 from pawn shop

Summary:
I can only agree with most of the reviewers here. The sound this machine makes is really enjoyable. This CD Player replaced a NAD 512. I couldn't say I heard a BIG improvement though...Of course, the S500 is a lot more pretty! The only thing I wanted to add that I don't seem to have found in previous reviews is this: this CD is kinda picky. I mean it won't play some Copy Controled CDs (some remastered Brian Eno's for instance). It won't play double-sided CDs like the latest Franz Ferdinand CD (CD on one side, DVD on the other). But I do have to mention this CD player CAN play scratched CDs without any difficulty. Something all NAD CD Players can NOT be proud of! (BTW, I did pay this S500 $135 CDN! That made my day!)

Strengths:
Plays great. Beautiful. Solid.

Weaknesses:
Kinda picky with some CDs (see review). Ugly remote. To go back to the begining of the track, you have to go back to previous track and then foward...strange!

Similar Products Used:
NAD 512 I guess...

Price Paid:  $720.00 from Audiogon

Summary:
I purchased this Cd player on Audiogon and had the unit modified by Reference Audio East. You can see the total modification and review on their web site.

In short, this is best CD player I have ever heard. Have had shootouts with some of the best CD Players available, this unit tops them all.

To be honest the modifications cost me around $1700 bringing the cost to around $2400 total. Even at that cost ,there is nothing short of at least $10k that is even in it's league.

Live performance quality is the key word here. You can't listen to other Red Book players after you hear this unit. Inner detail is amazing. The soundstage is both big and life-like.
This is no way like the standard S500product since the entire output stage as been replaced by a xformer output buffer stage. The digital output has been disconnected entirely. The power supply has been upgraded and there is silver wire everywhere. The unit has high end RCA's installed.

The best decription of the sound of this player is "live performance". Details sound better on this machine than anything I've heard. Also you hear things you don't hear on any other player.
The bass is excellent and detailed. The string and percussion instruments are life-like. Everytime I listen, it's like a live performance. You can hear the hall or studio like no other player I've ever heard.

The unit runs cool since many circuits are disconnected.
A Class A component. I would recommend this modification to anyone who owns this product.

Other equipment
NAD S100 Preamp (Also modified by RAMEast)
NAD S200 Amp
NAD S400 Tuner
Dynaudio 1.3MK2 (will be modified by RAM East)
Ultima Stands
Monster Power HS500 conditioner.

Strengths:
Cool Running
Live performance sound
Super detail

Weaknesses:
Limited chassis size prevented extended power supply modifications such a new transformer. May use a external PS mod as next step.

Similar Products Used:
MF TriVista CD
Mark Levinson 390S
Audio Research CR3
Sony 9000SACD

Price Paid:  $800.00 from Spearit Sound

Summary:
Follow-up of my former review :
- The model I own is the S500i.
- The high-medium / low treble became better (softer) after changing the cables, from Monster Cable 400-mkII to M550i.
- There is a very small improvement due to "break-in".

Strengths:
See previous review

Weaknesses:
See previous review

Price Paid:  $800.00 from Spearit Sound

Summary:
* A pity that Stereophile doesn't review the best NAD components !
* This CD-player is a bargain now (April 2004), being discontinued and sold at 1/2 price.
* High-end Philips VAM-1250 transport
* Toroidal transformer, discrete class A analog output, superb case, a jewel
* Good but not outstanding sound
* Better sound : Muse Model 2+
* Globally equivalent to : MSB Link DAC, Marantz CD-17-II
* Better than : Musical Fidelity A3.2, Marantz CD-67-IISE, Perreaux ECD2C, Adcom GDA700
* My "Value rating" is for the new price, +-$800

Strengths:
Gorgeous look ; XLR and RCA output ; Extremely well build ; Neutral and detailed

Weaknesses:
No phone output ; No volume control ; high-medium/treble less "clean", more agressive than my beloved Muse Model 2+ DAC

Similar Products Used:
Many DAC and CD-players, see text