I think it's time I refreshed my NAD C325Bee, NAD D 3020?

[mrk]

Edit*
Having done all the research the D 3020 is being bought, updates from post #92 onwards.

I have just been browsing the NAD website for a suitable upgrade to my stereo amp and the D3020 (http://nadelectronics.com/products/hifi-amplifiers/D-3020-Hybrid-Digital-Amplifier) (articles here and here) looks like it ticks all of the boxes. I just wanted to know if anyone has one of these or similar and what they think of it in practice?

Having recently stepped up my car audio and portable to A2DP bluetooth from my phone I am immensely impressed by the ease of connectivity and sound quality from this type of connection, so much so I want to bring that into my desktop audio as well but at the same time keep the fidelity of the C325Bee that I love dearly.

The D 3020 has a lower wattage than the C325 but this is a non issue, we all know what proper amplifier wattage vs lesser brand power is like. My C325Bee is great but it's also big, it takes up a hell of a lot of space and in this modern age I'd like something smaller, something that doesn't generate 45 degrees of heat at the top vent alone...

I have Tannoy V4 floorstanders and will also be connecting HD595 headphones to it. The C325 does this perfectly and I'd like to stick to this brand as I much prefer the sound from their amps.

Cheers!

 

[mrk]

I need to hear it before al else! I've asked for a review unit, let's see what happens but it does seem that way aye lol.

 

[mrk]

End of July apparently

 

[mrk]

This isn't supposed to be an AV receiver, it's a stereo audio amplifier, why would it have HDMI? NAD have receivers for that market segment.

And how is it "seriously" limited? It has plenty of connections (6 inc bluetooth):

 

[mrk]

ITT: Raymond doesn't understand the point of a high quality audio amp vs an entry level av receiver.

An entry level receiver won't have the same audio quality that something like a quality NAD will have either regardless of having wifi or not. This might be the mid range model of a trio but these are all high end digital amps compared to entry level stuff. The £400 isn't paying just for features for its class, it's paying for the component quality too.

If you want HDMI/WiFi etc you get the next model up, simple.

 

[mrk]

I don't think you do still!

It seems you've been easily disappointed by many things this week without a real valid reason :/

I also don't understand your muddying waters point, why does this affect pure hifi? These products exist because there's a market for them and reviewers who have listened to them have said they can see them being very popular with the modern crowd who want good quality sound in a desktop friendly package.

Times change, makers have to adapt and provide products to cover all markets. Some do this without sacrificing quality, which is excellent for us.

 

[mrk]

Bose? Seriously!

Why would bluetooth not be able to handle lossless audio? The aptx codec is more power efficient than wifi and CSR (who acquired the technology) state that:

Benefits
- Outstanding Bluetooth® Stereo audio quality
- Audio bandwidth matching CD performance
- Flat Frequency Response. Full audio bandwidth faithfully reproduced
- Low audio coding delay. Minimizes latency and ‘lip-sync’ issues
- Non destructive transcoding, means there are no dueling effects with other algorithms
- Uses Time Domain ADPCM principle rather than Psychoacoustic masking
- Small code / data memory size
- Backward Compatibility: when aptX is not available target device will pair down to SBC

Edit*
The aptX audio codec is available for high quality stereo audio over Bluetooth. When incorporated in Bluetooth A2DP Stereo products, aptX audio coding delivers full 'wired' audio quality. With the aptX audio codec source material is transparently delivered over the Bluetooth link, whether it is stored uncompressed or in an alternative compression (MP3, AAC, FLAC) format.

All decent 2012 phones onwards support this tech. I can confirm the quality is up there easily with CD as I use bluetooth streaming currently.

 

[mrk]

I can't see any similarity to anything Bose have marketed in what has been shown for these Nads. Or are you saying that because the units are small that they're similar to a Bose?

 

[mrk]

It's a desktop amp, it's supposed to look nice on a desk, just like all other tech products designed to sit on a desk and not in an AV unit like a classic amp/receiver. What Bose has to do with this I really have no idea :/

 

[mrk]

It's a reference that has no relevance to the discussion though which was why it was a bit weird.

 

[mrk]

Onkyo amps also come in equally small desktop friendly packages, people buy them... Why dirty this thread with Bose!

It's all fine stating how something is for you, but then you go full on by calling that thing a failure because it doesn't have what you may or may not want.

This is a mirror of the watch thread debate pretty much.

