AV Receiver Reviews

Bottom Line

“More of what you want and less of what you don’t.” That might have been NAD’s credo in designing the T757, and it’s one I can subscribe to with considerable enthusiasm. The T757’s audio performance was entirely above reproach, and its “hands off the video” philosophy will serve most contemporary systems just fine. This refined receiver’s price is not insubstantial, but then again neither is its performance.

Test Bench

Dolby Digital Performance

All data were obtained from various test DVDs using 16-bit dithered test signals, which set limits on measured distortion and noise performance. Reference input level is –20 dBFS, and reference output is 1 watt into 8 ohms. Volume setting for reference level was –5. All level trims at zero; except for subwoofer-related tests, all speakers were set to Large, and subwoofer On. All are worst-case figures where applicable.

Output at clipping (1 kHz into 8/4 ohms)

1 channel driven: 141/211 W (21.5/23.2 dBW)

5 channels driven (8 ohms): 88 W (19.4 dBW)

7 channels driven (8 ohms): 75 W (18.8 dBW)

Distortion at 1 watt (THD+N, 1 kHz)

• 8/4 ohms: 0.07/0.07%

Noise level (A-wtd): –73.4 dB

Excess noise (with sine tone)

• 16-bit (EN16): 1.9 dB

Frequency response: 20 Hz to 20 kHz +0, –0.8 dB

Stereo Performance, Analog Input

Reference input and output level is 200 mV; volume setting for reference output level was –6.

Distortion (THD+N, 1 kHz, 8 ohms): 0.05%

Noise level (A-wtd): –89.1

Frequency response: <10 Hz to 140 kHz +0, –3 dB

Stereo Performance, Digital Input

Reference level is –20 dBFS; all level trims at zero. Volume setting for reference level was –6.

Output at clipping (1 kHz, 8/4 ohms, both channels driven): 119/178 W (20.8/22.5 dBW)

Distortion at reference level: 0.07%

Linearity error (at –90 dBFS): see notes

Noise level (A-wtd): –73.1 dB (see notes)

• with 96-kHz/24-bit signals: see notes

Excess noise (with/without sine tone)

• 16-bit (EN16): 2.2/2.2 dB

• quasi-20-bit (EN20): 19.1/17.8 dB

Noise modulation: 2.4 dB

Frequency response: <10 Hz to 20 kHz +0, –0.9 dB

• with 96-kHz/24-bit signals: +0, –5.8 dB at 44.1 kHz

Bass-Management Performance

Measured results obtained with Dolby Digital test signals.

Subwoofer-output frequency response (crossover set to 80 Hz): 18 dB/octave above –6-dB rolloff point of 83 Hz

High-pass-filter frequency response (crossover set to 80 Hz): 12 dB/octave below –3-dB rolloff point of 80 Hz

Maximum unclipped subwoofer output (trim at 0): 5.8v

Subwoofer distortion (from 6-channel, 30-Hz, 0-dBFS signal; subwoofer trim set to 0): 0.02%

Crossover consistency: bass crossover frequency and slope were consistent for all sources and formats

Speaker size selection: all channels can be set to “small”

Speaker-distance compensation: available for all main channels.