Sure, we saw a lot of fancy gear out in Las Vegas at CES, but as the landscape continues to evolve (does it ever stop, really?), all enthusiasts must face the reality of product obsolescence. That dreaded reality is an especially bitter pill to swallow in the case of a big-ticket item such as a high-end receiver or preamp/processor (pre-pro).

NAD Electronics has a solution, introducing Modular Design Construction (MDC) in their new Masters Series M15HD A/V preamp-processor. As the name suggests, in gear like the $3,999 M15 pre-pro; along with four new entries into their popular Theater Series receiver and pre-pros; the mechanical architecture allows for swapping in certain next-generation task-specific "modules." These modules are sold and typically installed by the dealer.

The first four of modules will be arriving in February, ranging in retail price from $400 to $950, and bringing capabilities and connectivity like multiple digital audio inputs, HDMI in/out, SD video deinterlacing, Sigma Designs VXP Broadcast Studio Quality Image Processing, Audyssey MultiEQ XT, DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD.

Had these options be available 3 or 4 years ago, maybe now we all wouldn't need to run out and buy the latest HDMI-enabled preamp/processor or receiver just to support the latest super-cool surround sound codecs from Dolby and DTS.  Kudos to NAD for bucking the trend for built-in obsolescence.

More information:

• www.nadelectronics.com