NAD - Where's the bass?

[SinglePoint]

Joe is correct. I replaced C406/7 with 1 microfarad stacked mylar and C215/6/7/8 with 1000 microfarad caps. The 2200 is now 37 years old and still going strong with plenty of bass.

This is a common problem. I recently fixed a friend's tuner which was unstable. Replaced the 47 microfarad cap at the output of the regulator with 470 microfarad and it's as steady as a rock. The Sony engineers got it right in my CDP302 with the appropriate caps at the output of the regulators.

So, to use other terms, I believe you are referring to the V+ and V- bypass caps? Am I understanding correctly?

 

[pwauk12]

On the 2700, NAD added 470uf to the +/- 18v rails (and additional transistors as regulators) on the input board with 0.47uf film caps in parallel as C215..C218.

 

[Ray Gianelli]

Hi all - I'm wondering if NAD components have a generally "lighter" bass relative to other vintage amps/receivers.

I have been running both a Marantz 1060 and a Realistic STA-2000 for some time, typically using the Marantz as a preamp to the 2000. NLA speakers matched with Dynaco 25s.

I've recently been on a NAD kick for my shop system since having stumbled on a $6 NAD 1020 preamp. Been looking for a good deal on a matching 2140 amp but no luck yet.
I now have acquired a 3150 integrated and a 3060 integrated - thinking that the best one would stay and I'd move the others out.

I really love the crispness of the NAD sound. However - it seems though that in order to match the depth of sound of the Marantz or 2000 when tones at neutral, all 3 NAD components must have loudness on (which I typically do anyway) and the bass turned ALL the way up.

Is this something that others find as well?

It's been my experience that NAD equipment often has failed capacitors. I've pulled capacitors out of several different NAD preamps, integrated and power amps, and many are measurably defective, both in value and ESR.

Recapping is rampant, but in the case of NAD it's often warranted.

 

[Chris __R]

It's been my experience that NAD equipment often has failed capacitors. I've pulled capacitors out of several different NAD preamps, integrated and power amps, and many are measurably defective, both in value and ESR.

Recapping is rampant, but in the case of NAD it's often warranted.

As very much an infant as far as circuit diagnosis, etc. goes but pretty good with a soldering iron, if I were to focus on a particular model to experiment, say my 3150 - which area of the internals (in layman terms) would it be reasonable to begin looking at in terms of bad capacitors effecting the tone?
There have been a number of things mentioned above - while appreciated - most of which readily flies over my head.
I will clearly need to read up on circuit board analysis....

 

[marcthisdate]

Another NAD owner, a 7140 hooked up to a set of KLH 6's. Plenty of bass, at least compared to my Marantz 2225. I've found having soft clipping on or off should not make a difference unless your running it hard...

 

[Ray Gianelli]

As very much an infant as far as circuit diagnosis, etc. goes but pretty good with a soldering iron, if I were to focus on a particular model to experiment, say my 3150 - which area of the internals (in layman terms) would it be reasonable to begin looking at in terms of bad capacitors effecting the tone?
There have been a number of things mentioned above - while appreciated - most of which readily flies over my head.
I will clearly need to read up on circuit board analysis....

Power supplies, any small electrolytic coupling caps, output stages. These will affect the tone.

Small electrolytic caps that are near sources of heat will almost surely be bad.

 

[Chris __R]

Power supplies, any small electrolytic coupling caps, output stages. These will affect the tone.

Small electrolytic caps that are near sources of heat will almost surely be bad.

Thanks Ray - thankfully I have the original service manual for this model, so I'll start poring over it this evening.