NAD OWNERS THREAD

[narenvaidee]

The nad Amp has a warm sound without air. It's characteristic of nad. It has a lot of body which makes it sound good and powerful compared to other entry level amps from marantz that focus on less body but more air.

Interesting concept. Can you explain what exactly you mean when you refer to 'body' and 'air'? It will definitely benefit folks like me getting into hifi. It's easy to relate to terms like 'warm', 'thin', and 'bright', though. Don't mean to stir up a hornet's nest as there are endless debates on which amps are warm, bright, thin, etc.

 

[audiopro]

Body is the lower tones that make up an instrument or voice. It could also be called weight. You have to experience it to understand it. Warm Amp would tend to have more body or heaviness to the sound. Air is a feeling that the sound being delivered is allowed to breathe or be free from restriction. It's an effortlessness in the sound. Ideally both body and air should be well balanced. Listen to a Marantz 8005 Amp and it sounds cleaner, open, better treble focus than say a nad which tends to sound heavier. Usually budget amps pick one or the other character and build around it but the primary character tends to be strongly present. As you go up the price ladder amps tends to get better balanced with the primary character being better disguised. Think of it in terms of beers. You have heavy beers and light ones and then you have some beers that tend to give you both flavors. You know when you experience it.

 

[narenvaidee]

Think of it in terms of beers. You have heavy beers and light ones and then you have some beers that tend to give you both flavors. You know when you experience it.

Haha, the beer analogy worked for me.
So, does this mean that bright sounding amps are airy?

 

[audiopro]

Haha, the beer analogy worked for me.
So, does this mean that bright sounding amps are airy?

No. Bright sounding amps need not be effortless. They can be bright and hard. Airy is the ability of the sound to be effortless, without restrained. A mark levinson preamp has more body than a Bryson preamp which is brighter and leaner. Yet the mark levinson is more airy. Music will sound less constricted and more free flowing on the mark levinson. Expensive equipment are able to deliver a balanced presentation. In terms of cheaper equipment an amp that sounds too heavy will usually lack air where as you have a better chance of finding an airy Amp if it tends to be slightly brighter. But this applies to cheaper equipment only. Example. Rotel is bright and brash, not bright and airy. Cheaper amps sound bright because they try and give you more detial but are not able to do it effortlessly. Too much of weight will make the sound slow prodigious and boring and too much of air will make the sound thin and lifeless. It's a balance that is required.

Hi All,
Thank you for all the NAD posts and valuable information.

The 316BEE runs almost any spkrs and recently auditioned it with PSB imagine B and Imagine XB in Bglr.
8Ohms/90db sensitivity would be great.
Source is Ipad/Saavn pro >Dragonfly DAC>316BEE>Triangle bookshelf. I do understand my source is a limitation.

Planning to have a second pair of spkr setup .
Looking at HFM as thye have a wide range of offers (except DALI i think)
QUAD S2
Dali3
Monitor Audio Bronze 2
Monitor Audio Bronze 1
PSB Alpha B1
Wharfedale Diamond 225
Castle Knight2
Quad S2
Wharfedale Diamond 11.2 Bookshelf Speakers
Wharfedale Denton Anniversary ed.

Any suggestions folks can offer in Rs50k-Rs75k range.Anybody auditioned QUAD S2 with NAD 316BEE ?

Dynaudio Emit 10. Must audition. Extremely well balanced speaker. Sounds good across different genres of music. Not impressive at first because it doesn't anything else on grab your attention but you'll find yourself listening to it longer than the other speakers. I've never heard the new quad to not sure how they perform.

 

[nn_in]

Dynaudio Emit 10. Must audition. Extremely well balanced speaker. Sounds good across different genres of music. Not impressive at first because it doesn't anything else on grab your attention but you'll find yourself listening to it longer than the other speakers. I've never heard the new quad to not sure how they perform.

