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Audio Dynamics- a.k.a. NAD?

Here is one of my Audio Dynamics B200.

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Ahh NAD (New Audio Dimension) one of my fav's from back in the day, owned the original 3020 and loved it (wish I still had it) but that stuff sure looks like rebadged NAD equipment to me.
 
The CD player also features a Philips CDM-12 transport, which is also used in a bunch of other pretty good CDP's. The PCM56, as you noted, is also a pretty nice DAC!

az
 
Philips DVD and cd-rom transports are rock solid IME....low jitter and reliable for the most part.

M Jarve, that's interesting about the amplifier being DC coupled only through one input & when 'straight' is engaged. :yes:
 
I found some ADC equipment in a Dieter Rams (Braun) collection, which started me thinking that the line looks as much like later Braun lines as much as NAD. The last line is documented here...

http://www.thevintageknob.org/braun-R1.html

The earlier Braun lines have the similar square case lines as well. The digital displays seem like. And the Braun stuff was also very well constructed. Those power amps - I don't know about, they seem to be moving in another design direction.

As for the filter, there is some further note on this here...

http://aroundcny.com/technofile/texts/adc88.html
 
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The Canadian Audio Dynamics company is not related to the US ADC, which is located in CT. The US company left the consumer audio business about 20 years ago and now manufactures telecommunications equipment. I don't think they ever made case goods other than equalizers.
 
jhaan92 said:
...Does anyone have a picture of the DBX power amplifier, with the digital power meters? Lets see if you can post it so I can take a look at it!
-Jason
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I had this for a short while before (due to the economic situation at the time) I sold it :bash::bash::bash:


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i cant say for sure but i dont think audio dynamics was a part of ADC but for sure not NAD.

still, those components look solid.
 
Ah, the mighty DBX BX-3! I sure do miss mine. It could hang, sonically, with the Yamaha MX-1000U that replaced it. I only kept the Yamaha because I had scored the matching preamp and tuner also. I've been on the lookout for another BX-3...

I do believe that ADC and Audio Dynamics Corp. were the same outfit. They went through multiple ownership changes, like many smaller companies. I think their early stuff was their own design, such as the TT carts and EQ's. Later, as a subsidiary of BSR, their stuff was re-branded DBX, etc. I don't think NAD had anything to do with them, as I don't think NAD was ever in the BSR stable. The later Audio Dynamics gear, like MJarve has, are very reminiscent of Euro import gear like Braun. It seems that I have seen their double, just can't remember what it was!

Definitely nice stuff, though.
 
seriously considering picking one of these up locally to accompany my BX3. Amazing how closely the B200 and BX3 resemble each other.
 
NAD, European design originally, but their raison d'etre was to make really good gear at affordable prices, so their business model included offshore manufacturing from the getgo.
 
I sure doubt anyone is reading this anymore, but just some historical record, since most of the history recited here is typical web mishmash, conflated junk, misleading and worse. ADC was once a Ct company, yes, way back when, Milford, I think, cartridges, and maybe a US-designed equalizer. It was the latter that got the attention of BSR. They were bought. BSR also bought dbx in Newton MA, an indy chiefly pro audio company full of actual US EEs. Soon the two brands were joined, sort of, and ADC Ct ceased to exist. The brand became the bargain Asian OEM arm. And many many many equalizers, all good, quiet, crude, but usable. Nothing to do with Canada, ever; that was a different company, maybe telecom as someone said. And nothing ever to do with NAD; a later line of ADC brand product tried to emulated NAD appearance, this after dbx had exploded and was being sold off piecemeal (consumer ASP, consumer high end, consumer extremely cool and accomplished speakers including at the very end an ADC-branded model, converters, US stereo TV, pro RTA, pro parts, pro EQ/compressors, etc. etc.). Before dbx died, a good-quality ADC line had been introduced including the Asia-sourced B200 configurable power amp and mated products, hoping to ride some cred from the phenomenal dbx BX1 out of Newton and its mated products. After dbx finally died and the second NAD-lookalike line trod water, the ADC B200 was rebadged BX2 and later there even was a metered and fanned (external) BX3. Anyway, B200 and dbx BX2 were okay amps, not at the NAD level really and not remotely like the BX1, but whatever. They work for the most part (relays need replacing sometimes) and I am still using my B200. I worked as editor/writer in dbx engineering 1982-1988.
 
Ok.
Then I'll just chime in too and give an overview of NAD history.

NAD, New Acoustic Dimension, started up in London, UK.
Later on (1991) sold to a Danish company.
Sold on (1998-1999) to the Canadian Lenbrook Group where it still is.

Much of NAD production were in the far east.

Most of the groundbreaking equipment from NAD, the 3020 among others, were designed by a Norwegian guy, Bjørn Erik Edvardsen.
 
Ultralyd said:
Ok.
Then I'll just chime in too and give an overview of NAD history.

NAD, New Acoustic Dimension, started up in London, UK.
Later on (1991) sold to a Danish company.
Sold on (1998-1999) to the Canadian Lenbrook Group where it still is.

Much of NAD production were in the far east.

Most of the groundbreaking equipment from NAD, the 3020 among others, were designed by a Norwegian guy, Bjørn Erik Edvardsen.
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So it's NOT owned by the Chinese???
From another thread:

ken kantor said:
Sheesh, people, what is with all this self-righteous disinformation?

Other than a few extremely early, "New Acoustic Dimension by AR," type products, NAD stuff has almost completely been made in Taiwan and China for the entire history of the brand. In fact, the company has been predominantly Chinese-owned since before either of the models mentioned were even on the market.

-k
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