LAD who listened to NAD and went MAD

[bunny_hop]

Started off with NAD 3020e - is a very good amp, punches above its weight though rated at 20W can easily deliver good music in a mid sized room. Paired it with Dali Zensor 1 and was a perfect match made in heaven - sounds amazing! for brief period tried with Wharfedale 9.1 but the amp ran hot so I went back to Dali.

Later bought a NAD 3020 the legend - sounds more warm than 3020e and I really liked the sound not for purist but for casual enthusiast its a great amp. Paired it with vintage Accoustic Research AR-4xa and both the amp and speakers will really take you back in time to 1970s and if you just run some pop music of those era they sound great. Tried connecting and listening to vinyl and they do sound good but don't have a great collection of vinyl unfortunately.

Then got a NAD 7020 which is 3020 but with a tuner - its been good to have tuner so it does given you some options but it sounds exactly like 3020 (obvious) at some point will have to decide which one I will hold and which one will let it go (3020 vs 7020)

Now NAD 7155 is on the way - reading good things about it and am very excited to try it out!

 

[rwnano]

Very good I almost exclusively use Harman kardon AVR amplifiers for my system - Irving Bud fried Signature A6 transmission line speakers

 

[bunny_hop]

Very good I almost exclusively use Harman kardon AVR amplifiers for my system - Irving Bud fried Signature A6 transmission line speakers

Have been eyeing some of the HK but just getting to know the models .. whats your view on first HK thats worth trying (vintage & wallet friendly!)

 

[square_wave]

Started off with NAD 3020e - is a very good amp, punches above its weight though rated at 20W can easily deliver good music in a mid sized room. Paired it with Dali Zensor 1 and was a perfect match made in heaven - sounds amazing! for brief period tried with Wharfedale 9.1 but the amp ran hot so I went back to Dali.

Later bought a NAD 3020 the legend - sounds more warm than 3020e and I really liked the sound not for purist but for casual enthusiast its a great amp. Paired it with vintage Accoustic Research AR-4xa and both the amp and speakers will really take you back in time to 1970s and if you just run some pop music of those era they sound great. Tried connecting and listening to vinyl and they do sound good but don't have a great collection of vinyl unfortunately.

Then got a NAD 7020 which is 3020 but with a tuner - its been good to have tuner so it does given you some options but it sounds exactly like 3020 (obvious) at some point will have to decide which one I will hold and which one will let it go (3020 vs 7020)

Now NAD 7155 is on the way - reading good things about it and am very excited to try it out!

Nice. My first real amplifier was the NADC320BEE. It replaced a Pioneer A400. Nads punch way above their weight and can sound quite musical.

 

[square_wave]

Very good I almost exclusively use Harman kardon AVR amplifiers for my system - Irving Bud fried Signature A6 transmission line speakers

Have you tried some of the HK classic stereo integrated amps like the HK 680 or HK 6950R ? They were sought after by HK fans.

 

[rwnano]

Have you tried some of the HK classic stereo integrated amps like the HK 680 or HK 6950R ? They were sought after by HK fans.

No. Only Harman kardon AVR amplifier 3550 ( not HD) and Harman kardon AVR 240

 

[General_sound]

If I recall there was a HK 990 , a 23 kg 150 w x8 ohms doubling at 4 ohms. Had instantaneous peak current of 200amps! Heard it once at JBL Showroom in CR Park( now sadly closed) . Instantly smitten. Very powerful and impactful sound .

 

[square_wave]

If I recall there was a HK 990 , a 23 kg 150 w x8 ohms doubling at 4 ohms. Had instantaneous peak current of 200amps! Heard it once at JBL Showroom in CR Park( now sadly closed) . Instantly smitten. Very powerful and impactful sound .

I think that was one of the newer models. Post 2010. I mentioned the older classics ones because I had listened to those while in market for an integrated amp in the early 2000's. Eventually picked the 320bee.
Those NADs were everywhere those days and they packed quite a punch for their size. They were not super revealing or resolving but were quite musical especially when paired with British loudspeakers. The HKs had a bigger sound with more defined lower bass and upper highs but lacked the beguiling midrange of the NADs.

 

[rwnano]

I think that was one of the newer models. Post 2010. I mentioned the older classics ones because I had listened to those while in market for an integrated amp in the early 2000's. Eventually picked the 320bee.
Those NADs were everywhere those days and they packed quite a punch for their size. They were not super revealing or resolving but were quite musical especially when paired with British loudspeakers. The HKs had a bigger sound with more defined lower bass and upper highs but lacked the beguiling midrange of the NADs.

This aforementioned "HK lower bass" and high current capacity philosophy, accentuates the bass of my Irving Bud Fried Signature A6 transmission line speakers .

