NAD C368 & BluOS Issues

Hi Tony,

Did you eventually get this working? I’m also considering the C 368 but not sure if I should go for the BluOS module or just add a DigiOne (for less than half the price)?
I will mostly be using it straight from Roon anyway, I don’t use Tidal and don’t have MQA files.

Thanks,
Dirk

I demoed the C388 for 2 weeks and was not that impressed. Sadly. I really wanted it to work out.

Hi Dirk,

have been meaning to update this thread all January but have been too busy with other stuff. I had so little time using the amplifier with Roon in the end due to its chronic switch-on freeze issue. Virtually every other time it was switched on from standby it would freeze up at the boot screen (NAD logo). NAD support was excellent though. They informed me that the issue was due to the December Bluesound update and that they were working on an update to the NAD software to fix the issue. They may well have fixed it by now, I rather lost interest at the beginning of January when after getting home from the first week back at work and turning it on for my usual Friday blast, the thing froze up for the last time! It was disconnected there and then and put back in the box in disgust.

If they can release such poor quality software with such devastating results (without much in the way of integration testing it seems) there is no future for this combination that will remain in any way stable. That coupled with Bluesound’s attitude to fixing/updating the Roon endpoint software (read this Community and the Bluesound forum and make your own mind up) left me with no option but to ask for a refund.

Having lost all faith in NAD and Bluesound’s ability to maintain a stable amplifier and Roon endpoint I asked Sevenoaks for a refund. They processed this straight away and the money was back in my Paypal account the same day they received the amplifier back. Excellent service from them. I think there was a good amplifier in there trying to get out (it has a very smooth sound that may not be to everyone’s taste) but I wasn’t prepared to wait around for NAD & Bluesound to turn it into one.

And then there is the applications which control it. I installed both the NAD and Bluesound apps on my Android phone. Almost every time I opened the NAD app, it had crashed from the last time and needed restarting. At other times, due to the Bluesound card going to sleep/freezing (it was set not to) it couldn’t find the amplifier, so was completely useless until the amp was power-cycled. Both apps worked perfectly when they could find the amplifier.

I read elsewhere in this Community that NAD are releasing amplifiers with the Bluesound OS built in rather than on a plug-in card. Well good luck with that, you will need it.

Thanks for the reply Tony and Daniel.

Sound is very subjective and most of the reviews of the C 368 have the SQ somewhere between very good to amazing so that is probably something I have to hear for myself.

I was drawn to this model by several factors:

  • Fits my budget
  • Good SQ reviews
  • Has a built-in phono preamp
  • Has a built-In DAC
  • Love the simplicity
  • Low energy consumption

I’m a real Roon addict and wouldn’t have the urge to install/use the BluOS app anyway but I was hoping I could get rid of some cables and an extra RPi with the BluOS module and make it the most simple setup possible.

From Tony’s experience, that doesn’t seem to be the case. An extra DigiOne player instead of the BluOS is not a show stopper for me. I have several RPi’s running without any issues elsewhere in the house and that is something you can easily hide at the back somewhere.

I’m still looking around but the C 368, for some reason, remains at the top of my list :slight_smile:

go for it. My C368 with BluOS MDC runs without any problems for a year now. It’s an awesome machine :slight_smile:

Thanks, that is great to hear!

Yes, was top of my list too, but turned out to be too good to be true. Now replaced with a single box solution with a hidden Pi/Digi+ feeding it Roon (and Airplay, which the NAD did not have).

I’m thinking of getting a C368 with BluOS module. I have a node 2 and Cambridge CXA60 amp but would like to de clutter if possible without losing sound quality. How does yours sound?

I love the sound of my setup. But you should audition the app and the module before buying. I auditioned and loved it :slight_smile:

I’m using the NAD C368 w/BluOS mod. Also had the turn-on freeze issue. Personal investigation has determined that powering down the amp BEFORE stopping “play” on the BluOS app causes the amp to freeze up during the next POST the amp attempts during the next power-up.

If you stop “playing” your source and “close” the BluOS app BEFORE you power-down the amp, the amp powers up properly.

I haven’t noticed this problem when using Roon, only sources coming from the Internet (i.e. Radio Play or Tidal)… But then again, out of habit, I close my apps before I power-down the amp now.

Love the amp, my ONLY grip with it is the pre-out SW filter being so high. To overcome, I send the full signal out and control the filter via my subwoofer.

Just got a NAD C368 last week myself with the BluOS. Had several days of flawless sound. But then it started locking up. I upgraded the firmware and it was find for about two minutes then started locking up again. Stay tuned. I’ll post more as I work with NAD support to figure this out. The amp sounds great when it is working.

I really cannot believe that they haven’t fixed this issue yet; it has been broke for 9 months now!

I have resolved my issue with the help of Roon and NAD. One thing I learned was how to access diagnostics information from the BluOS app and the help section. There you can see if your wifi signal is strong enough and if the correct wifi network is being accessed. After fiddling with the wifi dongle to improve the signal strength and doing a couple other things Roon recommended, the problem is solved. You can read more about it at this thread: RAAT Error: Connection refused

Glad you got it sorted. If low WiFi signal was the issue then it is a reason why a wired connection is preferred. WiFi is prone to interference so can be unpredictable.

Yes, for instance since the NAD is in the kitchen, and Roon cuts out every time I turn on the microwave. However I can live with the occasional drop out. It does play in the ballpark of 96 percent of the time just fine. The other option to run a Cat5 cable would require busting open walls… Something that I may do at some point, but it is not at the top of the home repair list at this time.

Oh dear! It is also worth checking that you are on an uncontested wifi channel. I use an app for Android called ‘wifi analyser’ to check this. It graphically shows you your signal strength, and that of competing signals.

I was also going to suggest you move up to the 5GHz wifi band but remembered that the crummy BluOS card in my NAD was 2.4G only.

I’d get that microwave checked…

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They do use that band, so unlikely to be an issue with it. I will check mine tonight and see if it registers on the app. It may only display genuine WiFi signals though, so may not show it.

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Or buy some exotic Cat5 cable at $50 a foot! :grinning: I like your idea better!