The "Official" NAD T 747 Owner's Thread - Page 4

My bad was that I try to stream calibration dvd from my Mac. When I burned it (calibration dvd) and play it on Ps3 everything was alright. Now I am more than satisfed with picture quality from 747.

The problem was my weak LCD panel.

Here is NAD support message:

"Dear Kacper,

Thank you for your inquiry on the T747 unit.

There is no way to bypass the video processing in the T747. However, you may consider connecting all sources in a external switcher and then to the display. Allowing the T747 to only reproduce audio functions.

I hope this is helpful,

Kind regards,

Pam Anderson
(mw)"



Many thanks DrBonbi.

Thanks, that's exactly what I wanted to hear. My high-resolution music is all 2.0, either from FLAC downloads or from the 2.0 DSD section of SACDs, except of course for movie soundtracks which I let the player downmix to 2.0.

The only problem I have now with going with the T747 is that I have five sources going into my HDMI switch and the T747 has only four HDMI inputs. I'd have to "demote" one source to component video, probably my HD DVD player because it doesn't get used very much.

From reading the manual, it looks like I can define a "Source" that takes (for example) the video from my DVR and the audio from my Apple TV, so I can watch TV while listening to music streamed from my Mac. I do this a lot for stuff like sports.

I'll think about it a few more days and then make up my mind.

The high resolution thing (and SACD) is not my area of expertise but from my one test it appears not to be a problem. I do know the T747 does not decode DSD directly but I'm assuming you know that and that your player will output (L)PCM over HDMI. Should work.

As for the audio source & video source being determined "separately" for a given input - that has not been entirely correct in my experiments. Unless I'm doing something wrong I have been unable to combine the HDMI audio from one source with the HDMI video of a second source.

For example, when I set up a new input (say Input 5) as Video=HDMI1 it will not let me assign Audio=HDMI2. It will let me combine any Optical, Coaxial, or Analog audio with any HDMI video however. Video=HDMI1 can be combined with Audio=Optical2 for instance.

I'm not entirely sure why this restriction would exist or what other receivers / processors have similar. I do know my HK would not let me do any form of combination - but my Outlaw processor will allow me to do all forms of mixing. I'm working from memory here but I seem to recall that Pioneer won't allow complete mixing either. My only thought might be that it has something to do with the ever more complicated and changing HDMI bandwidth utilization (ie: 2nd audio channel bandwidth preventing 7.1 or above LPCM)issues. Then again, there's the whole HDMI 1,2,3a,3b,4a issues also. Maybe it's just too complicated to let HDMI audio & video act as separate "agents" so to speak.

Anyway, it seems that HDMI video + and Optical/Coax (or opposite) can be done. I suppose you could run your TV video on component and combine that with your FLAC HDMI audio. I haven't tried that exact combination but just let me know if you want me to verify it.

Marty

That would work for the Apple TV but not for the Blu-ray... can't do SACD over optical or coax (general restriction). Hmmm.

I know, it's sort of a bummer for you. For me it's manageable because all my FLAC is normal rez and I do like to listen to music while having news or sports on the video. It seems common to me but I haven't run across many who demand it and I'm in quite a few forums. If you do decide to shop around I believe you will find very few receivers that allow unlimited cross-mixing. I do plan on testing a little more in the next day or so as the quick test I did this morning was in response to your question so wasn't completely thorough. I do know that every time I changed the HDMI Audio, the HDMI Video immediately changed to match it so I'm pretty sure it's not going to happen. Sorry.

jt,

Just a quick note, you can assign HDMI video coupled with the multi-channel analog inputs (7.1) also. Not sure it makes any difference in your situation but the 747 appears to treat the 8 analog input jacks as a "single input source".

Thanks for all the input everyone.

Would I be on the right track to ignore a receivers video capabilities and concentrate on its audio/amplifier section , because I have a new OPPO BDP-93 ?

I figure I can use HDMI port 1 for the TV and use HDMI port 2 or the 7.1 pre-outs for the receiver.
Furthermore , since the OPPO is supposed to be this badass decoding/processing machine , why would I want the reciever to possibly attempt to muck things up after the OPPO just worked its magic?

Thats why I have been looking harder at the NAD , even though it is a bit pricier than the others I have looked at. (Pioneer 1120 being my fav of the others) I've always desired an amp section that is a bit above the norm .... Haven't been able to afford it till now.

