nad c355 amp is there a nad c356 on the horizon

[lee37]

i have decided to get a nad c355 for my stereo system.

before i buy it i noticed it came out in may 2008 and have just seen the release of the c326 to replace the c325

so is there a c356 due out in may?

 

[jaxwired]

Not sure, but I highly doubt it. NAD started converting all their Hi Fi electronics to new editions in 2008. The 355 was one of the first to come out under the new line. They have since been slowly releasing new versions of each amplifier, all sharing common look, feel, and features. The 355 is clearly part of the new current line where as the 325 was part of the old line. The 326 simply was the latest release in the new line that the 355 is part of. They seem to now be done with the recent release of the C375BEE, all the amps are now updated to the new line.

Now with that said, you still never know for sure. If you want to be totally safe, buy the C326 or the C375. Those are both brand new this year.

 

[link]

speaking of which, i sold my 325bee and now undecided which way to go, the new 326bee or the 355bee. any opinion would be highly appreciated.

thanks.

 

[jaxwired]

Well,the 326 got 5 stars from WHF and the 355 only got 4 stars, but I suspect they sound extremely similar and the stars had more to do with price vs. value. Regarding which one to get, I'd base that entirely on speakers. If you need more than 50 watts to drive your speakers, then I'd go with the 355. The 355 would also give you more options in the future when selecting new speakers as they can drive less effecient speakers more effectively.

 

[link]

one more question jaxwired, will there be any sound difference from c325bee to 355bee? will it justifies the £140 price difference?

thanks.

 

[jaxwired]

link:

one more question jaxwired, will there be any sound difference from c325bee to 355bee? will it justifies the £140 price difference?

I'm assuming you meant to 326, not 325. Since the 355 has 50% more power than the 326, there is likely a small difference in sound when the music calls for big dynamics swings, but this would be very subtle unless your speakers were hard to drive. If you have 8 ohm speakers with a 88db effeciency or better, I'd save the money and buy the 326.

On the other hand, if you are the type of person that will keep your gear for many many years, the 355 will give you more options over the 10 years you own it and £140 is not that much money.

 

[link]

i meant the 325 as that what's i had before and wonders if the switch to 355 will make a difference. i could get the 325 again for £230, the 326 for £325 and the 355 for £370. do you think i should just buy the 325 again?

many thanks.

 

[jaxwired]

link:

i meant the 325 as that what's i had before and wonders if the switch to 355 will make a difference. i could get the 325 again for £230, the 326 for £325 and the 355 for £370. do you think i should just buy the 325 again?

That's a tougher question. I'm fortunate enough that the price diff between the used 325 and a new 355 is not significant. So I would go for the 355. Do I think the 355 is a better amp than a used 325. Yes I do. You'll get a full warranty, more power, and the latest design from the 355. That would be worth it to me.

If, however, you are a struggling student with no money and will be up grading to Roksan or Cyrus in 2 years when you land your first investment banking job then I would buy the 325.

-Jax

 

[link]

thanks for the help, maybe i'll go for the 355 as you've suggested 🙂

 

[Anonymous]

Power is not really about volume but of course high powered amps are only slightly louder than low powered amps. What power buys you is not lots more volume you more headroom, less clipping, less distortion, and better dynamic range.

This was very apparent when I switched from NAD C320 to NAD C352, there is more presence in the music, the bass is better defined, a greater soundstage is created, the dynamic range is very apparent. So I would say if you want to go second hand get the NAD C352 or new, get the C355, it's up to you.

 

[link]

so are you saying its worth the price difference? because i don't want to go back to 325bee again and the price difference for 326 and 355 is minimal. another question hifi newbie, how do you compare 352 to 355bee? which is better in your opinion?

thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

Well to address that, the C326 is closer in price because of the very low pound, which of course since it's manufactured in the far east, the yen has increased massively sterling and so that has been passed on. To be honest, it hasn't even been fully passed on, my guess is that most of these manufacturers have passed on some of the price but more will have to follow unless sterling picks up markedly and so the increase is going to be incremental.

It is definitely worth the price difference re the C325 and C3555 for the reasons mentioned and in terms of a direct comparison between the C352 and C355, I don't really hear a difference, both are excellent and so it really come down to whether you are after new or second hand. To be honest, it's not like it's a new model, it's an update in the same range so I wouldn't really expect a marked difference, hope that helps!

 

[link]

thanks! it is really helpful.

 

[chebby]

Worth bearing in mind that the NAD C326BEE not only got 5 WHF stars in it's 1st test (April edition), but has just beaten off the Rotel RA-04, Marantz PM6002, and Yamaha A-S700 amplifiers in a group test in the latest WHF (May issue).