I auditioned the Imagine B and Imagine XB with NAD316BEE . Imagine B sounded more controlled (is that the definition of neutral).In your other post you mention that emit10 and focal chorus ,Audionote AX2 are a good choice even with a NAD. Thanks for the input and explanation. I think your explanation on the NAD sound is spot on . Having being thru this sub 1 lac cyclic combo loop of NAD> marantz>CA>now back to NAD316BEE and spkrs 2020i>A26>now with Triangle 2ways . Since my source is a ipad>saavn pro >dragon fly i have assumed its not possible to make a big jump in sound quality unless the source is changed.

 

[audiopro]

I auditioned the Imagine B and Imagine XB with NAD316BEE . Imagine B sounded more controlled (is that the definition of neutral).In your other post you mention that emit10 and focal chorus ,Audionote AX2 are a good choice even with a NAD. Thanks for the input and explanation. I think your explanation on the NAD sound is spot on . Having being thru this sub 1 lac cyclic combo loop of NAD> marantz>CA>now back to NAD316BEE and spkrs 2020i>A26>now with Triangle 2ways . Since my source is a ipad>saavn pro >dragon fly i have assumed its not possible to make a big jump in sound quality unless the source is changed.

Neutral doesn't mean controlled. Neutral is ideally a all balanced presentation without any one frequency sticking out. Neutral can also lack a fun factor and can be boring like a real good studio monitor from dynaudio. If your using a streaming service then stick with a simple lower end setup as the higher end setups will expose the source while the lower end will cover it up with their stronger character. Yes, the focal chorus 700 series are also superb speakers. If I were you I would pick between the Emit and chorus. Both give you an insight into higher end sound. Haven't heard the quads.

 

[reubensm]

Personal opinion - a lot of buyers go for NAD based on online reviews and after indulging find the amp sounding different. The NAD signature is unique and "lazy" is the right word to describe it. You won't get thumping bass or glassy sparkling highs. What you'd get is what most would refer to dull and boring or slow and relaxed, or maybe even calm and peaceful And to add to all this, if you use tone-defeat, the sound becomes even more "lazy". If you are the type who loves to get a kick of out music with impact, then only indulge in NADs with a loudness controll or bass eq. I've gone through this myself and have listened to numerous NADs, based on which comes this opinion Happy listening.

 

[Kumar442244]

Personal opinion - a lot of buyers go for NAD based on online reviews and after indulging find the amp sounding different. The NAD signature is unique and "lazy" is the right word to describe it. You won't get thumping bass or glassy sparkling highs. What you'd get is what most would refer to dull and boring or slow and relaxed, or maybe even calm and peaceful And to add to all this, if you use tone-defeat, the sound becomes even more "lazy". If you are the type who loves to get a kick of out music with impact, then only indulge in NADs with a loudness controll or bass eq. I've gone through this myself and have listened to numerous NADs, based on which comes this opinion Happy listening.

Completely agree Ruben.

It has got its own different sound signature.

It's like beer (using the previously mentioned analogy). U need to develop taste to enjoy it.

This is my first NAD and will forever be.

 

[nn_in]

Personal opinion - a lot of buyers go for NAD based on online reviews and after indulging find the amp sounding different. The NAD signature is unique and "lazy" is the right word to describe it. You won't get thumping bass or glassy sparkling highs. What you'd get is what most would refer to dull and boring or slow and relaxed, or maybe even calm and peaceful And to add to all this, if you use tone-defeat, the sound becomes even more "lazy". If you are the type who loves to get a kick of out music with impact, then only indulge in NADs with a loudness controll or bass eq. I've gone through this myself and have listened to numerous NADs, based on which comes this opinion Happy listening.

Another nice post describing the signature of NAD.
Possibly the underlying reason why I swung back to NAD.

Personal opinion - a lot of buyers go for NAD based on online reviews and after indulging find the amp sounding different. The NAD signature is unique and "lazy" is the right word to describe it. You won't get thumping bass or glassy sparkling highs. What you'd get is what most would refer to dull and boring or slow and relaxed, or maybe even calm and peaceful And to add to all this, if you use tone-defeat, the sound becomes even more "lazy". If you are the type who loves to get a kick of out music with impact, then only indulge in NADs with a loudness controll or bass eq. I've gone through this myself and have listened to numerous NADs, based on which comes this opinion Happy listening.

