NAD C375bee Integrated Amp....3 stars?

[jaxwired]

I recently had the chance to spend some time listening to the new NAD C375 amp. This is the top of the NAD classic amp line. I was very surprised how different it sounded to the 326 and 355. The bass was deeper and more controlled, but the mid bass was much less punchy. Overall I thought it produced a very clean and detailed sound. I did find it odd that it did not really have the NAD "house sound" of the other smaller amps, but I still thought it sounded pretty great. I'd call it more refined.

I definately would not call it a sluggish 3 star amp with poor dynamics as WHF did. Anybody else have an opinion on this one?

 

[Clare Newsome]

In isolation the NAD can impress, but it's when you compare it with its class rivals - which is, of course, how we tested it - that we felt it was found wanting.

But, as ever, shows the importance of getting out there and hearing products for yourself!

 

[Ajani]

Clare Newsome:
In isolation the NAD can impress, but it's when you compare it with its class rivals - which is, of course, how we tested it - that we felt it was found wanting.

Actually I expected it to a get a less than stellar review, since the UK price seems way too high.... In the US it retails for less than the Naim Nait 5i-2, so I'd expect it to sell for around 700GBP... at 1000GBP it should have a very difficult time with class rivals....

 

[Anonymous]

Hey Jax, I just saw your RS6's over on AudiogoN. What happened man? I thought you loved those I am enjoyng mine but also have the upgrade bug. I was thinking about giving the Magnepan 1.6's a try. Any thoughts? I hear I would need more power though.

What speakers are you getting?

I'm in FL and will probably be putting the MA's up for sale pretty soon, so let me know what you think.

Sometimes I'm a little off topic and was wondering if there is anyway to PM members. I couldn't find any.

Thanks.....

 

[Andrew Everard]

No, at the moment there is no private messaging system.

 

[jaxwired]

dane101:

Hey Jax, I just saw your RS6's over on AudiogoN. What happened man? I thought you loved those I am enjoyng mine but also have the upgrade bug. I was thinking about giving the Magnepan 1.6's a try. Any thoughts? I hear I would need more power though.

What speakers are you getting?

I'm in FL and will probably be putting the MA's up for sale pretty soon, so let me know what you think.

Sometimes I'm a little off topic and was wondering if there is anyway to PM members. I couldn't find any.

Thanks.....

Where are you in Florida? I'm in Jacksonville.

The Magnepans definately need more juice than a NAD 326. I also considered trying Magnenpan. I was going to give the MMG's a try since they are probably the best deal in all high end audio. $550, factory direct. But, I decided against it because I have 2 toddlers and I didn't think it would work with them...

Yes, I love the RS6s. They are (in my opinion) unbeatable for the price. There is no other floorstander anywhere near the price that delivers so much great sound. However, I never intended them to be my final stop. I really just picked them up because they were so cheap (got them on audiogon), and I wanted something while I was licking my wounds from the spendor debacle. I was going to keep them longer, but I tried these little Dynaudio's as a lark, and I like them so much, I decided to go wiith them over the RS6's for now. Never thought I would be a stand mount guy, but they are great. Still, I'm thinking the X16's would suit me even better. LOL.

The other reason I sold was that Monitor Audio is about to release a replacement for the RS6 which will plummet the value. I was able to get back 95% of my investment. Don't think that will be possible a few months from now.

 

[Ajani]

jaxwired:
The other reason I sold was that Monitor Audio is about to release a replacement for the RS6 which will plummet the value. I was able to get back 95% of my investment. Don't think that will be possible a few months from now.

rrrrr??? Replacement for the RS6? Nice... any news on that?

 

[jaxwired]

Ajani:

Actually I expected it to a get a less than stellar review, since the UK price seems way too high.... In the US it retails for less than the Naim Nait 5i-2, so I'd expect it to sell for around 700GBP... at 1000GBP it should have a very difficult time with class rivals....

I was also surprised by the price given the pricing of the other amps. £1000 is steep compared to the £400 C355.

It's very odd too. Comparing British prices to USA prices:

C355 £400 $800

C375 £1000 $1300

Makes no sense. I'd like to know what the star rating would have been if it were priced at £650 like it should be. I suspect 4 stars (not 3 or 5).

 

[jaxwired]

Ajani:

rrrrr??? Replacement for the RS6? Nice... any news on that?

Yes, that's the rumor. No news, just gossip. Timing seems about right though. Makes sense.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm in Plantation. Just getting back into this. Can't believe I had to stay away so long

Nice choice on those X12's by the way. I bought some second hand stand mounts about 15 years ago and still have them to this day. (Celestion 3's) Man those are great little speakers and they have gone through many a tough night and still cranking

My thinking is that 100W should be good enough for the 1.6?? Any suggestions there. I love NAD C545 and don't have any upgrade plans for that in the near future

Well good luck on your quest and thanks again.

