Question NAD 3100 PE

[FraD]

Good morning everyone.
I recovered an old NAD 3100 pe amp, from 1990, and listening to it I was surprised by how it sounds.
Many times we are surprised by how certain amplifiers from a few years ago sound, especially when compared to the best amplifiers currently in use.
Anyone knows this amplifier, remembers it, has had the opportunity to listen to it, what do you think?

 

[nads]

Not that one in particular. But have had a few others.

 

[FraD]

Well guys........ come on, no one else can tell me anything.....

 

[Al ears]

Well guys........ come on, no one else can tell me anything.....

Obviously not... And I have never heard of a 3100 pe

 

[James105]

Well guys........ come on, no one else can tell me anything.....

Well its not a pre-amp the 3xxx model number means its a integrated amp from the 80's or v.early 90's. The PE stands for "power envelope" You can use it as a pre amp by pulling out the links on the back.

Thats about all I know its a little before my time.

 

[nopiano]

Obviously not... And I have never heard of a 3100 pe

I hadn’t either. But I looked it up and saw it was 60wpc.

 

[Al ears]

I hadn’t either. But I looked it up and saw it was 60wpc.

Where does the PE bit come from??
Oops, just seen previous post although could not find any mention of a 3100pe anywhere.

 

[nopiano]

Where does the PE bit come from??
Oops, just seen previous post although could not find any mention of a 3100pe anywhere.

I actually wrote a reply a few days ago saying it wasn’t a PRE-amp, but an integrated and then realised it was the way the opening post had been written…so I deleted my reply!

 

[FraD]

Hi everyone.
The indication pre-amplifier is a transcription error, I know very well that it is an integrated amplifier, the wording PE indicates enveloped power and indicates reserve power.
The NAD 3100 PE is an amplifier built by NAD when NAD was still English and was famous at that time for its amplifiers with lots of instant, reserve power.
The nad 3100 pe is a 60w per channel into 8 ohm amplifier capable of developing 330w power into 2 ohm loads.

 

[nopiano]

Hi everyone.
The indication pre-amplifier is a transcription error, I know very well that it is an integrated amplifier, the wording PE indicates enveloped power and indicates reserve power.
The NAD 3100 PE is an amplifier built by NAD when NAD was still English and was famous at that time for its amplifiers with lots of instant, reserve power.
The nad 3100 pe is a 60w per channel into 8 ohm amplifier capable of developing 330w power into 2 ohm loads.

Was NAD ever English? It was sold to retailers by a semi-franchise type of group back in the 1970s called Hifi Markets if my memory serves me - in Britain, at least.

It was all made in Japan or other Asian countries. But I see their early history included a London HQ. Not too clear who actually owned them, though.

About Us - NAD Electronics

In 1972, a new kind of audio company was born. NAD took form when a large group of audio-industry importers in Europe, all music lovers, set out to develop products that cut through the industry hype. The goal of NAD was to prove that excellent sound quality and excellent value could exist...

nadelectronics.com

 

[Al ears]

Hi everyone.
The indication pre-amplifier is a transcription error, I know very well that it is an integrated amplifier, the wording PE indicates enveloped power and indicates reserve power.
The NAD 3100 PE is an amplifier built by NAD when NAD was still English and was famous at that time for its amplifiers with lots of instant, reserve power.
The nad 3100 pe is a 60w per channel into 8 ohm amplifier capable of developing 330w power into 2 ohm loads.

I'd like to see where you get these figures from.....because they look decidedly suspect.

 

[Gray]

Was NAD ever English?

I didn't think so.
I ought to have more idea, having owned the original 3020 / 4020 pair.

I always thought America came into the story somehow.
Unless I've always been mistaken, NAD = New Acoustic Dimension.

 

[James105]

I'd like to see where you get these figures from.....because they look decidedly suspect.

Nad-3100.html Its what they claim in the manual

 

[Al ears]

Nad-3100.html Its what they claim in the manual

I don't know any amp that can more than double the output fro m 8 to 4 to 2ohms...

