{"id":4985,"date":"2026-03-05T10:43:29","date_gmt":"2026-03-05T09:43:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/?p=4985"},"modified":"2026-02-22T10:48:23","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T09:48:23","slug":"nad-m23","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/en\/tests\/types\/amplifier\/nad-m23\/","title":{"rendered":"NAD M23"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With the NAD M23, the brand offers an amplifier with prodigious power in a compact package with an attractive design. To achieve such performance, the Canadian manufacturer opted several months ago to use the new Eigentakt circuits developed by Purifi Audio.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Class D digital amplification has long suffered from a reputation for overly bright sound reproduction. However, its ability to handle the highest power levels with excellent efficiency remains one of its major strengths. This unique feature allows it to drive even the most difficult speakers with an iron fist. NAD, for its part, found that the perceived aggressiveness of digital sound was mainly due to residual harmonic distortion, intermodulation, and even residual noise. To completely eliminate these undesirable effects, NAD equipped the M23 with Purifi modules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This third generation of digital amplification virtually eliminates harmonic and intermodulation distortion. It also guarantees a particularly low level of background noise, rendering it inaudible. The micro-details contained in the sound message can thus be fully expressed without being drowned out by an acoustic haze that renders them undetectable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Class D Eigentakt configuration design<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To illustrate this point, the M23’s power stages operate in Class D and therefore in an Eigentakt configuration. They are very generously sized. Capable of delivering more than 200 W per channel into 8 ohms, they offer exceptional performance, particularly in terms of frequency response. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is perfectly linear across the entire audible spectrum with a maximum deviation of less than \u00b10.3 dB between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz, even when driving \u201cdemanding\u201d speakers. This linearity is also linked to the M23’s very low output impedance. This gives it a damping factor of over 800, which allows it to effectively tame the most rebellious configurations in all circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An ultra-responsive switching power supply<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

However, the power supply also affects the behavior of an amplifier and can even be its Achilles heel. Manufacturers often prefer to opt for traditional power supply circuits with proven technology, based on a heavy transformer combined with very high-capacity capacitors. Here too, NAD dares to innovate by equipping the M23 with a switching power supply. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to being much less expensive\u2014and, above all, much lighter\u2014than conventional power supplies, it is highly responsive to current demands and allows the M23 to remain stable in all circumstances and deliver extremely low distortion while ensuring excellent damping factor. These are three conditions that many power amplifiers struggle to meet simultaneously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A powerhouse in bridge mode<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Finally, the M23 is designed to fit into the most prestigious installations. To this end, its connectors feature XLR sockets on its inputs. However, it remains compatible with more modest environments thanks to the presence of unbalanced inputs on RCA sockets. Finally, a set of mini-switches allows you to adjust its gain or even operate it in bridge mode. It then transforms into a monstrous mono power block capable of delivering 700 W continuously under 8 ohms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE SOUND OF THE NAD M23<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The M23 is equipped with tapered feet that can be used as is or with the concave cups provided to prevent damage to the surface on which you place it. It is a stereo power amplifier that can be bridged to mono. It can therefore be used in a wide range of different configurations. But unless you have particularly power-hungry speakers, a single stereo amplifier is more than enough in most cases. Be careful with the mains phase; it is very sensitive to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE SETUP OF THE NAD M23<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We have been using a power amplifier equipped with Purifi’s Eigentakt circuit for several months now, so we were not surprised when we discovered the sound of the M23. This circuit is the third generation of Bruno Putzeys’ work on class D, after the UcD circuit at Philips and the Ncore at Hypex. What strikes you most from the very first notes is the silence of its operation and the clarity of the sound. We could challenge many audiophiles, in a blind listening test, to determine the class of this amplifier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything that could fuel controversy about Class D seems to have disappeared here. There is not the slightest trace of harshness; the sound is consistently astonishingly smooth. The timbres are particularly natural, neither warm nor cold, but just right. You only need to listen to most acoustic instruments or voices to understand that the M23 does not cheat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dynamic response is particularly effective. The difference between the softest and loudest sounds is bridged extremely quickly. This particularly effective responsiveness also contributes to the great smoothness of the M23’s sound reproduction. The absence of confusion or approximation guarantees flawless melodic tracking. The rhythm never falters; on the contrary, it is maintained with excellent control even at sound levels that would be considered excessive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the M23’s greatest virtues is its ability to reproduce the sound stage with a high degree of accuracy. Each new musical track corresponds to a very specific sound environment, with precise coordinates, adequate volume, and perfect gradation of sound planes. When listening, you can really perceive the atmosphere of the recording location, its structure, and its personality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the very limit, if we had to make a criticism, and even then it would be no more than a remark, we could say that the M23, like all Purifi-based amplifiers, is unconditionally neutral. And since, when it comes to amplification, we have always been surrounded by, and even seduced by, a certain amount of coloration, we may be a little disoriented when listening to a device that remains astonishingly straightforward. This inevitably makes us reflect on our relationship with neutrality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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OUR CONCLUSION<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you are looking for a virtually limitless power amplifier capable of offering you the maximum possible neutrality at this price point, look no further, you have found it! Not only is the M23 very well made, offering unprecedented power for its price and a range of adaptability to suit a wide variety of configurations, it is also built by one of the leading names in contemporary audio, giving it a kind of imprescriptible guarantee. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

More generally, we have seen considerable progress in Class D amplifiers over the last ten years. Considering that the best of them now offer sound performance roughly equivalent to their Class A and A\/B counterparts, while consuming infinitely less electricity, the hierarchy is bound to change. But as in hi-fi, more than in many other disciplines, it’s all a matter of taste, so it’s essential to listen carefully before making your decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Author(s):<\/strong> Est\u00e8ve Fabry and Laurent Thorin<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technical Sheet: ifi Audio Neo Stream<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n