Probably worth a listen anyway if 50watts per channel is enough. (NAD are pretty 'conservative' on these figures and those 50watts would be genuine watts, 'continuous average' into 8 ohms rather than just peak figures. The peak 'dynamic' figure is more like 100watts into 8 ohms.)

NAD have never had problems with their amps competing well above their 'weight' or sounding far bigger than they ought to based on paper specifications.

 

[link]

and that makes me confused again lol.

 

[Anonymous]

Remember what I said about the difference in power, it does make a big difference and in addition a more powerful amplifier will insure you against further speaker upgrades.

 

[lee37]

well in the end i went for the nad 355 as i got it for £280 new

and it is excellent.

i also updated me speaker cables to chord odyssey 2 and my interconnects to chord cobra 3 and the improvement was very good

i would recommend those cables to anyone with a nad amp.

previously i has qed 400xt speaker and qed audio 2

i dont think i would ever upgrade my speakers as they now sound even better

 

[link]

i went for 355 as well but for £350, what is your speaker lee?

 

[jaxwired]

I know...I love my NAD amp also. In fact, I just turned down a 25% discount on a new Kandy K2 to keep the NAD. If there's one thing I've learned in my 20 years enjoying this hobby its that I'm more likely to be LESS happy with an upgrade than MORE happy.

The NAD is just a great amp and does everything I want. I will eventually buy something else (becuase it's fun to try new stuff), but when I do, I'll keep the NAD...

-Jax

 

[SteveR750]

You could always buy my 3 yr old immaculate condition C352 which is currently lounging on ebay at the moment...

which will probably go for about half the cost of a spanking new 355 from Richer Sounds......

I'm always intrigued nay baffled by WHF's star rating system - I fail to see how a unit can go from 5 star product of the year (think B&W DM303 in 2002 or 03 IIRC) and then within 12 months become 4 stars. Likewise, the current Kandy K2 amp is THE choice under a £1k according to these very web pages, yet in the mag so is the Naim 5i.....! So which one is it???? So the C352 was a monster hit in 2006 winning product of the year and suddenly its successor is now merely very good - Im never sure whether its relative or absolute - which is why I always use Hi Fi Answers list as its far more consistent and stable, if less detailed in its coverage.

So I do wonder how big the difference is between a C352 and a C355 in all honesty, given the jump from C352 to K2. I'm not sure oif the value in waiting for a newer version as it will cost more and be marginally better, if at all.

 

[jaxwired]

SteveR750,

Are you saying that your new K2 is only marginally better than the NAD?

As for your other comments, I agree. The C355bee got 4 stars, but the C326 is now their favorite budget amp. How different could they be? In fact, it's hard to believe that the 30 extra watts the 355 puts out would not make it superior to the 326. And the price jump is marginal.

I do think that as a general trend, the WHF ratings are good indicators and helpful in making a purchase. But they have a tough job and are in the business of subjective evaulations. So there's bound to be inconsistencies.

 

[SteveR750]

jaxwired:
SteveR750,

Are you saying that your new K2 is only marginally better than the NAD?

As for your other comments, I agree. The C355bee got 4 stars, but the C326 is now their favorite budget amp. How different could they be? In fact, it's hard to believe that the 30 extra watts the 355 puts out would not make it superior to the 326. And the price jump is marginal.

I do think that as a general trend, the WHF ratings are good indicators and helpful in making a purchase. But they have a tough job and are in the business of subjective evaulations. So there's bound to be inconsistencies.

I wouldn't (didn't) use the word marginal to describe the difference between them (352 and K2), though I'm suspicious that listeining position and location of speakers in a room has a similar of not bigger effect on the perceived sound quality. But, the law of diminishing returns means double the price doesnt double the quality; that which can be quantified at least. In subjective terms to me, there is a world of difference between the K2 and the NAD, but I reckon I'd be hard pressed to tell a 352 and 335 apart....

 

[nads]

chebby:
(NAD are pretty 'conservative' on these figures and those 50watts would be genuine watts, 'continuous average' into 8 ohms rather than just peak figures. The peak 'dynamic' figure is more like 100watts into 8 ohms.)

Very conservative more like.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi, I love the sound of my NAD C325BEE.

If I were to upgrade to the new Naim 5i or Roksan K2, which amp would be closer in characteristics to the sound of NAD?

 

[matthewpiano]

I would say the Roksan. Do yourself a favour though and make sure you audition EXTENSIVELY if you plan on changing the NAD. I had a C325BEE a couple of years ago and have been through all sorts in an attempt to upgrade but never been satisfied. I've just bought a brand new C325BEE again and I'm really happy.

The Naim and Roksan are certainly better than the NAD, but for some reason it is strangely difficult to move on from the C325BEE. Its a cracking little amp and uncommonly satisfying to own.