Last yr Had the opportunity to run NAD 370 and PM8005 with Jamo Fs and Kef Fs. To my ears preferred the NAD.Sources were marantz 8005 player and teac stand-alone dac. Also tt connected via CA phono stage to these amp as sources though I don’t spin any LPs.Also heard jolida tube amp with xtz ribbon bs spkrs .It didn’t do much for me.So now back to 316bee.

Anybody come across white paper on PowerdriveS used in 316BEE . I could only find a few sentences as stated on NAD website

 

[Kumar442244]

Have played a FLAC file through sony BDP through 1 TB HDD. Still the same. Have reduced the bass and kept the treble at max which is making it a bit enjoyable.

All i am concerned with is the improvement in highs a bit, otherwise, i am more than happy with the amp.

Was finally able to tame the warmth.

Change of cable did the trick and sensor 3 + nad combo has come to life.

Tight and precise base with beautiful highs. Enjoying it to the full.

Special thanks to FM mash for this cable. I5 really worked.

 

[nn_in]

Was finally able to tame the warmth.

Change of cable did the trick and sensor 3 + nad combo has come to life.

Tight and precise base with beautiful highs. Enjoying it to the full.

Special thanks to FM mash for this cable. I5 really worked.

All else remaining same and the cable was changed .Does this mean that the cable is acting like a filter to change the sound signature?

Hi All,
Thank you for all the NAD posts and valuable information.

The 316BEE runs almost any spkrs and recently auditioned it with PSB imagine B and Imagine XB in Bglr.
8Ohms/90db sensitivity would be great.
Source is Ipad/Saavn pro >Dragonfly DAC>316BEE>Triangle bookshelf. I do understand my source is a limitation.

Planning to have a second pair of spkr setup .
Looking at HFM as thye have a wide range of offers (except DALI i think)
QUAD S2
Dali3
Monitor Audio Bronze 2
Monitor Audio Bronze 1
PSB Alpha B1
Wharfedale Diamond 225
Castle Knight2
Quad S2
Wharfedale Diamond 11.2 Bookshelf Speakers
Wharfedale Denton Anniversary ed.

Any suggestions folks can offer in Rs50k-Rs75k range.Anybody auditioned QUAD S2 with NAD 316BEE ?

Running the NAD316BEE with DIY spkrs https://www.hifivision.com/threads/semi-diy-fast-monitor-build-2way-sealed.70107/#post-781675
The bass rendition at low listening levels is now happening possibly due to 8inch drivers.

 

[reubensm]

Another nice post describing the signature of NAD.
Possibly the underlying reason why I swung back to NAD.

Last yr Had the opportunity to run NAD 370 and PM8005 with Jamo Fs and Kef Fs. To my ears preferred the NAD.Sources were marantz 8005 player and teac stand-alone dac. Also tt connected via CA phono stage to these amp as sources though I don’t spin any LPs.Also heard jolida tube amp with xtz ribbon bs spkrs .It didn’t do much for me.So now back to 316bee.

You should also check out the original 3020, to add to your experience with NAD. It will complete the loop for you.

Anybody come across white paper on PowerdriveS used in 316BEE . I could only find a few sentences as stated on NAD website

NAD's white paper

I'll explain it in very simple layman's terminology. There are 2 key scenarios when an amplifier's power supply (PSU) is drawn on to provide the amps, one is at high levels and the second is when low impedance speaker loads are used. As the draw from the PSU increases, especially in sudden surges, distortion arrives. This concept of NAD allows to amplifier to operate at high levels of dynamic power at low distortion levels. The key is in the design philosophy of Mr. BEE. He introduced this design initially, I think in the PE series of amplifiers (called Power Envelop technology). The concept is quite simple. Every power amplifier consists of broadly, a pre-driver, driver and output stage. The BEE design used a regulated powersupply to feed from a separate tap on the power tranny, to feed the pre-driver and driver stages of the power amplifier module while the output stage was exposed to a separate unregulated (or loosely regulated) powersupply fed by a separate tap on the same power tranny, which allowed it to draw generously and deliver what NAD called as "generous headroom". What this essentially means a NAD amplifier is able to delivery output levels in dynamic power bursts, well above their designated RMS ratings. NAD also incorporated heavier capacitor banks in their PSUs which facilitated significant current reserves for quick release during moments of heavy output load. This is also the reason why NAD amplifiers can handle a diverse array of loudspeaker loads, going down as far as 2 ohms.

