Reacquainted with a NAD 7020

[specialidiot]

A NAD 7020 was the first piece of audio gear I ever owned that didn't suck. I used that little guy for 10 or 12 years, paired with Polk 7B's, until life got complicated and I put it away.

When I finally had a decent home office space, I dug it out again and was sad to find that something was seriously wrong with it. I took it to a tech who said the power supply transformer was shot and the repair would cost way more than it was worth.

Since then I've been on a search to find a minty NAD 7020. One would pop up on ebay now and then, and they either went for a crazy amount or they had issues.

Finally this one showed up. Listed as near mint and that discription is accurate. However the seller stated that it didn't work, lights up but no sound. The rear pictures showed that the preamp to amp jumpers were missing. I did some searching and found there isn't an internal switch, and pictures of operational 7020's show jumpers in place.

So, here is my new to me, near mint, fully operational NAD 7020!

Welcome home!

 

[shacky]

Nice find!. Glad it wasn't somebody taking those jumpers out on purpose to try and fool someone.

I've never dad a NAD. But do have a Proton receiver that I understand was built side by side with NAD. It has Shotz tuner which is awesome.

Enjoy :thmbsp:

 

[al76slc]

A NAD 7020 was the first piece of audio gear I ever owned that didn't suck. I used that little guy for 10 or 12 years, paired with Polk 7B's, until life got complicated and I put it away.

Reading this post is very funny to me.

After spending some time on this website, about 2 weeks ago, I pulled my NAD7020 out of the closet where it was doing nothing, and pair it with my Polk 7Bs that were also doing nothing. Those 2, plus my Onkyo TT, were my system of the late 70's - mid 80's, and had been sort of abandoned since then.

After Deoxit treatment, the system is now being used, along with a Marantz CDP, for the last week.

It hasn't gotten too much use, and I'm not completely sure I've got everything sorted out. The Polks sound a little thin to me, but I don't know if it's the speakers, the NAD, or my ears that are the culprits.

I hope you enjoy your NAD.

I'm glad to see you got reunited with an old friend.

 

[specialidiot]

It hasn't gotten too much use, and I'm not completely sure I've got everything sorted out. The Polks sound a little thin to me, but I don't know if it's the speakers, the NAD, or my ears that are the culprits.

Hard to say what it is, but I know that the Polks are finicky with position. They need 8 or 10" stands, tilted slightly back. Then move them around a little, closer/farther from the walls, corners, etc.

I'm listening with 4" full range drivers and a single 8" sub, there's nothing thin about it.

 

[al76slc]

Hard to say what it is, but I know that the Polks are finicky with position. They need 8 or 10" stands, tilted slightly back. Then move them around a little, closer/farther from the walls, corners, etc.

I've got them on 2 foot high stands, so they clear the couch that they're behind (also all I had). Have a stone wall about 12" behind the speakers in a large room - about 20' diameter round, all large windows, and a 20' conical ceiling. Strange room acoustically to say the least.

I'm listening with 4" full range drivers and a single 8" sub, there's nothing thin about it.

???? Are you talking about separately hooked-up speakers that you use with the Polks?

The Polk 7Bs have a tweeter, 6-1/2" midrange, and passive radiator (no woofer). (From the sales lit.)

Where/how are you connecting "the 4" full range drivers and a single 8" sub"? Are you using the NAD?

BTW, just found the NAD receipt - $290 in '82.

Listening yesterday, still some crackle when small stress - wonder if I need some more Deoxit on the NAD or if it's a problem with the Polks.

 

[specialidiot]

I've got them on 2 foot high stands, so they clear the couch that they're behind (also all I had). Have a stone wall about 12" behind the speakers in a large room - about 20' diameter round, all large windows, and a 20' conical ceiling. Strange room acoustically to say the least.

Either there is something wrong with the speakers or the receiver, or you need to move the speakers around to find the sweet spot.



??

?? Are you talking about separately hooked-up speakers that you use with the Polks?

I no longer have the polks

Where/how are you connecting "the 4" full range drivers and a single 8" sub"? Are you using the NAD?

The regular way. Actually speaker A output to the sub, which has a plate amplifier (see the link in my sig). The plate amp has a crossover output to the speakers.

Listening yesterday, still some crackle when small stress - wonder if I need some more Deoxit on the NAD or if it's a problem with the Polks.

Do some search on DeOxit, and use it on the controls. That may take care of more than one issue for you.

 

[al76slc]

Do some search on DeOxit, and use it on the controls. That may take care of more than one issue for you.

Thanks to this site, I bought & used Deoxit on the NAD last week. Went from being a basketcase to pretty good. Guess I should take it apart and do a little more work with it.

Actually speaker A output to the sub, which has a plate amplifier (see the link in my sig). The plate amp has a crossover output to the speakers.

Thanks for pointing me to the link for your subwoofer build - neat.

I have a nice heavy 12" 4 ohm woofer (driver only) in the basement doing nothing. Sounds like a plan.

Also a 12" 8 ohm driver, but it's light as a feather, so I'm guessing I'll use the 4 ohm.

Any problems with a 4 ohm woofer (using the plate amplifier you used in your subwoofer build) connected to the 2 x 8 ohm 7Bs? The NAD doesn't say that it's limited to 8 ohm speakers and shows specs for when it's driven into 4 ohms and 2 ohms.

BTW have you used the FM tuner on the NAD 7020?

I always thought that was a weakness - tuner kept wandering on me and I had to continually adjust it as it warmed up.

 

[specialidiot]

Any problems with a 4 ohm woofer (using the plate amplifier you used in your subwoofer build) connected to the 2 x 8 ohm 7Bs?

I don't know, I'm not an expert in that area. The woof would be driven by the plate amp, not the receiver.

But I do think you are approaching this from the wrong angle. The NAD/Polk combo should not sound thin. It won't "pound bass", but it should not be thin. Either something is wrong with the receiver or speakers, or you have placement issues.

The NAD/Polk 7B setup should sound clear, detailed, and lively.

BTW have you used the FM tuner on the NAD 7020?

No, I'm fine there. I don't listen to over the air radio much these days, anything I need to pull in is available as an Internet stream.