They say that power corrupts. Well, a theory I heard recently that I feel is more accurate is that power reveals. What that means is that the more power there is present, true colors reveal themselves. This goes for people, to be sure, and I feel that it transfers itself quite appropriately to audio/video components (let me explain).

With a surround sound receiver that has more power output, this increase in power will allow its surround sound decoding and internal components to sound that much louder and resolute, allowing us to hear its good or bad sonic traits more easily. However, with an underpowered receiver, it might be more difficult to actually hear its faults, as it would be difficult to hear anything on the same playing field. Whether this theory makes any sense at all is to be decided sometime in the future, but I have to say that I was definitely impressed by the stats of NAD's latest surround sound A/V receiver, the T752.

Unique Features - Offering a solid 80 watts per channel (continuously driven), and with their PowerDrive TM amplifier technology, the 1752 automatically adjusts the power supply settings of the amplifier to the exact needs of each loudspeaker. With PowerDrive TM, the performance is always optimized for the actual operating condition and produces theoretically superior performance (we'll examine that later in this review). Some features that make for a nice package include Dolby Digital processing (both 5.1 and EX), DTS ES, DTS NEO:6, Dolby ProLogic II, and Matrix 7.1 surround sound processing. The built-in AM/FM tuner features RDS, a nice touch that offers a written display of which radio station you are currently listening to, as well as song information and artist labels. As far as inputs go, there are six A/V inputs with S-Video and composite connections, two component video inputs and one component video output that connects to your high definition or component video input on your TV. For sound, there are six digital inputs (two optical Toslink inputs and four coaxial inputs), two digital outputs for recording to CD-R or some such format, two 12-volt triggers for triggering a motorized drop-down screen, or motorized shades, and a 12-volt input trigger. There are a host of other connections and outputs that one may need, such as a 7.1 analog input for DVD-Audio, preamplifier outputs for all channels, including two subwoofers, two infrared outputs for controlling other components, on-screen display and an HTR-2 remote control, complete with macro functionality.

Installation/Setup/Ease of Use - The first thing you notice when you lug the heavy 752 out of its box is its amazing build quality and fit and finish. The buttons have a very solid feel, and the volume knob has a quality touch to it. The finish is also definitely more attractive than many other A/V receivers in this price range, which is always nice to see.

Setting up the A/V receiver was fairly straight-forward. The inputs are straightforward and the manual and menus were easy enough for most people to figure out. My only complaint with setting up the 1752 is that the speaker binding posts are too close together, making for a tricky hookup process. If you use banana plugs on the ends of your speaker cable, this might make things easier. Otherwise, all was hooked up in no time at all. One other tip for the 1752 is to make sure not to place anything at all on top of the unit, as it will run hot, due to the sheer number of amplifiers inside its chassis.

The supplied backlit HTR-2 remote is a nice inclusion, and far better than what other similarly priced receivers offer. It is basically a universal preprogrammed remote and allows the user to learn other commands from other remotes. The remote also has a macro feature, allowing easy turn on and turn off of entire system. In using this remote, I have to say that it is one of the easiest of its kind to program, which of course is a good thing. I tend to get annoyed by lesser remotes, but this one was a real pleasure to use.

Performance on DVD soundtracks was excellent. With my reference Definitive Technology PowerMonitor 900/CLR 3000 system, I was immediately entranced by the sense of space and power that the 1752 displayed. Bass was very clear and resolute on all channels, and the surround sound steering was very exciting and punchy. When turned up to reference level, the NAD's amplifiers handled their tasks with aplomb, and seemed to have plenty of extra power to spare. Watching the new DVD release of Reign of Fire, an action-oriented romp, I was impressed by the punchy and dynamic sense of the presentation. It made for a very exciting viewing, even if the movie itself wasn't all that it could have been. The rear ef fects had plenty of presence, and balanced the room perfectly. On other, more tame movie soundtracks, such as Glengarry Glen Ross, which is primarily a dialog-driven film, the center speaker exhibited a very natural tone to it, complementing my speaker system very nicely. On Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, I was very impressed by the 360-degree sound- stage that was created by the NAD. Each of the 6 speakers seemed to work in unison, as they are supposed to in this type of film. Left-center-right pans when spaceships are whirring by were very convincing, due to the great processing and amplification in this receiver. On some lesser receivers, or speaker packages, the system may not work together as a whole, but the NAD definitely gives virtually any speaker package the opportunity to shine.

Performance on stereo music was very enjoyable. Listening to Peter Gabriel's dynamic Up release, his first release in ten years, which features a lot of extremely well-recorded low-end bass, very clean vocals and wide soundstage, the 1752 processed it all very well. I found bass reproduction to be tight and fast, and the midrange (where voices reside) to be very smooth and pleasing. On bass-pounding tracks like Growing Up or Signal to Noise, the presentation was extremely exciting. On more acoustic music, such as on Tony Levin's exciting new live recording, Double Espresso, a double live CD package including music from his last tour with his band, my results were similar. The soundstage created by the NAD complemented my reference speaker package, and together created a very nice presentation that was hard to turn off. The NAD is definitely a nice centerpiece for a listening system, as well as surround sound system.

Final Take - All in all, the 1752 offers excellent features, solid sound quality, and all the right in's and out's for virtually any user. If you have a small to medium- sized room, or wish to play your intense action films to the max, you will be very pleased. The 1752 has power to spare, and will make your home theater rock in the way that any home theater should. In the end, the theory of power revealing is very much to the point: the NAD was revealed to be an excellent performer with lots of power, especially for the price.

Suggested Retail Price
$899