What Hi-Fi? Verdict
For all its picture prowess, the NAD is too expensive; rivals still have the upper hand
Pros
- +
Clear, detailed picture
- +
strong contrast punchy surround sound
- +
good upscaling
Cons
- -
Pricey
- -
limited 'smart' features
- -
slight motion instability
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NAD, more noted for its stereo kit, has made a few attempts to make its way into home cinema, and the NAD T567 is its latest try at cracking this particularly tough nut.
Blu-ray players at this price tend to eschew fancy online trimmings, preferring to focus on giving the best quality picture and sound. The NAD is no different, with only DLNA certification to its name
NAD T567: Picture quality
It does deliver a sharp and clear picture with a good contrast and black depth, though, and there’s a glossy sheen to the image that gives movies a vibrant, polished look.
There is a small amount of flicker around edges, but it isn’t at crisis-level. The NAD handles upscaling DVDs to 1080p well, with Star Wars delivered with minimal noise and only minor motion stability issues.
Spin Tintin in 3D and that detail is kept intact with a good level of depth.
Again, there’s a small measure of motion blur, but the minimal judder makes a pleasant watch that’s easy on the eyes.
NAD T567: Sound quality
Sound quality is good, with plenty of attack to explosive sound effects and competent steering around the surround field.
While competitive players can deliver a touch more precision and tautness to film soundtracks, music played from a CD is vibrant and enjoyable to listen to.
The NAD supports most media files for playback, with the exception of FLAC, and its limited network feature consists of BD-Live access.
The on-screen menus are basic, and the remote is nicely finished.
The T567 has some nice aesthetic touches, such as the rounded buttons and a large, easy-to-read display.
Compared with the sturdy build of class leaders such as the Denon DBP-2012UD, though, it feels a bit more like a budget player.
In fact, you could easily compare the NAD with the new £180 Panasonic DMP-BDT220 – and for this price, that’s not good enough.
Verdict
While the NAD performs decently well across picture and sound, it falls short of being a brilliant and enthralling player.
With budget players providing performance not far short, but with added smart features, we wonder if it really is worth its asking price.
