About The NAD C558 Turntable
Many of the world's most ardent music lovers believe that the 33 1/3 RPM Long Playing vinyl record remains the most musically communicative playback medium. NAD has a long history of producing some of the best value-for-money turntables and phono stages.
While vinyl LPs can be a reference quality source of musical enjoyment, they can also sound terrible if the turntable is less than reference quality. Unlike digital sources with their foolproof error correction circuits, the turntable is like a live performance with no room for error. The same piece of vinyl can sound lush, vibrant and spacious on one turntable, but edgy, lifeless and riddled with ticks and pops on another. The difference is the mechanical precision of every aspect of the turntable.
Why Does Vinyl Sound So Good? When it comes to the C558, NAD has spent lavishly on the parts of the turntable that define its performance, and has left off the features that do nothing to improve the sound. The result is a turntable that easily outperforms many others at twice the modest asking price of the C558. The secret to a good sounding turntable is to make a rock solid mechanical connection between the platter and the cartridge/stylus. Any movement or vibration will either add resonant colouration (making the smack of a snare drum sound like a thud) or subtract the fine detail that is the primary benefit of well-played vinyl.
To achieve this often elusive goal NAD use special materials and techniques. The three mechanisms that make up a turntable are the platter that supports and spins the record; the tone arm, which allows the stylus to accurately track the record; and the cartridge, which transforms the vibrations in the record groove into the electrical signals that are sent to your preamplifier. The C558 ticks all these boxes.
Non-Resonant Construction: The NAD C 558's features a non-resonant sub platter and 10mm glass platter with a felt mat. The turntable's plinth is solid MDF, not particle board or plastic, and is CNC machined for precision. The removable dust cover is made from a non-resonant Perspex with a counter-sprung hinge design that allows the cover to remain in almost any intermediate position from open to closed. Integrated rubber feet isolate any unwanted external vibration.
Tonearm w/ Ortofon OM10 Phono (MM) Cartridge: The NAD C558 turntable is pre-fitted with an Ortofon OM10 phono (MM) cartridge in a 9" tonearm that offers vertical tracking angle and azimuth adjustment. At 9" long it offers low tracking distortion while maintaining rigidity and low mass required to stabilize the cartridge. By allowing VTF and azimuth adjustment you get precise tracking with low distortion and record wear.
Belt Driven w/ Precision DC Motor: The NAD C558's motor is isolated from noise and voltage fluctuations that occur in the unfiltered AC mains that can cause instability in the motor. The motor uses a specially developed rubber belt that is flat ground for precision and drives a non-resonant sub platter that is precisely machined for smooth rotation and sits in a brass bearing with a hardened steel shaft. The belt can be moved to either the 33 or 45 rpm wheel of the drive pulley to attain the correct speed.
Plug 'n Play: NAD have made it easy to enjoy your vinyl. How? The NAD C558 comes out of the box virtually ready to play. Its factory-mounted Ortofon MM phono cartridge and tonearm take the guesswork out of installation, and give you optimised sound quality with minimal effort. A few simple steps to dial in key settings like tracking force and anti-skating are all it takes to get it ready to deliver beautiful music.
Main Features & Specifications
- Design: Manual belt drive with tone-arm lift
- Speeds: 33-1/3 and 45 rpm speeds
- Speed variation: ±0.5%
- Motor: High-torque DC synchronous motor decoupled from base for reduced vibration transmission and better sound
- Base: Medium density fiberboard (MDF) base with vibration-damping feet
- Platter: Glass platter with felt mat provides excellent speed stability and protects records from scratches
- Bearing: Precision bronze and stainless steel ball bearing for smooth, quiet platter rotation
- Tonearm: Hand-built 9" aluminium alloy tonearm with precision gimbal pivot bearings
- Bias: Magnetic anti-skate bias control
- Cartridge: Includes pre-mounted Ortofon OM-10 moving magnet cartridge
- Frequency range (with included cartridge): 20-20,000 Hz (±2dB)
- Channel separation (with included cartridge): 22dB at 1kHz
- Note: Requires a phono preamp or phono input on receiver or preamplifier
- Finish: High Gloss Black
- Nett Weight: 7.25 kg
- Shipping Weight: 8.5 kg
- Dimensions(WxHxD): 435x 130 x 340mm (with dust cover down)
- You will need to make additional allowance for cables
- Manufacturer's Warranty: 2 Years
Note: Features & Specifications Subject To Change Without Notice. E&OE