Amp upgrade NAD 316Bee to 326Bee. Worthwhile?

[SJHEdin]

Hi. Has anyone listened to the Nad 316Bee and the Nad 326Bee? Is there much difference in overall sound quality?

I am currently running a Nad 316Bee with a Musical Fidelity V-Dac II and recently acquired used Quad 11L speakers. The Quads replaced a pair of Q Acoustics 2020s. For me this was a real jump in quality. Very happy with the Quads.

Having heard my Father's new Cambridge Audio CXA60 I realised just what a huge difference an amplifier can make, Clarity and detail I have never heard before. Great amp. I subsequently got itchy feet with regards to my system.

I am working wihtin a small budget but have noticed the Nad 326Bee selling at discount at £279.00. New with full warranty. If I had tha available funds I would purchase the CA CXA60 but alas I do not. For the money I think the NAD 316Bee is a great value amp however I am considering selling the 316Bee on ebay and purchasing the 326Bee. If it is simpy the case of the 326Bee providing more functionality and 10 more watts of the same sound quality for me there is little point. If however there is a noticeable difference, albeit small, in separation/staging/image and specifically high end detail I might take the plunge. I am not expecting the same result as my Father's new CA CXA60 but a step up in sound quality for a small outlay would be welcome.

As you may gather I am not a major hifi buff but do enjoy listening to good system. I mainly listen to jazz, country, folk and classical. Some advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[plastic penguin]

Hi. Has anyone listened to the Nad 316Bee and the Nad 326Bee? Is there much difference in overall sound quality?

I am currently running a Nad 316Bee with a Musical Fidelity V-Dac II and recently acquired used Quad 11L speakers. The Quads replaced a pair of Q Acoustics 2020s. For me this was a real jump in quality. Very happy with the Quads.

Having heard my Father's new Cambridge Audio CXA60 I realised just what a huge difference an amplifier can make, Clarity and detail I have never heard before. Great amp. I subsequently got itchy feet with regards to my system.

I am working wihtin a small budget but have noticed the Nad 326Bee selling at discount at £279.00. New with full warranty. If I had tha available funds I would purchase the CA CXA60 but alas I do not. For the money I think the NAD 316Bee is a great value amp however I am considering selling the 316Bee on ebay and purchasing the 326Bee. If it is simpy the case of the 326Bee providing more functionality and 10 more watts of the same sound quality for me there is little point. If however there is a noticeable difference, albeit small, in separation/staging/image and specifically high end detail I might take the plunge. I am not expecting the same result as my Father's new CA CXA60 but a step up in sound quality for a small outlay would be welcome.

As you may gather I am not a major hifi buff but do enjoy listening to good system. I mainly listen to jazz, country, folk and classical. Some advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

I would suggest the 326 would be a good upgrade. However, I think Matthewpiano could give you more details on that question.

 

[rainsoothe]

Actually, I think it's the V90 DAC to blame for the lack of clarity - all reviews say it has a smooth-ish sound. Same goes for the Quad 11l. And the 326 is even darker then the 316 (meaning more bass, warmer sound, therefore more apparent lack of clarity).

I'd suggest saving up for the Cambridge Audio CXA60 yourself (or the 80 if you need USB functionality). Or, even better, try to find a used or ex-dem Naim Nait 5si, or even Nait 5i - things will never be the same again ))

Seriously, though, try Naim Nait 5si, CA CXA 60 or 80, Creek 50A and Exposure2010 s2. And save up for an Arcam Irdac, or Chord Mojo.

 

[SJHEdin]

Thanks for the replies. I like the V90 Dac. Purchasd used on ebay to replace a DacMagic Azur which was on its last legs. Not quite as bright as the DacMagic but I certainly hear more detail / separation between instruments. Just my personal preference but I tend to avoid systems described as bright or upfront. I like smooth. However if the 326Bee has an even heavier bass end compared to 316Bee I'm not so sure I would be changing amp for the right reasons. I guess I was hoping for a similar sound signature as the 316Bee but with just a bit more detail. As always I could do with more money and as always you get what you pay for (well most of the time).

 

[rainsoothe]

regardless of dac swap, I think Nait 5si is just the thing - try it if you can

 

[matthewpiano]

My view is, don't bother. I actually feel the C316BEE is the better all-rounder, with a better balance of warmth, depth, attack, and clarity/detail. The C326BEE is heavier footed in the bass and no better in other areas IME.

 

[chebby]

Make sure the two quartz halogen bulbs in your 316BEE's Powerdrive circuit are still working ok. They are located inside the two silver coloured tubes near the transformer.

This NAD 315BEE video illustrates ...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3YKnFz47E9g

Check with your NAD dealer to make sure they still work. (Don't want to be playing the amp with the lid off for safety reasons.) They are there to protect your speakers and turn electrical energy into heat when you blast the volume.

 

[NS496]

Just a thought, why not replace DAC and amp with a D3020?

To me, the D3020 dac/amps sounds fairly natural (neither 'smooth' nor 'bright'). Just test and see if it worthwhile 'upgrade' and perhaps only a 'sidegrade', then not worth the effort...

 

[SJHEdin]

I'm leaning towards not pursuing the upgrde to the 326Bee for the time being. Think I should wait until I have sufficient funds to buy an amp in the £500 range, such as the Cambridge Audio CXA60. The 326Bee has been around for a while. Maybe it will be replaced with a newer version next year.

 

[matthewpiano]

I think that's sensible, though I have to say my C316BEE has replaced a Rega Brio-R (£548), and I'm loving every minute of listening.

 

[SJHEdin]

Thanks again for the replies. I am definitely going to hold fire on the amp upgrade for now. Think I just managed to avoid a rash purchase followed by a heavy bout of buyers regret.

 

[loneranger]

NAD C356BEE? Very powerfull.

 

[eggontoast]

They are there to protect your speakers and turn electrical energy into heat when you blast the volume.

Download and read the Powerdrive-S white paper from the 'Manuals and Downloads' section, It will give you a better understanding of how it works.

 

[Superaintit]

If you like the sound of the cambridge audio amp I'd suggest to buy a second hand 640a from ebay. Only 150, so well within budget