NAD C 589 – CD Player

NAD C 589 – CD Player

The NAD C 589 is a high-performance CD player designed to bring out the best in your music library. Whether you're rediscovering a long-standing collection or exploring the unique satisfaction of physical playback for the first time, the C 589 offers a refined and rewarding listening experience. Its advanced digital architecture and precision mechanical design deliver accurate, natural sound that captures the full character of every disc. Built for performance, longevity, and seamless system integration, the C 589 is a modern solution for those who still value the tangible connection of CD playback.

• Tray loaded CD Player
• MQA CD Decoding support
• Premium disc loader and precision transport mechanism with precision laser pick-up
• ESS ES9039PRO DAC with QRONO d2a
• Balanced XLR & Stereo RCA Outputs
• AES/EBU, Coaxial and Optical Outputs
• Full-Color LCD Display

Highlights & Key Technologies

More Music, Less Distortion
NAD's Dynamic Digital Headroom (DDH) architecture minimises inter-sample clipping and preserves dynamic range. By avoiding digital filter overload and distortion common in conventional circuits, this technology delivers cleaner transients, greater musical clarity, and a more expansive soundstage. DDH eliminates distortion caused by inter-sample clipping, a digital artifact that can occur with certain CDs mastered at high levels. By restoring headroom in the digital domain, DDH allows transients like drum hits, brass stabs, and dynamic vocal peaks to come through with greater clarity and impact, particularly on recordings that might otherwise feel compressed or harsh. Working in tandem with QRONO d2a — a precision time-domain filtering technology developed by MQA Labs — the C 589 maintains the integrity of timing information, ensuring playback that's smooth, detailed, and sonically accurate.

Analogue Sound with Digital Precision
The C 589 features a high-performance digital-to-analogue stage designed to preserve the integrity of every recording. At its core is a fully balanced DAC from ESS — the ESS ES9039PRO — known for low noise, low distortion, and excellent dynamic range. NAD's careful implementation ensures that the final analogue output retains clarity, tonal depth, and subtle musical detail, revealing subtle textures and tonal nuance across every disc. The result is natural, transparent playback that brings your CD collection to life.

Precision You Can Hear
Developed by MQA Labs and implemented by NAD, QRONO d2a is a time-domain filtering technology that improves resolution and timing accuracy during digital-to-analogue conversion. By replacing traditional digital filters with a more precise solution, QRONO helps preserve critical timing information in the audio signal. The result is smoother, more lifelike playback with improved imaging and clarity, especially on recordings rich in spatial detail and acoustic nuance.

Built for Reliable Performance
The C 589 features a high-quality disc transport and precision laser pick-up for smooth, accurate playback. Its premium loader offers a fast, responsive feel, while the transport mechanism ensures reliable tracking across a wide range of compact discs. These components work together to maintain signal integrity and reduce read errors, helping preserve sound quality throughout playback. Built with the same mechanical integrity NAD is known for, the C 589 keeps your music playing cleanly and consistently, disc after disc.

Easy System Integration
The C 589 offers a full range of output options to accommodate both classic and modern hi-fi setups. For analogue systems, stereo RCA and balanced XLR outputs provide clean signal delivery with low noise and distortion, with the balanced path offering even lower noise and distortion. On the digital side, coaxial, optical, and AES/EBU outputs allow seamless connection to high-end DACs and digital processors. The AES/EBU output ensures exceptionally low jitter, making it ideal for high-end digital systems. This versatility makes the C 589 an easy fit within virtually any system, whether you're building from scratch or upgrading an existing setup.

Details & Specifications

GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS
Output level — Line Out: 2.2 ±0.1V
Output level — Audio Out, Balanced: 4.4 ±0.2V
Output level — Digital Audio Out, Balanced: 2 – 3 Vp-p, 110 ohms
Output level — Digital Audio Out, Coaxial: 0.5 – 0.8 Vp-p, 75 ohms
Frequency response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz (±0.3 dB)
Total harmonic distortion: ≤ 0.005% (1 kHz, LPF 20 kHz)
Signal/Noise ratio: ≥ 115 dB (1 kHz, A-weighted LPF 20 kHz Play)
Channel balance: 0.3 dB (0 dB 1 kHz)
Channel separation: ≥ 110 dB
De-emphasis: -3.73 to -5.33 dB (0 dB 1 kHz, 5 kHz); -8.04 to -10.04 dB (0 dB 1 kHz, 16 kHz)
Linearity: -3 ±0.1 dB (0 dB 1 kHz at -3 dB); -6 ±0.2 dB (0 dB 1 kHz at -6 dB); -10 ±0.25 dB (0 dB 1 kHz at -10 dB); -20 ±0.25 dB (0 dB 1 kHz at -20 dB); -60 ±0.5 dB (0 dB 1 kHz at -60 dB)
Standby power: < 0.5 W
Idle power: ≤ 20 W

DAC & FILTERING
DAC: ESS ES9039PRO
Filtering: QRONO d2a (time-domain filtering technology developed by MQA Labs)
Dynamic Digital Headroom (DDH): Yes
MQA CD Decoding support: Yes

DISPLAY
Full-Color LCD Display with CD Text Support

DISC LOADING & TRANSPORT
Loading system: Tray
Transport: Precision transport mechanism with precision laser pick-up
Disc compatibility: CD

OUTPUTS
Analog: Stereo RCA (Line Out); Balanced XLR
Digital: AES/EBU (XLR balanced); Coaxial; Optical

REMOTE
Remote control included

DIMENSION AND WEIGHT
Gross dimensions (W x H x D): 435 x 83 x 294 mm (17 1/4 x 3 3/8 x 11 5/8 inches) — includes feet and extended rear panel terminals
Net weight: 5.1 kg (11.2 lbs)
Shipping weight: 6.6 kg (14.6 lbs)