Good sound

Reliability

Ditto to some other comments. I'm sure this unit has long been discontinued, so this is really just an opportunity to vent. Bad power relay, lights burning out, IR sensor dead, etc.

Way too many problems for a premium price.

Decent sound

Poor build quality

I purchased the NAD 705 because of NAD's reputation for high quality at a reasonable price. Unfortunately my unit was poorly built.

The NAD 705 does have a nice sound. The amplifier section has enough power for typical, easy to drive speakers. The unit is very light for the power output (40W into 8 ohms) and runs fairly cool. The soft clipping feature does not improve the sound. Use it only if you have teenagers. With both CDs and LPs the NAD 705 sounds very good - not high end - very good. Sometimes it is a little harsh with bright material. The crosstalk between the tuner and CD/phono section is very low (only audible in headphones). The FM tuner section is not spectacular sounding, nor does it do a good job with weak signals. The AM tuner section is better.

The operating controls are a mix of good, bad, and truely ugly. The volume, tone controls, and recording selector have a good solid feel and work very smoothly. The tone controls and balance have center detents. There is no tone control defeat. The various push buttons are cheesy. The source selection push buttons operate relays that occasionally do not close. The programming and use of the tuner presets is completely incomprehensible. The layout of the remote control is average.

If the NAD 705 was well built the unit would be worth the money.

Unfortunately, my unit was not well built. The front panel display has dimmed with time and is now very uneven. The source selection relays occasionally do not close. Most importantly the protection circuit malfunctions on a regular basis. The protection circuit turns on at power up for a couple of seconds then releases so the unit can function. However on my unit, sometimes the protection circuit does not release. While the protection circuit is engaged all control functions are inoperative - including the power switch. To reset the unit the power cord must be pulled from the wall. Sometimes the protection circuit engages after the unit has been in operation for minutes (or hours or days). This is always happens with a resoundingly loud pop. Again the unit must be unplugged to reset it. This problem was repaired while the receiver was under warrantee, but it popped up again a year or so later. Lately the protection circuit malfunctions so often I replaced the receiver with my old Harmon Kardon 430. The HK is over 25 years old. It does not sound a tenth as nice as the NAD, but it still works. An e-mail to NAD did not receive a satisfactory response. I'm not sure if repairs are worth the cost.

Admittedly I got a dog. I doubt ALL of NADs products are this bad. But since Onkyo bought NAD the build quality of NAD components has deteriorated. My NAD 502 CD player that I bought at the same time as the 705 receiver has also declined at the same rate (the track display is totally gone and it mistracks long CDs). A friends NAD 712 receiver is on the scrapheap after three years. My local NAD dealer stopped carrying the line because of reliability problems.

It's too bad. When it's working the NAD 705 does sound very nice and works well.

Similar Products Used:

HK 430

I have this reciever and the NAD 502 cd player I paid alot of money for it thinking i was getting higher quality over other brands such as sony,onkyo ect. but what I got was a headache.I have spent more money replacing light bulbs on this thing than I care to.so I bought a Onkyo TX-SV535 for the same price and it is much better,plus I got good pro-logic with it.Now I'm ready to step up to dolby digital,I think I'll go Sony or Onkyo,BUT NOT NAD,COST WAY TO MUCH.

when it works, doesn't sound half bad

unreliable, poorly built, terribly supported

I was sucked into the NAD 705/502 nightmare several years ago. What an idiot. This stuff is junk. Lights burning out. Switches not working. CDs not tracking. All of the issues cited. Leads me to believe this is more than coindicendce and should be addressed by NAD. But not NAD. Their support is pathetic. Called once to get replacement lamps (out of warranty). Was willing to purchase but was told I would have to order in quantities of 25. Lots of calls later, someone finally sent me a couple sets (unfortunately I recommended others try these products and they did). Another set burned out this week (hence my visit here). Anyone who rewards NAD with their hard-earned money is making a huge mistake. There are plenty of companies making great products and providing superior service if any issues arise - like Arcam or Aragon.