 

[mrk]

You called it "seriously limited" "half arsed attempt" and "short sighted" - All of those things are no different to calling something a failure.

 

[mrk]

An acceptable and sound opinion no less.

 

[mrk]

From your edited post:

From the perception of looking at it as an purist hifi product, I think it falls short, i don't want these stuff to muddle it.

What does this mean, what is being muddied exactly? It's not sold as a purist hifi product, it's not advertised as such. It's advertised as a high quality amplifier for those who want a compact desktop amp without sacrificing what NAD do best. The D 3020 is a re-imagining modern equivalent of the highly regarded original 3020 from decades ago as well. It will even power the same speakers that amp did back then. It can then, every modern essence, be called a purist amp even if it's not built or marketed as such. I bet that when reviews emerge next month we will see them praise its sonic performance. Yes you've said you're sure it has great quality sound but then you say it can't be purist either. So which way is it.

From the perception of wanting digital connections, I also think it falls short, I want more.

That's perfectly fine, a model exists that offers more. It costs more but then again why would it not cost more?

From your perception of this middle ground, obviously it does not.

What does this even mean.

 

[mrk]

The bits you have bolded are standard for all NAD gear. Have you ever owned one? It could be argued they didn't even need to mention those but these new products are aimed at a new market and it makes sense to do so. What you've said still doesn't make sense and you've got a skewed perception of this whole thing sadly.

 

[mrk]

USB1 is inefficient, tech has shifted and USB2 is what's available. Why should it have USB3? No audio amp needs USB3 because no audio requires that bandwidth.

mrk, your current amplifier isn't this size, you have lived with it for years being that size. Do you need the new amp being this compact size?

The size adds convenience and would improve several aspects of my PC audio setup.

1: Heat. My C325Bee generates a lot of heat, as you'd expect from a good quality integrated amp. It generates 45 degrees at the vents.
2: Size. It's pretty huge. It's bigger than a toploader VCR! It's also heavy.
3: It is a pure analogue amplifier, I can't connect a console via optical in or digital coax. This is a smaller issue as I probably won't get a next gen console for a while anyway.
4: No bluetooth. I could use my portable bluetooth A2DP receiver and plug it into the line in but this defeats the things I'm trying to improve in points 1 and 2.

All in the D3020 appears to offer everything my C325Bee does but with updated modern connectivity that the majority of people will be looking for (USB/optical/bluetooth) in a smaller package with a remote that doesn't need to be facing it to use.

I'll try get one in and see what I make of it.

 

[mrk]

Gonna have to spend more money on the already pricey Linn there to get additional features like bluetooth though Not gonna run additional ethernet cabling to where the PC/speakers are willy nilly!

Although...a lotto win or similar would see something like this: http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/photogallery/new-audio-gear-ces-n?image=7 or perhaps even this http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/photogallery/new-audio-gear-ces-n?image=9

Accompanied by various other additionals because let's face it, desktop space won't be an issue then

 

[mrk]

Erm I think you've missed the point of this thread then!

 

[mrk]

Bluetooth with aptx is a quality medium to connect devices that are compatible though? It's the same quality as CD.

Besides, the Linn unit you linked to is £1700, typical of a Linn product. It is not an alternative to the D 3020 at all. That's like saying a Bentley Continental is an alternative to an M3. Both are capable sports cars, one costs 3x more minimum.

Don't tell me you're one of the "proper hifi audio" brigade

I'm connecting my phone, Galaxy Note II which supports the higher quality bluetooth codec. I'd rather not utilise WiFi for this purpose. Besides, my router is at another end of the house to where my setup is.

 

[mrk]

I'm not getting what you're trying to put across here. If you'd seen the links posted you'd have seen that the NAD is a £400 amp. My current amp was a couple of tens shy of £400 when new as well so it doesn't take much to figure out a rough budget.

That and my Op already states I'd prefer to stick with NAD as I'm a fan of the sound they output.

Anyway, I've asked for a review unit from NAD, I'll review it and if I like it I'll look to buy one. After all this I think that's the best option.

OTOH I love my Nad C352 and it drives my Kef Reference speakers via a Meridian power amp rather wonderfully.. Nad FTW

They're pretty robust little (relative ) amps for their time aren't they Think the slimmest amp I've owned is the Rotel RA-02, that thing was PS3 slim-slim but unfortunately the fader on it went bust. That had a really nice sound too and would have loved to hear how it powers my now Tannoy. Back then I had Mordaunt-Short speakers.