NAD's new CS1 networkstreamer gives you plenty of ways to stream, but unfortunately, not a lot of smarts.
NAD CS1 Endpoint Network Streamer MSRP $349.00 Score Details Pros Cons I admit it, I have a soft spot for NAD products. As a teen growing up in the 1980s, I spent more than a few hours drooling over the company’s minimalist black receivers, turntables, and cassette decks at friends’ houses and the occasional hi-fi store. I still adore the understated, all-business design that dares anyone to disagree with the statement “form follows function.
Just keep in mind that some network streamers have built-in amplifiers that let you connect almost any set of passive, wired stereo speakers — or you can run their signals into your stereo system. But the CS1 belongs to the non-amplified category of network streamer, so you’ll need a set of powered speakers or you won’t be able to hear a thing. Any amplified system will do — from a standalone set of powered stereo speakers like Klipsch’s The Sevens to a top-of-the-line 11.
In terms of size, it has the same footprint as two of its biggest rivals, the $449 Sonos Port and $149 Wiim Pro, but the CS1 stands a little taller. I think it looks great, but if you want to tuck it away, go for it. As I mentioned above, there’s no remote control and no infrared receiver, so it doesn’t need to be visible for line-of-sight control.
In fact, NAD doesn’t include much in the CS1 box at all. You get a stereo RCA patch cord and a USB-A-to-USB-C power cord, but that’s it. No digital cables at all. I’ll give NAD a little credit for shipping the CS1 with a generous set of international power plug adapters, but that seems more like a convenience for NAD than a service to its customers.
On the one hand, this app-free approach is kind of refreshing. No app means no messing around with settings or complicated menus, and no real data-logging concerns. You don’t even have to worry about performing firmware updates because the CS1 manages these automatically as soon as you’ve connected it to your network.
Want hi-res lossless audio support? Now things start to get tricky. Officially, the CS1 can handle hi-res lossless all the way up to 24-bit/192kHz. However, it can’t stream directly from any of the services that offer hi-res lossless, like Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Qobuz, which means you’ll be playing these tracks on your phone and streaming them to the CS1 yourself.
Your last hope for getting the CS1 to deliver its very best performance is to download an app like the excellent Bubble UPnP for Android. Bubble lets you browse your private library of digital music as long as it’s accessible on a DLNA or UPnP server, and then stream those tracks at full quality to the CS1. At least, NAD says you should be able to. Unfortunately, Bubble did not recognize the CS1 as a DLNA-compatible device, so it defaulted back to Chromecast. Foiled again.
Then we get into the question of advanced features like multiroom audio. The CS1 can be used as part of a multiroom system, but only through third-party software: Apple Home if you’re exclusively running AirPlay 2 speakers and Google Home if all of your gear is Chromecast-compatible. You’re out of luck if Amazon’s Alexa runs your smart home — the CS1 isn’t compatible with that ecosystem.
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