I am not that great with tech explanations but hope this clarifies to some extent.

 

[nn_in]

NAD's white paper

I'll explain it in very simple layman's terminology. There are 2 key scenarios when an amplifier's power supply (PSU) is drawn on to provide the amps, one is at high levels and the second is when low impedance speaker loads are used. As the draw from the PSU increases, especially in sudden surges, distortion arrives. This concept of NAD allows to amplifier to operate at high levels of dynamic power at low distortion levels. The key is in the design philosophy of Mr. BEE. He introduced this design initially, I think in the PE series of amplifiers (called Power Envelop technology). The concept is quite simple. Every power amplifier consists of broadly, a pre-driver, driver and output stage. The BEE design used a regulated powersupply to feed from a separate tap on the power tranny, to feed the pre-driver and driver stages of the power amplifier module while the output stage was exposed to a separate unregulated (or loosely regulated) powersupply fed by a separate tap on the same power tranny, which allowed it to draw generously and deliver what NAD called as "generous headroom". What this essentially means a NAD amplifier is able to delivery output levels in dynamic power bursts, well above their designated RMS ratings. NAD also incorporated heavier capacitor banks in their PSUs which facilitated significant current reserves for quick release during moments of heavy output load. This is also the reason why NAD amplifiers can handle a diverse array of loudspeaker loads, going down as far as 2 ohms.

I am not that great with tech explanations but hope this clarifies to some extent.

Thanks for concise explanation

 

[raghukanthjoshi]

I have a NAD cassette Deck

 

[hifitoaster]

Had a 3020, and a t760 receiver in the past. To say, the receiver was very good for stereo. 3020 had a very good resale value for an amp that old. Thanks to internet.

 

[niftianmadhur]

Anyone has the NAD 716 AV receiver? This is the first AV receiver made by NAD. I have bought one in good condition(used) some time back after reading very nive reviews on the internet and I am really surprised for the sound quality it produces with my PMC BS and Dynaaudio FS. I am otherwise driving the dynaaudio with another pre-power combination and using the NAD occassionally. Though Dynaaudio is a power hungry speaker, NAD drivers it easily and the sound is very open. When I was in the search for amplifier for my PMC TB2, i had a great difficulty as the lower or mid level AV receiver were not able to drive them properly. Thats why I moved to pre-power combo.

 

[hifitoaster]

I had the T760, was a typo before it really was a solid machine. My remote got damaged and on some stupid moment, without thinking further about a logitech Harmony I sold it off for 10k. I dont regret in selling off the 3020 for 8k but I think this was a mistake. it had a similar sound with lot more options. Later I searched all chennai ritchie street for another one but had no luck in finding one. I think everyone must have a spare NADs for their upgrade journey which includes 4ohms speakers. They drive low impedance stuff well.

 

[vin_eme]

This is my setup
Source->Schiit Bifrost w/Uber - Wyred2Sound DAC LE-1 -> NAD C375BEE, ->Tannoy DC6T SE >
Sound signature to die for

 

[Kumar442244]

This is my setup
Source->Schiit Bifrost w/Uber - Wyred2Sound DAC LE-1 -> NAD C375BEE, ->Tannoy DC6T SE >
Sound signature to die for

This must be amazing.

Which part of bangalore are u putting up?

 

[Kannan]

I had a NAD 3020 for many years (lost count actually). Recapped and sold it finally to a FM who wanted to gift it to his nephew.
It is an addictive amp, I have owned quite a few that sounded superior, but the 3020 had something unique to it and I kept it with me. It would often do a long session and then go back into storage.
Was it an addictive mid, a blush low or that kind tuby highs, had to explain, it just used to bring a smile.

The only other amp that lasted as long with me was a Dynaco from the 60s, possibly the best overall sound I have ever enjoyed from an amp.

I have heard quite a few other NADS, but the 3020 was something special and deserves its place in history.