By the way , I'll be powering a vintage set of Polk Monitor 10B's currently. Looking at going to some RTiA 3 bookshelfs for the WAF soon. (Wife Appeciation Factor).
Wishing for the RTiA 9's someday.

Audio Advisor has a great price for the NAD T747 right now.

I could hook up 2ch analog audio between the Blu-ray and the T747, in addition to the HDMI. Both outputs are always active on the player. Then when I'm just listening to an SACD, use the HDMI alone (just like when watching a movie) to give me the highest quality audio along with the player's on-screen display. When I'm watching TV with an SACD as background music (in which case I'm not listening as closely), use the HDMI from the DVR for the video, and the analog audio from the Blu-ray.

I'd better work out a list of input and source assignments, to make sure that the T747 can accommodate all the combinations of devices that I want to use...

I know when I began looking at a replacement for my HK it was the video versus audio (or both) question that kept leading me astray. The Pioneer 1120 did make the short list just because of the ton of features. I've owned Pioneer before and two years ago I played around with the Pioneer 1019 for several weeks. My personal opinion was that the sound was a little on the "thin" side and lacked the dynamics I'm used to. The Elite line seemed a lot better. I have not played with the 1120 but the reviews do seem good. My finalists were the Marantz 6005/7005 which seemed to be (on paper at least) a good compromise between A & V. Anyway, found out the video can't be turned off completely on the Marantz either, and the huge prices drop on the NAD swung me back to "getting the audio right". My BR and media players already do networking, Internet radio, etc. so a lot of the features just were not needed. Obviously this is an individual question and not a one-size fits all thing.

Having the OPO-BDP93 (drooling right now) does give you a lot of options. The Marvell Kyoto-G2 video processing is 1st class and the Dual-HDMI if live at the same time should remove the video consideration from the NAD.

I did read a NAD Technical Support response on the NAD Facebook page to the video processing question and it agrees with what Dana said. The NAD strips off HDMI audio & does conversion of HDMI video to match the output display resolution. If the input resolution (say 1080p)is already at the required output resolution (1080p also) and Video Processing is turned off - the NAD will not process the video but simply pass it through. If that's the case (no reason to doubt it), a 1080p output from the Marvell chip in the OPO should not be touched by the NAD.

I'm a big fan of the vintage Polk's and have a pair of SDA 1C's. The 10B's should sound great with whatever you decide.

Yeah , I saw your earlier post when you mentioned your SDA's so I thought I'd throw that out there.
The 10B's do have a great sound , but I have always read how a good power supply (amp) really makes good speakers "sing" , thats why I am really looking into the NAD again. Just one of those things I have always wanted , a good amp section , and the more I read about NAD's "keep it simple and maintain high quality sound" philosophy the more this receiver agrees with me.
Thats about how I roll ... I just need the receiver to peform the surround process well and give me the best sound I can afford.

again , thanks for all the info.

Here's what I've come up with. It turns out that 10 sources on the T747 are just barely enough, because I have two HD DVRs that I want to watch TV on and be able to substitute audio from my Apple TV or my Blu-ray player as I described previously. Although the TV has only one HDMI input, it does have two component-video inputs, which helps.

Are there any problems that I can't see yet, with this setup?

Heard the 747 today with Psb image 5.1 setup... Loved the beautiful warm yet detailed sound

Is it true that the 747 can't send out a video signal as it is without processing it in some way...?

If I connect my DVD player to 747 input and then output to projector then will the image be same as equivalent to connecting the DVD player directly to the projector ?

Or will the 747 change the picture ?

Thanks

Man I am salivating. One of my friends bought a T744 14 months ago from AudioAdvisor for just $325.00 - new in box. I wonder if the T747 will ever go that low. I am ready to sell my HK AVR 745 (1080i limitation) and get the T747. Anyone think the two receivers have comparable sound quality. I have great respect for HK as well as NAD. I hope I can ebay my HK 745 (it still works great though).

Also, I have listened to the T744 and it sounds great. Did NAD make any changes to the T747 compared to the T744 in terms of the sound quality (AMP section)?

Can the T747 pass through 1080p24 properly? Can it automatically do it or do you have to force it from the source like the PS3 has a setting to force 1080p24Hz (on vs auto).

Hmm. 24Hz is a basic feature now a days. If that does not work, it is a no go for me. My Epson 1080UB supports 24Hz. Also, my gen 1 PS3 does not bitstream Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD-Ma, but it can send PCM 7.1 through HDMI. Can the T747 accept that? My HK AVR 745 does and it is only HDMI 1.1. Also, I noticed it has a microphone for setup - is that only for levels and delays or is there any EQ processing. The HK has EzSet/EQ which is pretty good.

