C565 BEE CD player with Digital in
Brand: NAD
RRP: $899
C565BEE - NAD Single CD Player

The C 565BEE applies the very latest in semiconductor design to make an all new CD Player with performance that must be heard to be believed. One of the major shortcomings of CD playback has always been the relatively low 44.1kHz sampling frequency. The sampling frequency is how many times the analogue sound wave is measured or ‘sampled’ creating a staircase like replica of the original waveform. This is what is stored on the CD disc.

Later these digitized waveforms are smoothed out by the circuitry of the CD player. But if the number of steps could be made much smaller – twice as many or even four times as many – the waveform would be much smoother to begin with and the processing in the CD player could be simplified and improved. This is exactly what we have done with the C 565BEE by adding a Sample Rate Conversion circuit that bumps the 44.1kHz sampling frequency up to 96kHz or even 192kHz.

This higher sampling rate allowed NAD’s engineers to take full advantage of the latest state-of-the-art DAC (digital to analogue converter) from Wolfson Microelectronics. Offering 24 bit resolution and up to 192kHz sampling rate, this DAC is a perfect complement to our Sample Rate Converter.


The C 565BEE’s superb digital and analogue performance can also be applied to other types of media besides CD. The rear panel optical digital input caters to a wide variety of digital playback devices and the front panel USB port allows music files stored on a USB Memory Key or USB Hard Disc Drive to be played back using the superior performance capability of the C 565BEE. MP3 and WMA as well as uncompressed WAV files are fully supported whether they are stored on CD-R, digital tape or mini-disc or USB storage device. Source inputs are easily selectable from either the front panel or via the supplied IR remote.

CD Text and Metadata from MP3 files is displayed on the front panel two line display, along with time, track, and other program data simultaneously. Display icons indicate selected input, filter slope and sampling rate.

We have also designed the front panel controls to make it faster and easier to browse large collections of music files by adding a rotary knob that controls both “skip” and “play/pause” functions. Twist the knob clockwise and you skip forward; counterclockwise skips back. Push the knob to initiate play. It is so intuitive to operate that you’ll soon wonder how you lived before without it.