 

[reubensm]

Started off with NAD 3020e - is a very good amp, punches above its weight though rated at 20W can easily deliver good music in a mid sized room. Paired it with Dali Zensor 1 and was a perfect match made in heaven - sounds amazing! for brief period tried with Wharfedale 9.1 but the amp ran hot so I went back to Dali.

Later bought a NAD 3020 the legend - sounds more warm than 3020e and I really liked the sound not for purist but for casual enthusiast its a great amp. Paired it with vintage Accoustic Research AR-4xa and both the amp and speakers will really take you back in time to 1970s and if you just run some pop music of those era they sound great. Tried connecting and listening to vinyl and they do sound good but don't have a great collection of vinyl unfortunately.

Then got a NAD 7020 which is 3020 but with a tuner - its been good to have tuner so it does given you some options but it sounds exactly like 3020 (obvious) at some point will have to decide which one I will hold and which one will let it go (3020 vs 7020)

Now NAD 7155 is on the way - reading good things about it and am very excited to try it out!

I am also a LAD who listened to NAD and went MAD with love for the brand and I continue to remain MAD. As with most NAD users, I have also moved to other brands but still maintain my NAD rig. I too started with the 3020 (actually the 1020 preamp) and have been through several NAD integrated amps, receivers and finally landed with preamp-power amp components. Yes, NAD has its critics especially from the audiophile community, mostly around the following narratives:

• Poor build quality and reliability issues
• Cheap components used
• Coloured Sound
• Soundstage limitations (branded and packaged as the NAD house sound or neutral/warm sound)
• Fake or over-hyped features like soft clipping
• Some models have over-complicated designs and are not easy to service or repair
• They look very basic and at times, shabby

Honestly, who cares

What I've learnt from my journey with NAD is the integrated amps sound better than the receivers for some reason, their component preamps are really good and so are their power amps. Most models tend to sound similar (the much talked about NAD neutral and warm sound) and are very musical and if used with good speakers, the listening fatigue factor is very low or does not exist. There is also this something about the brand and its history with Martin (Marty) Borish and Bjørn Erik Edvardsen and its most famous amplifier, the 3020. This amplifier together with the Technics SL1200 turntable and the JBL L100 speakers, are components with legendary status in HiFi history, together with all-time high sales numbers to back up the narrative.

 

[bunny_hop]

I am also a LAD who listened to NAD and went MAD with love for the brand and I continue to remain MAD. As with most NAD users, I have also moved to other brands but still maintain my NAD rig. I too started with the 3020 (actually the 1020 preamp) and have been through several NAD integrated amps, receivers and finally landed with preamp-power amp components. Yes, NAD has its critics especially from the audiophile community, mostly around the following narratives:

• Poor build quality and reliability issues
• Cheap components used
• Coloured Sound
• Soundstage limitations (branded and packaged as the NAD house sound or neutral/warm sound)
• Fake or over-hyped features like soft clipping
• Some models have over-complicated designs and are not easy to service or repair
• They look very basic and at times, shabby

What I've learnt from my journey with NAD is the integrated amps sound better than the receivers for some reason, their component preamps are really good and so are their power amps. Most models tend to sound similar (the much talked about NAD neutral and warm sound) and are very musical and if used with good speakers, the listening fatigue factor is very low or does not exist.

GLAD to meet another LAD who is MAD about NAD

Yeah its not for the purist! but there is something about the music it produces which I just love and it will stay with me.

Yes some of the models are complicated - tried my hand in repairing 3240PE but after some point was too complicated and gave up.

 

[nn_in]

Have used 320bee,356bee,375bee and 316bee. To my ears 316bee slightly moves away from the warm sound . Possibly because the protection ckts are minimal and it's a very simple current limit ckt using two neon lamps.

 

[bunny_hop]

Have used 320bee,356bee,375bee and 316bee. To my ears 316bee slightly moves away from the warm sound . Possibly because the protection ckts are minimal and it's a very simple current limit ckt using two neon lamps.

wow thats a lot!

Have you had a chance to listen to original vs some of these model - if yes please share your experience as I have not tried any of the models mentioned.

 

[hifimaddy]

A LAD who is MAD about NAD.

I got a unique opportunity to own a NAD C320BEE (Rowen edition). This model was modified or enhanced by Rowen, a high-end audio manufacturer from Switzerland. At that time, it was only available in Switzerland, and I personally brought it back. They sound amazing. I haven't heard the regular 320BEE, but I compared it side by side with my O&B power amplifier, and to me, they sound quite similar. However, the O&B has twice the power output of the NAD, which gives it a greater sense of resolution.

Unfortunately, I have to say that this journey may be coming to an end. I am transitioning to a Class A amplifier, and this amplifier hasn't been used for a while, so I'm considering selling it. It's really tough to let it go.

 

[bunny_hop]

The big boy NAD 7155 arrived today, connected to SMSL SU-1 & Dali Zensor 5 - really pleased with the output!

I have decided to retain the original 3020 & now 7155 and let go 7020 & 3020e