I just read the T747 manual and toward the end they seem to indicate 1080p24 is supported. Hopefully when it is set to Auto, it will automatically allow it.

However, there is no indication if it will support PCM 5.1 or 7.1. I don't see why not but there is no indication.

bommai,

My 747 replace an HK254 from a couple years ago. My last two receivers have been HK and yes the sound is similar (warm, laid back, mellow, or whatever). The NAD is more dynamic however, and in my opinion has better separation. I also have great respect for HK but in my opinion the NAD is simply better.

The 5.1 / 7.1 PCM is not a problem either via HDMI or the 7-channel analog inputs.

As Dana mentioned , the video is passed through assuming the input resolution matches your output resolution (display). If not the NAD will up-convert it. It should not touch the signal other than that. I can't specifically test the 24p but perhaps someone else can.

I doubt the 747 with a list of $1299 will ever see $325 unless used, open box, etc. Most dealers don't stock a lot of these as the dealers tend to be small. Also most dealers cannot or do not sell online so the immediate completion is not there to force down prices. There is also a probability that NAD will take them back from dealers as credit against T757's in which case they will "disappear" from authorized dealers.

i just bought Psb Image B6 + C5 for my HT.

I was at my dealer and he played movie demo on the psb speakers via Nad T 747. And i instantly fell in love with the 747. Smooth sound, easy on the ears yet a ton of detail with tremendous clarity with a large soundstage and excellent surround sound effect on the surround effect of avatar.

Then i wanted to check out the Stereo Performance of the 747.

i have always read that an AVR's stereo performance is never as good as Stereo amp. I inquired this to my dealer.

I wanted to compare t 747 vs nad 326bee and t 747 vs. nad 356bee.

He told me there was no point in doing t 747 vs nad 326bee because the t 747 will trounce the nad 326bee.

He encouraged me to compare the t 747 vs. the more expensive nad 356bee. He also told me that i might find that the t 747 will perform close to 80-90% performance of the nad 356bee.

the speakers used were the psb B6.

My findings....

- The nad t 747 sounded excellent and close to 90% of the nad 356bee. I was astonished. Infact i kind of liked the t 747's stereo performance better than the nad 356 bee in some ways.

I was planning to buy a nad 356bee for a separate stereo setup in my bedroom. but my dealer told not to waste money. ( i mean here i was ready to buy a T 747 and a 356BEE but he's telling me not to do it )

He said buy a T 747 and setup a 5.1 setup in your living hall and use the speakers B ( reaming 2 channels ) to connect speakers wire leading to my bedroom where i will have the stereo speakers on my computer desk.

I wanted to ask T 747 owners about its stereo performance. Do you guys also feels it trounces 2 channel stereo amps ? Have you compared the T 747 vs. a stereo amplifier. I just have this thing in my head that an avr can never sound as good as a stereo amp and i need to clear this....

My friend just got his T744 back from a warranty service. The remote quit working and the problem was with the remote receiver. They replaced some key board on the front and sent it back. THe remote now works again but stuff that was fine before is broken now. None of the digital inputs would work. Only analog. It is acting like a stereo receiver. Anybody experience loss of digital input processing on their T747. I did a google search and found some of the older NAD receivers like the 753 having this issue! Yikes. My friend is not happy.

I doubt it has anything to do with a flaw in the 744 since it was working fine before they worked on it. They probably just removed a board or two to get to the bad IR receiver and when reassembling they failed to connect a wire to the digital signal processing board, DAC, etc. What's bothersome is that they must not have tested after all the work was done. That is never acceptable. Calling NAD is the right thing to do.

I drove all the way to Tampa from Melbourne (2 1/2 hour drive) to drop off the receiver. They mailed it back. They kept it for 2 weeks. The frustrating part is that I might have to do it all over again. My friend is not able to do this (he is older) - I kinda take care of these things for him. I am going to give the authorized service center a call today and see what they say. If they are not cooperative, I will have to call NAD directly.

Does the NAD747 EQ only adjust basic tone controls on the speakers or is it a parametric EQ? Does it EQ the subwoofer?

I looked at the manual but it just says that it adjusts treble & bass controls for speakers. Does it mean that the EQ in NAD is just an automated tone control or something more?