Question on EQ / Levels / Mix NAD 3020

Rockrabbit

New Member
Hi,

I have an old NAD 3020 that has been working fine for the past few years. Recently I moved house and set up the system again. It worked fine for a few days and then I started noticing that the dynamics of the sound mix started changing: The vocals were left at the back of the mix, while certain instruments were way too forwards etc. Also at times, the melody vocals are quiet while the harmonies are very pronounced. Its very strange - all my albums sound like they have been re-mastered - but very badly :(. Any thoughts what might be the problem or how I can solve it? It is currently hooked up to an AMC CD player and playing through some old MS Carnival speakers. I tried changing the input channels, but the same problem persisted.

Any help on the matter would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

H
 
Has the NAD3020 been totally recapped in the last few years?
If it hasn't then I'm totally surprised its lasted this long.
 
I'm not sure that the sonics you are describing are all attributed to aging caps. Probably are. NAD's used budget caps, it
will be screaming out for a recap.

Is the NAD3020 worth recapping? Depends, do you have the diy skills. I've recapped 3, it's a reasonably easy job. They sound OK after the recap, but not great. They were a budget amp. Also depends how attached you are to the amp and also your budget. What do you replace it with? If you buy vintage then that item will need a recap.

Also the NAD3020 does not have any speaker protection circuitry, so you get that power on/off thump.

Sorry for the circular argument, if you have the skills and are happy with the sound then it would benefit from a recap.
 
Thanks for your input. I am good at most things DIY, but I'm not an electronic fundi. I can solder things, but have no knowledge about circuitry. I have no idea where to begin sourcing the caps and where they are located on the circuit board.
I'm based in South Africa and I hope the components are available here or it may end up becoming expensive. Do you think I could do it for under 100 Australian dollars?

I'm happy with the sound, but I don't want to spend a lot of money for the sake of being nostalgic. There may be better options to upgade for instance.
 
The service manual is freely available on the net. It shows you part location etc.
Parts cost should be just under AUD100- (using premium audio caps)
Source from Mouser or Digikey in the USA, they normally charge $30-40 fedex shipping unless you buy USD200+
Do not buy on ebay , amazon, your local supplier, too many fakes.

Depend how into hifi you are and what the rest of you system is and where you would like to take it.
If you want hifi on the cheap then the 3020 is ok. If you want to spend AUD650-750 on a fully restored
yamaha ca-800 then it will smoke your 3020, but if you don't have the source/speakers then what's the point.
Then there are other yamaha/kenwood/sansui/luxman,,, amps that make the CA-800 sound ordinary.
If you buy vintage it will need a recap.

If you are careful/methodical then the 3020 is a reasonably easy amp to upgrade, probably the easiest option.
 
I love my 3020. Did you end up restoring yours?

I can't imagine cheap capacitors are unavailable in South Africa. But I have never been there. Would like to visit one day!
 
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