Our take on the NAD C 426

by David Brown

See what you're hearing

Add AM/FM broadcast capabilities to your home stereo system with the NAD C 426 tuner. With 30 presets and a sophisticated low-noise design, stations will come in clearly across the dial. Want to know what song is playing? The C 426 displays Radio Data System information, so you can see what station, artist, and song you're listening to (available with select FM stations).

While it comes with a remote, there are inputs for use with external controllers and universal remotes, so it easily integrates with your home system. Naturally, it goes great with NAD's highly-regarded integrated amplifiers.

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Highlights:

30 AM/FM station presets
24-position rotary knob for switching between preset stations
displays Radio Data System (RDS) Program-Service and Text information for station name, artist, and song info (available with select FM stations)
auto and manual tuning
8-character naming capability for preset stations
"Blend" feature narrows stereo separation for clearer reception of noisy stations
RS-232, IR input and +12V trigger for use other remotes and controllers
stereo RCA output (cable included)
AM and FM antennas included
detachable power cord
remote control included
FM harmonic distortion: 0.25% (mono), 0.35% (stereo)
FM signal-to-noise ratio: 72 dB (mono), 66 dB (stereo)
dimensions: 17-1/8"W x 3-3/8"H x 12-1/4"D
weight: 9.26 lbs.
warranty: 2 years
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What’s in the box? | In-depth notes

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What's in the box?

Download owner's manual

AM/FM Tuner
6.5' AC power cord
Remote control (TNR 1)
2 "AAA" batteries
AM loop antenna
FM wire antenna
Balun
38" Stereo RCA cable
Owner's Manual on CD-ROM

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Features
Specifications

Features

RDS: The RDS limits itself to the RDS PS (Program Service) and RT (Radio Text) function, both of which enhance ease of operation. The RDS PS will automatically indicate the name of the radio station you are listening to in the display. At the touch of a button, RDS RT will display additional information broadcast by the radio station, such as the presenter, the music playing, etc.

Fine Tuning: With each brief rotation of the C 426's front-panel rotary dial, the tuner will take 0.05 MHz steps for the FM band and 10 kHz for the AM band. You can also use the remote's numeric keypad to directly enter a station's identification number. Auto Search automatically stops at the next strong radio signal and optimizes tuning. Weaker radio stations can be tuned into manually. Stations that are quiet in Mono, but noisy in Stereo can benefit from the "Blend" feature that narrows stereo separation and improves noise. FM Mute eliminates inter-station tuning noise and only allows strong and clear stations to emerge from the silent background.

30 Presets (w/ Naming): With 30 presets available, you can store all your favorite radio stations in any combination of AM and FM stations. To avoid having to scroll through 30 presets, the un-programmed (empty) ones are skipped to give you quick access to all your stations. For AM and non-RDS stations the C 426 FM/AM Tuner allows you to name each preset individually with up to eight characters. Once you have named your presets you don't need to remember which frequency goes with what radio station, as the name is indicated in the display every time the preset is recalled. All the preset information is stored in the C 426's non-volatile memory, which means it will remember all of its preset information even if the unit has been unplugged for a prolonged period.

Connections: The NAD C 426 tuner features a threaded F-type connector to connect the included FM wire antenna, and two spring-clip terminals to connect the included AM loop antenna (you can upgrade antennas). The NAD C 426 is fitted with a set of stereo RCA outputs and comes with a 38" audio cable to connect the tuner to your AV receiver. The rear panel IR input (3.5mm), +12V Trigger input (3.5mm), and RS-232 port allow the C 426 to be easily integrated with sophisticated system controllers used in custom installation. The tuner also comes with a detachable 6.5" AC power cord.

Simple Operation: Instead of littering the front panel with seldom-used buttons and features, the C 426 concentrates on the essentials. It features an intuitive user interface with a 24-position rotary encoder knob to quickly tune stations or select preset stations. The included IR remote provides wireless operation of the tuner.

VFD: The C 426 features a Vacuum Fluorescent Display which provides visual information on the settings, conditions, status, and other information relevant to the currently tuned station. The display offer three brightness settings.

Sleep Mode: The tuner's Sleep Mode timer will switch the C 426 to "standby mode" automatically after a preset number of minutes (30, 60, 90, or Off).

Specifications

FM Section:

Usable Sensitivity (98 MHz): 15 dBu
Signal/Noise Ratio: 72 dB (60 dBu IHF-WTD Mono) or 66 dB (60 dBu IHF-WTD Stereo)
Frequency Response: 20-15k, 60 dBu (+/-1 dB)
Channel Separation (60 dBu): 33 dB (30Hz), 42 dB (1kHz), 32 dB (10kHz)
Capture Ratio (40 dBu): 3 dB
AM Suppression: 65 dB (60 dBu, 100% MOd. FM, 30% Mod.AM)
Image Rejection (119.4 MHz): 85 dB
IF Rejection (10.7 MHz): 78 dB
Pilot Suppression (60 dBu): 60 dB
THD: 0.25% (mono), 0.35% (stereo)
Auto Search Sensitivity: 24 dBu (On), 15 dBu (Off)
RDS Decode Sensitivity: 26 dBu