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo, HK

reliable, sounds great

poor reviews?

Im surprised at some of the reviews, as I've never had any problems with the receiver. The sound is warm, dynamic, and best of all, musical. It's better at CDs than the radio, but I believe it's because of the antenna than anything else.

My set was bought from a second hand dealer, and I've been very pleased as I use it in my bedroom as a second set. My first end is an audiolab pre-power combo, which i say just about edges the NAD 705. The source is a Marantz 63KI and Mission 751 speakers.

Guess I may be more fortunate than the rest, and I believe NAD really is value for money. Their 40 Watts (NAD watts!) sounds more pwerful and dynamic than some of the other "high end" amplifiers I've tried over the years. I've had the receiver for close to a year, and will keep it, unlike some of the other brands I had before.

My only advice: trust your ears.

Similar Products Used:

audiolab, marantz, sony, sumo

Can be cannablized for parts

Must be cannablized for parts

I bought this steamer on eBay a couple of weeks ago. When I got it home I hooked it up and saw the "protection" light come on. After searching through an incredibly bad manual I found out what the "protection" light means, I found "NAD proudly announces we have just tapped into your poop-chute". After I popped the cover, I found a blown fuse at the voltage regulator. I replaced it and it blew again. A look in the manual revealed "NAD - We just don't care" At this point I realized the legend about the "protection" light was right.

Now I know some of you are thinking "This jerk got took by the seller and now he's just whining about it". That could be but It seems unlikely he would risk his reputation for 150.00 bucks. After reading this page, ( I found it after doing a search for "lamps" and came up with the results "NAD 705 ... pathetic ..." )I have come to believe the QA tech saw it smoke and said to a colleague "Oh don't worry they all do that". It then lived it's life at deaths door, then it got to my door, and went paws up.

The point is, no product of this retail price should be made this poorly. NAD has no excuse for this crap.

If I could I would run this thing up some engineers 'designed in UK made in Taiwan' "bum".

'Nuf said!

Similar Products Used:

Nothing this bad ever before or ever again

sound quality, price

lights, heat

I've had a number of different receivers over the years made by Sony, Akai, Marantz, and a few I don't remember but under "similar products used" I put "none". The reason I chose to do that was that I don't think any of those other receivers were similar products. This is a far superior receiver to anything I've used before. Prior to purchasing this receiver I had been consumed with the need for big booming power and guided my purchases accordingly. I bought this receiver when I was about to go to university. I knew that wherever I was I would be in relatively confined quarters and I therefore made the decision to opt for sound quality of sound "quantity". My decision was to purchase the NAD 705 and I matched it with B&W DM600's. This is the best sounding combination I have ever owned. I don't use the tuner at all so I cannot comment on that. I have a Rega turntable and I think that the phono stage is very good (but obviously not as good as a separate phono pre-amp). I have had the unit for 5 years now, I've never needed service. I do notice that the unit runs very hot, but it has not caused me any problems, I keep it well vented as a precaution. The front panel lights on my unit have not burnt out, but they have oddly become progressively dimmer over time. Since I don't use the tuner and basically switch back and forth between phono and CD it is not really an issue for me. My recommendation is that this is a good piece for someone looking to fill a small space with quality sound on a relatively small budget... i.e. it is entry-level mid-fi. Reading the review guidelines I see that a five-star rating is to be reserved for "best of class"... I don't suppose that this is the best there is but I have really enjoyed it. I seem to be in the minority but I can only rate it on my experience.

Similar Products Used:

none

Excellent sound quality

Display Lights, overheating

I've had it for 7 odd years and had mostly reliable service.

Like most reviewers here, I have had some problems with display lights (twice when put in storage, or moving house), but 20c globes were easily replaced.

Had it fixed recently, as it stopped completely. The technican basically told me I had cooked it, and he resoldered the entire unit. I now run it with cooling fans in a better cabinet and it has been superbly reliable ever since.

Just upgraded to Tannoy speakers and NAD T550 and the sound quality is outstanding.