What is it with nad?

[Tibor]

Nad made listenable, musical amps at low/moderate price, this is the secret, I think. No harsh sound, just easy for ears. Arcam amplifiers are similar, but at higher price.

But be aware, the 320 BEE for exaple has a very inprecise volume regulation (by remonte), very annoying.I sold it my Nad amp because this problem with volume regulation by remonte control. I think the 326 has similar problem with volume adjusting

 

[eengineer]

Well, I bought a c326bee for £282 just a week ago. I didn't auditioned it. I didn't knew a thing about NAD. I just went for it, tired from comparing brands, reviews and bothersome forum posts.

The moment I hooked up my speakers (dc6tse) and switched it on I immediately got it.
NAD is about no nonsense, sober quality products with heaps of power and enthousiasm, while keeping things in balance. It's about enjoying music to the full end instead of listening to and comparing equipment.
They master the basics (which aren't all that complex) and build things properly (look at the lay-out, the gigantic pcb, the oversized caps, the sturdy casing.)
Everything from here is just nitpicking and you really just should be listening to music.

 

[Nelly]

Well, I bought a c326bee for £282 just a week ago. I didn't auditioned it. I didn't knew a thing about NAD. I just went for it, tired from comparing brands, reviews and bothersome forum posts.

The moment I hooked up my speakers (dc6tse) and switched it on I immediately got it.
NAD is about no nonsense, sober quality products with heaps of power and enthousiasm, while keeping things in balance. It's about enjoying music to the full end instead of listening to and comparing equipment.
They master the basics (which aren't all that complex) and build things properly (look at the lay-out, the gigantic pcb, the oversized caps, the sturdy casing.)
Everything from here is just nitpicking and you really just should be listening to music.

absolutely agree its great to come to the forum for advice about hifi equipment when your new to hifi.but sometimes you leave more confused than ever.most of us dont have the luxury of going and audittioning kit so blind buying is more common than demos especially for the budget minded consumer this is where i think nad are great..i read about other amps being harsh bright ect ect which makes partnering equipment more hassle.nad seem to make amps that can almost compliment most speakers you throw at them(well so i have read anyway).its a smooth listen i can listen for hours to music without it becoming tiring.i am new to hifi but i love music.i dont want to become an audiophile and obsess about detail,clarity,transparency.punch these are just a few of the hundreds of terms ive heard banded about.i just want my music to sound good which my nad amp accomplishes with aplom.i also use the tone control(do not sneer at me audiophiles )because not all music is created equal so if i need more treble or bass there it is and vice versa.this is my first ever hifi amp i will not be changing it untill it breaks then it will be another nad

 

[trj007]

NAD remains true to the original philosophy of no nonsense, honest design, keep the bells and whistles to a minimum and all their amps, even the entry-level C316BEE will drive any speaker with an impedance down to 2 ohms. I notice comments that some for instance consider the current crop of DENON amps sounds 'better'. Agreed, anyone is entitled to his/her own opinion. I have been in this game since the mid 70s and heard NAD the first time mid 1979 - I think it was the 3030 integrated amp driving a pair of original Quad Electrostatics - full tilt without going into premature clipping or distortion. From that moment I realised that that NAD is different, and it still is!

The earliest products were branded 'New Acoustic Dimension' and finished in a sort of champagne gold, receivers mainly if I recall correctly.

Distributed by the Marantz peope at that time, they were marketed as something specially designed for the uk market at a lower price to the then premium Marantz range. The big breakthrough came with the 3030, VU meters and all and the cheaper, simpler 3020, one of the great budget amplifiers of all time.

My Dual/NAD/AR18s system of the mid-late 70s remains in my mind as one of the best budget systems ever, even upgrades from such highly regarded brands as Rega and Audiolab only suceeded in making it sound worse.

Like this one...?

I'm after one of this beauties, but hard to find with all the lights working and in mint condition. And seems that Germany as them all, I've only find a few selling over there...

That looks similar to an old Marantz receiver.

 

[davedotco]

Not that dissimilar, a fact played up by the importer who also handled Marantz.

Fairly generic for the time though.