Dane

 

[jaxwired]

I love the C545 also. I can't see changing it either.

Regarding amps, check out Wyred4Sound.com. They sell ICEPower (Bang Olufsen) digital amps that are the equivalent or better of the Bel Canto amps for half the money. They are cheap because they sell direct from the web site. The amps have gotten very good reviews. They have a 125w 2 channel power amp for $999. You could use your NAD C326 as the pre-amp.

I'm considering trying the Wyred4Sound amps if the QUAD doesn't work out. Another option is the QUAD 909. That's what I just purchased (take delivery on Thurs). It also gets very good reviews and is 140w/c. It will easily drive the maggies. You can pick up a 909 pretty cheap these days. They retail for $1500, but can be had for around $900 new.

Final option I would suggest is to buy a NAD C275 150w/c power amp (again using the C326 as a pre-amp). I can tell you where to buy a new one at a discount if you are interested. WHF doesn't like this amp, but I can tell you that it's a very good performer and highly regarded on this side of the pond.

 

[Anonymous]

Great I will check out those options. Really appreciate the advice. I was thinking about selling the 326 and getting another integrated, not sure if this would be a no no for the upgrade?

Anyway my email is dane567@hotmail.com and you can send me the C275 info there.

Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

Am I wrong in thinking that HiFi in the states is valued as much for its investment potential as its sound quality? The majority of us here in boring old Europe would never dream of selling on gear in order to maximise its retail potential. Mind you, there's not a house in England that isn't for sale.

More to the point, have you considered switching from NAD to Naim? NAD is fine up to a point, in fact I have a C320BEE, but the speakers I have are way too good so will upgrade at some point, and I'd suggest it would be the same for the Dynaudios. Naim, apart from being in a different class in terms of musicality, also holds its value very well.

 

[jaxwired]

Tarquinh:

Am I wrong in thinking that HiFi in the states is valued as much for its investment potential as its sound quality? The majority of us here in boring old Europe would never dream of selling on gear in order to maximise its retail potential. Mind you, there's not a house in England that isn't for sale.

More to the point, have you considered switching from NAD to Naim? NAD is fine up to a point, in fact I have a C320BEE, but the speakers I have are way too good so will upgrade at some point, and I'd suggest it would be the same for the Dynaudios. Naim, apart from being in a different class in terms of musicality, also holds its value very well.

I've got to respectfully disagree with you there, these threads have Brits buying and selling their used gear all the time. I wouldn't sell something I loved, just to maximize the re-sale value either, but I never intended to keep the RS6s long term. In this case, things just worked out this way. I stumbled across the Dyns, loved them when they arrived, and then at the same time heard that MA was replacing the RS6s. Just made sense to go ahead and sell them.

Regarding investment potential, I have to laugh. While it's true that I've lost less money on HiFi than I have in the US stock market in the last 3 years, it's still producing pretty negative returns. I've just decided that due to the very limited availability of demo-able equipment that I would just create my own extended home demos by purchasing the products. As long as I buy very cheap, this is a feasible plan. I got the Dyns, as new, for 50% of retail. Luckily this hobby is chock full of people just like me, constantly switching their gear and it's very easy to find very lightly used equipment for reasonable prices on the internet.

Regarding Naim, I've never heard a Naim product. I'm sure based on the popularity and the reviews they make fantastic kit. However, I'm very happy with my NAD CDP. The C545 is outstanding. Having heard other high end CDPs, I cannot fathom that CDP playback gets much better than the C545. The C545 is a bargain and can easily compete with players costing double. I just don't think an upgrade there will be worth it. In fact, I suspect that most CDPs would make me less satisfied.

The only other NAD piece I have now is the C165 pre-amp. I think its a great pre-amp (class A gain modules). Hopefully the QUAD 909 I'm switching to (arrives tomorrow

), will make my system competitive with any NAIM integrated amp. Its a £900 amp with a 5 star WHF rating. It's also got 140 w/ch while the NAIMs all seem to be low powered affairs.

 

[Anonymous]

True, but we buy and sell gear because we're hifi anoraks, with a couple of exceptions!

I'd still listen to some Naim gear, you'll be in for a pleasant surprise. NAD gear is fine, don't get me wrong, but, and the same is true with Cambridge Audio, once you start getting towards the top of their ranges there's a lot more stuff available, much of which is arguably better.

With Naim you worry less about the power thing. An XS upwards, and certainly the Supernait, will drive your new Dynaudios without a problem. Just a thought anyway, I hope your happy with your Quad gear.