Are NAD unreliable ?

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In defence of NAD , the experience I did have of a faulty C545BEE was one of a satisfactory outcome and NADs Brand Manager (Rob Hunt) actually took the time to actually ring me and listen to my concerns with the quality of that particular product and explained to me as to what was causing the fault that the player developed.

There is an earlier thread on here that gives the full story as to what happend.

I think as well because of the good relationship of 30years I`ve had with the HIFI dealer where I purchased it from did help in resolving the problem I had with an early version of that particular model and I beleive if you get good customer service from a HIFI dealer , is to keep going back even if they can`t price match from the local supermarket HIFI dealer.

The C545BEE player its self is absolutaly superb and suits my system and listening style.

JOTABOY
 
FrankHarveyHiFi:

To answer your earlier question igglepiggle (which I missed earlier), I say that if you get a NAD that works, all's well and good. But if you get one that doesn't or is faulty out of the box, want to repair it, NOT exchange it. Hence my point earlier about some manufacturers back up service not being up to scratch as far as the dealer is concerned.

igglepiggle:Indeed but what we are talking about here is dealers consciously discouraging customers buying NAD through not stocking because they clearly don't have a good return policy with the manufacturer.

Imagine if you owned a hi-fi store. Would you rather your customers bought something reliable that doesn't come back, or something that if faulty from new ends in you losing time and money on numerous phone calls, and delays in being able to sort your customers out? We're also on the verge of not keeping products from another manufacturer because they're being extremely awkward about returns. This why I mention that the law protects buyers in that they just get a new one, but the retailer is having to have stock back that is repaired because the manufacturer won't credit the item or replace it with a new one. On thther hand, some manufacturers are brilliant - Arcam in particular.

I completely agree with you - if I were running a business I would take the exactly the same view. I guess my concern is if this is prevalent (and maybe all you dealers are sharing the view elsewhere) then its best out in the open where you can influence consumer choice - and even reviewer opinions - reliability and service are also essential components to recommending a product - not just that it sounds great ?

Andrew - does WHF consider this in awarding recommendations ?
 
No, I'd have to say the relationship between Frank Harvey HiFi and Armour Home Electronics doesn't play a major part in our deliberations...
 
Speaking to staff in hi fi shops in Bristol over the past couple of months while upgrading my system i've been under the impression NAD products rarely develop a fault; sevenoaks here have said they've only ever had to send one NAD product back!

Quick question igglePiggle; i'm also running 685s with the C326 amp-does your amp get really hot? i've been told the amp can run hot, especially with those speakers, but mine seems to run insanely hot!

Cheers!
 
All amps, regardless of budget and reputation, are pretty much the same. In the main they are reliable, but like any mechanical item you'll pick-up the occasional bad one. I would say that CDPs and speakers the ones to be careful of only because by definition they generally have more moving parts.
 
jsl20:

Speaking to staff in hi fi shops in Bristol over the past couple of months while upgrading my system i've been under the impression NAD products rarely develop a fault; sevenoaks here have said they've only ever had to send one NAD product back!

Quick question igglePiggle; i'm also running 685s with the C326 amp-does your amp get really hot? i've been told the amp can run hot, especially with those speakers, but mine seems to run insanely hot!

Cheers!

Not out of the box yet jsl but its going to get a lot of play this weekend so will get back to you in the next day of so. How do you find the match - I only swopped the 685's onto my Denon M37 last and I was astounded by the difference - can't wait to try out the NAD's. Also going to be looking for control at lower volumes because many have suggested the 355 was a better partner - but it doesn't seem to get as good a review as the 326.
 
i really liked the match with the C326 and the 685s; i also tried the well-reviewed diamond 10.1's (rubbish) and a RA04-SE (really good) but the C326/685 combo seemed the best. the C326/C545 combo was a bit rich for my liking (I went for a Rega Apollo), but was still good.
 
Andrew Everard:No, I'd have to say the relationship between Frank Harvey HiFi and Armour Home Electronics doesn't play a major part in our deliberations...

Our relationship with Armour isn't in question here. NAD are an independent company who still function as such, they are only distributed through Armour. NAD still set their own policies, as would any manufacturer.
 
I'd agree with plastic penguin.

In the last 15 years I've had 3 cdps go wrong, a Nad, a Marantz and a Sony, all started skipping or not recognising discs. In the same time I had 1 amp, a Nad, and not a days problem with it.

That doesn't include cheapo systems at work, on all of which the cdp packed up after a year.
 
FrankHarveyHiFi:Our relationship with Armour isn't in question here. NAD are an independent company who still function as such, they are only distributed through Armour. NAD still set their own policies, as would any manufacturer.

Indeed, but just as the consumer's direct relationship is with the retailer, so one assumes the retailer's is with the distributor.
 
It is, but the level of back up service Armour can provide to the retailer is limited in this instance by NAD themselves. But repairs are still dealt with by NAD.
 
Do we need an independent Referee to come in here?

I hear a Guy called Howard is still buzzing from his last bit of work and is looking for a challenge!

OK - ok - "Taxi for Serenity"
 
Serenity:Do we need an independent Referee to come in here?

Erm no, because that would suggest a fight or argument, which is definitely not taking place.
 
Nope, I'm just providing info
emotion-1.gif
 
Referring back to the OP:-

A "thumbs up" for NAD from me.
I've had no problems with the NAD kit I've bought over the years.
 
Well my NAD 3020i is still working fine. I bought it in 1989 fo £99. So no complaints there.
 
Sevenoaks in glasgow said same thing to me about Nad. i have a nad amp and cd player and no problems with th amp or cd but i am on my 3rd remote for the amp. Would still buy another though as they sound so good and with a 5 year guarantee from richer sounds, who cares?
 
JSL,

been running the kits for couple of hours at a time and the 326 never gets hot - in fact its barely warm even over where I can see the heatsinks. I must qualify though I use it in a smallish room (3mx4m) and I am unable to push the volume beyond 25-33%. Maybe if I were running it louder it would be a little warmer. Are you running it loud, have you got good speaker cables ?
 
Fraz1:Sevenoaks in glasgow said same thing to me about Nad. i have a nad amp and cd player and no problems with th amp or cd but i am on my 3rd remote for the amp. Would still buy another though as they sound so good and with a 5 year guarantee from richer sounds, who cares?

Maybe there are better margins to be had on other brands? A retailer is in business like anyone else to make money after all, and nothing else. It just happens that for some the business model is best served by offering a high level of customer 'service'
 
FORDFIESTA:I want to buy a C545BEE, is it safe? (sorry, im from Norway, can't find th right words always🙂

Yes. All brands have problems and you can never guarantee that any particular sample won't break. However, consumer law in the EU (and presumably in Norway as well) protects the consumer very well.
 
cheers for that igglepiggle, my amp usually runs at about 8-9 o'clock on the dial. i've got silver screen carnival cable that is ~3 months old and in perfect condition. my room is also kind of small, i've got my CD player sat on top.
 
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