It isn’t often that I start an unboxing blog post with two un-unboxed boxes (say that three times quickly) unless the product is a pair of speakers, but here we are. This is a first in more ways than one. Because, as you may have gathered from the headline, this is as much an installation walkthrough as it is an unboxing. But we’ll get to that. Before we do, let’s start with the box on the bottom and the contents therein: NAD’s C 379 integrated amplifier ($1099, all prices USD).
In pretty much every respect, the box for the C 379 is virtually identical to that of its bigger sibling, the C 399 ($2199), save for a change to one numeral in the product designation. No surprise there, since NAD has a good thing going with this product family, and if it ain’t broke . . .
Even after you get the top popped, things look remarkably similar, with a very familiar-looking pair of sculpted EPE endcaps, the same wrapping as is found on the C 399, and the same arrangement of the accessories’ boxes.
The C 379 comes with two separate power cords: one primarily for use in North America; the other for use across the European mainland.
Take a look at that pack-in literature, though. It’s the first hint at something that makes the C 379 a bit of a standout at its price and within its product line, but it’s not wholly obvious until you remove the foldout from its plastic wrapping and take a closer look.
In addition to the standard stereo operation you’d expect, the C 379 is also bridgeable, and is designed to be a good match for NAD’s C 268 stereo power amplifier ($999), which can also be bridged. The diagram here is clear as mountain spring water, and although I doubt many people purchasing the C 379 intend to connect it as such from day one, it’s a great upgrade path and adds oodles of value to the C 379.
Removed from its wrapping, the C 379 is striking once again in just how much it resembles its bigger siblings. If 7 turned out to be 9, it would be indistinguishable from the C 399 from the front.
Even from the back, the only obvious difference is the presence of the Bridge Mode switch on the C 379. Mind you, there are massive differences under the hood, which I’ll detail in my upcoming review. But you don’t see those differences reflected on the surface.
For whatever reason, my review sample came with the Bridge Mode switch turned to On (Mono), but review gear like this passes through more hands than a doob at a Tame Impala concert, so I have no idea if that’s the default state or if the reviewer / QC person who put the amp through its paces before it came to me left it that way. It’s just worth pointing out: if you buy a C 379 of your own and plan to run it as a stereo integrated, make sure that switch is set to the Off (Stereo) position before connecting your speakers.
From here on out, we’ll be focusing on this side of the C 379’s back panel. The integrated amp has MDC2 (Modular Design Construction) upgrade slots, although at present there’s only one card designed for them: the MDC2 BluOS-D ($599), which adds Dirac Live room correction, BluOS streaming capabilities, Apple AirPlay 2 connectivity, two-way aptX HD support, adjustable bass management for the dual subwoofer outputs, and more.
The BluOS-D module shipped separately because I was originally going to review the amp without it, just to see what the C 379 could do on its own. But I eventually decided this was a great opportunity to try out the upgrade process myself, if only to see whether it’s as painless as advertised.
The instructions are clear enough, although one thing that surprised me was the recommendation to remove the integrated amp’s top cover in addition to unscrewing the plate over one of the MDC2 slots. I was doubly confused because the installation photos show the process being handled with the cover still on.
Removed from its antistatic bag, the MDC2 BluOS-D looks like a PCIe board with the contact terminals on the short edge instead of the long edge. It’s also just neat to see the circuitry required to add so much functionality to the amp.
It’s also nice to see the inner workings of the C 379. This isn’t a view I often see, as my review gear usually goes elsewhere for photography, which is when we lift the lid and take a look inside. Notice the guide rails for the MDC2 card, though. At this point, I’m definitely thinking the cover removal wasn’t necessary in this whole process.
A peek down the barrel of the upgrade slot further confirms that suspicion. It would be pretty difficult to screw this up.
The card just slides right in, and . . .
. . . although you don’t get the sort of satisfying click or clunk or clack you hear and feel when installing a RAM module or video card or some other PC component, there’s also just no mistaking the fact that when the I/O plate is flush with the back of the integrated amplifier, the card is as installed as it’s going to get. All that’s left to do is screw two screws into the BluOS-D module, put the screws back into the back, top, and sides of the C 379’s cover if you went through the unnecessary step of removing it, and that’s that.
And here’s a look at the finished results. In less than five minutes, I upgraded a stock NAD C 379 ($1099) to a C 379 BluOS-D ($1499), and I can confirm that it was the most straightforward and worry-free electronics upgrade I’ve performed in ages.
So how does it all sound? As usual, the answer to that will have to wait for my full review, so keep an eye out for that, coming soon to the pages of SoundStage! Access.
. . . Dennis Burger
dennisb@soundstagenetwork.com
