thedelihaus
Nocturnal transmissions
Is the NAD 3020 all it's cracked up to be? Quite probably.
The NAD didn't make me toss my physically imposing, real-estate demanding main setup and replace a class A pre-amp and 200wpc powerhouse solid state velvet beastie.
It did not extract the most essence from my small collection of modern monitors and towers.
It didn't retrieve minute details from every nook and cranny of a recording. It didn't give one a close-up examination of the pores of a performance.
What it did, however, was impart a larger-than-expected sound to a set of very small monitors (a monitor perfect for a desktop).
It hit that often elusive to technically describe grail of being "musical" to my ears. Sound was pleasant, comforting, romantic, sweet.
It takes up little space- ideal for a bedroom, computer/office use, cottage, dorm.
It's easy to use- It's not loaded down with unneeded features, but isn't sparse either. It gives you the basics, plus. Looks, while perhaps a bit bland and utilitarian, are clean and clear in operation. Ergonomically it's neat and tidy. Feel, while not rivaling the best Alps (and close competition) pots and switches, is reassuring and substantial enough to let you know this isn't some cheap cast-off from a department store budget line, but a quality execution despite the lower cost.
This model is an original model, from the collection of a departed friend's NAD 3020. An original model, very clean and fully functional- cleanest I've seen in person, in fact. I have passed it on to an AKer who will re-cap it, although it plays nearly 100% (extremely minimal static in a knob or two from sitting so long, that DeOxit will cure).
I really enjoyed this little integrated. I feel it deserves the lavish praise it's been receiving lately, and don't think the prices they are commanding on eBay are too out of line ($175-200-and-up), although the "and up" pricing seems a bit steep to me.
Now, I recall when these could be had for $35-$100. Blame Steve Guttenberg's very positive review that praised this budget audiophile icon up and down, and even felt it out-performed the $299 modern NuForce brand model, the Dia:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-5...rce-dia-an-analog-digital-amplifier-showdown/
Or you can read his original post on the 3020 here, and how it clobbered the $200 modern Audioengine N22:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-20079793-47/nad-3020-vintage-hi-fi-that-still-sounds-great/
Regarding vintage and modern gear I personally ran it up against, I felt, both units unfreshed, it sounded better than my Marantz 1060 I have out on extended loan, the 1060 a bit darker, hazier. Not knocking the 1060- it's a classic in it's own right and was very successful, and, well, looks-alone, it's one helluva sexy pint sized looker. Against various modern receivers by Onkyo, Denon and Marantz, they had a touch more air and clarity, but seemed sterile and boring, and some even perhaps etched or harsh, compared to the silky presentation of the NAD.
The reviews above tell you of the specs- 20 watts per channel into 8 ohms, headroom to deliver as much as 58 watts into 4 ohms, and even up to 72 watts into a 2 ohm load. Impressive, eh?
It also tells you how popular this model was- selling 500,000+ units- the best-selling integrated amp of all time.
Warm, smooth, relatively detailed (but never analytical).
A bit colored? Yes, but in a rich and comforting way. A bit misty? I do think so. But only a smidge- only ever-so-slighty, and again, in a very sweet and pleasant way.
Anyhow, I hate to see certain pieces leave my collection, and this is one of them. But... the money has gone to a good cause, my friend's widow, and it's reassuring the new owner is planning a resto of the unit- it will live on for years and be appreciated.
The NAD didn't make me toss my physically imposing, real-estate demanding main setup and replace a class A pre-amp and 200wpc powerhouse solid state velvet beastie.
It did not extract the most essence from my small collection of modern monitors and towers.
It didn't retrieve minute details from every nook and cranny of a recording. It didn't give one a close-up examination of the pores of a performance.
What it did, however, was impart a larger-than-expected sound to a set of very small monitors (a monitor perfect for a desktop).
It hit that often elusive to technically describe grail of being "musical" to my ears. Sound was pleasant, comforting, romantic, sweet.
It takes up little space- ideal for a bedroom, computer/office use, cottage, dorm.
It's easy to use- It's not loaded down with unneeded features, but isn't sparse either. It gives you the basics, plus. Looks, while perhaps a bit bland and utilitarian, are clean and clear in operation. Ergonomically it's neat and tidy. Feel, while not rivaling the best Alps (and close competition) pots and switches, is reassuring and substantial enough to let you know this isn't some cheap cast-off from a department store budget line, but a quality execution despite the lower cost.
This model is an original model, from the collection of a departed friend's NAD 3020. An original model, very clean and fully functional- cleanest I've seen in person, in fact. I have passed it on to an AKer who will re-cap it, although it plays nearly 100% (extremely minimal static in a knob or two from sitting so long, that DeOxit will cure).
I really enjoyed this little integrated. I feel it deserves the lavish praise it's been receiving lately, and don't think the prices they are commanding on eBay are too out of line ($175-200-and-up), although the "and up" pricing seems a bit steep to me.
Now, I recall when these could be had for $35-$100. Blame Steve Guttenberg's very positive review that praised this budget audiophile icon up and down, and even felt it out-performed the $299 modern NuForce brand model, the Dia:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-5...rce-dia-an-analog-digital-amplifier-showdown/
Or you can read his original post on the 3020 here, and how it clobbered the $200 modern Audioengine N22:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-20079793-47/nad-3020-vintage-hi-fi-that-still-sounds-great/
Regarding vintage and modern gear I personally ran it up against, I felt, both units unfreshed, it sounded better than my Marantz 1060 I have out on extended loan, the 1060 a bit darker, hazier. Not knocking the 1060- it's a classic in it's own right and was very successful, and, well, looks-alone, it's one helluva sexy pint sized looker. Against various modern receivers by Onkyo, Denon and Marantz, they had a touch more air and clarity, but seemed sterile and boring, and some even perhaps etched or harsh, compared to the silky presentation of the NAD.
The reviews above tell you of the specs- 20 watts per channel into 8 ohms, headroom to deliver as much as 58 watts into 4 ohms, and even up to 72 watts into a 2 ohm load. Impressive, eh?
It also tells you how popular this model was- selling 500,000+ units- the best-selling integrated amp of all time.
Warm, smooth, relatively detailed (but never analytical).
A bit colored? Yes, but in a rich and comforting way. A bit misty? I do think so. But only a smidge- only ever-so-slighty, and again, in a very sweet and pleasant way.
Anyhow, I hate to see certain pieces leave my collection, and this is one of them. But... the money has gone to a good cause, my friend's widow, and it's reassuring the new owner is planning a resto of the unit- it will live on for years and be appreciated.
