NAD T 777 V3 7.1CH Dolby Atmos 4K UHD AV Receiver Preview

While we were at CEDIA in San Diego, California we got a chance to stop by and see the newest products at NAD Audio. We usually have a hard time deciding what to feature for NAD since they release a slew of awesome products each year at the trade show.  This year was no different in the number of new products, but picking the one to feature was easy. They showered us their T 777 V3 which features a robust seven-channel amplifier that delivers 140 watts into 8 ohms (2CH driven) or 80 watts/ch (All Channels Driven) and is packed with the latest audio and video technologies. The NAD T 777 V3 supports Dolby Atmos and 4K UltraHD video pass-through. Their new AV receiver hosts a wide array of connections for excellent flexibility and MDC slots allow for further feature expansion and future upgrades. All this combined with their wireless streaming and whole home audio option called BluOS makes for a monster of a receiver.

Upon closer look at the T 777 V3, we noticed the absence of DTS:X support. We are hoping there will be a future upgrade path to DTS:X immersive surround sound for this platform as it's one of the only current receivers on the market that doesn't support that format out of the box.  That said, all the current features the T 777 V3 has combined with their wireless streaming and whole home audio option called BluOS makes for a monster of a receiver.

Editorial Note About Power Ratings:

Unlike many of the new Dolby Atmos AV receivers on the market that inflate their power ratings by specing only 1CH drive into 6 ohms, at 1kHz and 10% distortion, NAD still does full discolsure of power with all channels driven at full bandwidth. You've got to respect them for keeping honest while many of their competitors are NOT.

As with other receivers, we previewed this year at CEDIA, immersive sound is important, but what really drew installers in were receivers featuring 4K UHD passthrough.
NAD insists on using the latest and most advanced 4K chipsets which should allow the T 777 V3 to pass-through standard definition and high-definition video sources including 4K Ultra HD with full compatibility for the latest 4:4:4 Pure Color 4K Ultra HD specification. The T 777 V3 also features full HDCP 2.2 compatibility which will allow you to enjoy high quality 4K videos with digital copyright protection.  Of course the T 777 V3 does have Dolby Atmos immersive sound processing which will allow you to create a 5.1.2 system right out of the box or a 7.1.4 system with an additional two-channel amplifier.

The T 777 V3 comes with two room correction and setup assistants. The first, NAD Speaker iQ, looks to be an easy way for you to set up your home theater within minutes. Like other setup software, the Speaker iQ uses a supplied microphone to listen to test signals sent out from the receiver to the various speakers in the room and makes any necessary adjustments to the AVR’s audio commands to measure the distance between speaker and listening position, loudness, and frequency response of audio signals from each speaker. The T 777 V3 also comes with the Lite version of DIRAC Live ready to go. DIRAC is arguably the most sophisticated digital room correction system available today and is usually reserved for use in higher end components which typically cost several times as much as the T 777 V3. You can upgrade to the full version of DIRAC for a $99 upgrade.  We like the fact that the T 777 V3 comes with two room correction programs, though the Speaker iQ requires a firmware upgrade right out of the box.

Multi-Room Music Management

Pioneer has their Remote App and FireConnect, Denon has HEOS, Yamaha has MusicCast; for NAD it's BluOS. BluOS is NAD's wireless multi-room ecosystem that allows you to stream hi-res audio, Internet radio, and popular music streaming services to your receiver with the control of a smartphone, tablet or desktop. The T 777 V3 features built-in BluOS which lets you wirelessly stream lossless music to your home theater system from local libraries or music streaming services. You can control the music from anywhere in the house using the BluOS Controller app for smartphone, tablet, and laptop, including the ability to group other BluOS compatible wireless speakers and music players with the T 777 V3 for true multi-room music.

The T 777 V3 boasts six HDMI 2.0 inputs and two outputs, plus digital coaxial and optical in/outs. The T 777 V3 should be right at "Home" for custom integrators and smart homes. Their BluOS streaming software even can be integrated into your existing home automation systems from Control4, Crestron, URC, and RTI. Other connection options include IP control, IR outputs, programmable 12V triggers, and RS-232 port.

What we think

We really like NAD's Modular Design Construction (MDC) which lets you stay up to date with the ever-changing world of audio/video so that way your receiver isn't obsolete the day you buy it! With the new VM 300 Video and AM 230 Audio MDC Modules built-in to the T 777 V3, all of your newly supported immersive surround sound formats (sans DTS:X at the moment) and video technologies are on easily removable plug-in cards which allow you to upgrade to future audio/ video formats without replacing the entire AV receiver. Simply plug in a new card and you’re ready for the future, no matter what’s out there.

The T 777 V3 should be available this fall for $2,500. So if you're looking for a new receiver that can change with upcoming technologies check out the new T 777 V3 soon and see if it's right for you.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.