 

[James105]

I don't know any amp that can more than double the output fro m 8 to 4 to 2ohms...

It's not continuous output , it a a peak output in milliseconds, for all I know its what the meter was reading just before it burst into flames

 

[Al ears]

It's not continuous output , it a a peak output in milliseconds, for all I know its what the meter was reading just before it burst into flames

The figures quoted don't make any sense, but that's NAD for you....

 

[FraD]

The figures quoted don't make any sense, but that's NAD for you....

I'm surprised by the comments you're making.
These concepts should be known, it is true that now they are no longer talked about because they are now well-known topics.
Even current amplifiers have instantaneous power much higher than the declared continuous power although perhaps not at those levels, this has now become normal and is no longer indicated in the manuals.
But in the early 80's amplifiers were not normally built with these concepts but only continuous power was taken care of.
NAD was the first to introduce amplifiers with these characteristics, becoming famous for this, with amplifiers with a few watts of continuous power they were able to give much higher instantaneous power, this is how the image of Nad was formed, let's remember that we are in the early years 80.
At that time, in order to have high instantaneous powers, it was necessary to have high continuous powers.
Today this is no longer the case, but the concept remains.
Let's remember that the musical signal is not a continuous signal but an extremely variable one, so you need to have the ability to give power when the peaks of the signal require it which are extremely short, instantaneous.
This is what it takes to have the ability to deliver high instantaneous power without having amplifiers with many watts.

 

[Al ears]

I'm surprised by the comments you're making.
These concepts should be known, it is true that now they are no longer talked about because they are now well-known topics.
Even current amplifiers have instantaneous power much higher than the declared continuous power although perhaps not at those levels, this has now become normal and is no longer indicated in the manuals.
But in the early 80's amplifiers were not normally built with these concepts but only continuous power was taken care of.
NAD was the first to introduce amplifiers with these characteristics, becoming famous for this, with amplifiers with a few watts of continuous power they were able to give much higher instantaneous power, this is how the image of Nad was formed, let's remember that we are in the early years 80.
At that time, in order to have high instantaneous powers, it was necessary to have high continuous powers.
Today this is no longer the case, but the concept remains.
Let's remember that the musical signal is not a continuous signal but an extremely variable one, so you need to have the ability to give power when the peaks of the signal require it which are extremely short, instantaneous.
This is what it takes to have the ability to deliver high instantaneous power without having amplifiers with many watts.

I am glad it sounds good to you.
"The nad 3100 pe is a 60w per channel into 8 ohm amplifier capable of developing 330w power into 2 ohm loads." - this is the bit that doesn't sound right...

 

[gasolin]

nothing wrong with that

330 watt preak power

 

[FraD]

I am glad it sounds good to you.
"The nad 3100 pe is a 60w per channel into 8 ohm amplifier capable of developing 330w power into 2 ohm loads." - this is the bit that doesn't sound right...

Obviously I didn't explain myself well.
I wasn't talking about listening, although it has its importance, but about what the declared data meant.
In the 80s the builders began
to pursue these design concepts and declared this data in the manuals because it indicated an important characteristic for the amplifiers.
In my post the concept expressed seemed clear to me, the 330w on 2 ohms are instantaneous and not continuous power, they are known real data, now even the current amplifiers work with this characteristic, they manage to give an instantaneous power much higher than the continuous power.
I repeat, the musical signal is not a continuous signal but an extremely variable one with frequent peaks of very short, instantaneous duration, and the amplifier must provide power for those instantaneous peaks.
Yet these are not new, unknown things, I seemed to have been clear.

 

[Gray]

Obviously I didn't explain myself well.

You did, it's clear what you're saying don't worry.

I owned the original 3020, rated at just 20W per channel, but able to sound more lively.
You could hear the instantaneous power delivery.

I think the likes of Naim would take issue with NAD being the first to deliver meaningful bursts though.
What reallymade the NAD brand, more than than anything else, was the sound they offered for under eighty quid - recognisable value that made a true legend out of the 3020.