- Next came the subject of this preview, the NAD M10 BluOS Streaming Amplifier ($2,499 but now $2,747 due to Trump Tariff). NAD M10 Rear Backpanel - note the dual subwoofer outputs and high quality speaker binding posts. As its name would suggest, the M10 is an all-in-one integrated amp with streaming capabilities built right in.
- The topic ‘NAD 3020 amp, what speakers to go for?' is closed to new replies. Join us today. FULL MEMBERSHIP FROM JUST £2.50. Latest Stories.
My FAVE integrated amp at sub $1k is the NAD C368. In fact, if you ask what is the best integrated amp value on the market, I'd have to say C368. Why? It's because C368 is so good for the money AND provides you an upgrade path for future moves.
C368 can drive literally any speakers on its own. While rated at 80×2, C368 sounds much stronger for a myriad of reasons. First of all, all NADs are built to accommodate complex speaker impedances. Hence C368 will drive any dynamic speaker and stats as well. It has Soft Clipping and PowerDrive, two NAD circuits that allow you to hammer its amps without creating distortion. Most amps blare like a car radio as you near the peaks. Not so with NAD!
Nov 12, 2009.
I hope you noticed the reference to 300×1 up above. This means you can buy a C368 and run it 80×2 stereo. You can then buy an NAD C268 power amp ($800, 80×2 stereo or 300w bridged!) right away or down the road. When you get put these boys together, you run them BRIDGED. Each amp now produces 300w! Each drives a speaker. So for $1700 you have: An excellent preamp, with Bluetooth & MM, a fine hi-res DAC and 300 watts per channel STEREO- with strong reliability into low impedances.
When you run C368 in stereo, you'll really like it. I promise. But as good as THAT sounds, when
you had C268 and run BRIDGED, you'll be thrilled at the level of improvement. To put all this together for only $1700 is crazy.
While C368 has many positive attributes, the most beneficial is its warm, detailed sound. For me, a classical fan first and foremost, C368 shows its stuff with voices, strings & piano most noticeably. The image is broad and refined- an unusual combo for $900.
NAD just upgraded its integrated amp line to Hybrid Digital technology. NAD switches in the ANALOG domain as opposed to the digital domain. The resulting sound is softer/smoother than amps that switch in the digital domain. C368 and its brothers achieve vanishingly low levels of distortion- .009%. The other guys are typically .05%. The sound is smooth as silk and never appears stressed. Stalker noises of the zone download. If you compare C368 to the rank and file, you'll find the other guys to be hard edged while C368 is comfortably mellow.
C368 sets new standards of musicality for an integrated under $1k. Whether driving modest speakers or something more revealing like GoldenEars, Klipsches or Magnepans, C368 never sounds like it's working hard- because it ISN'T!
While rated at 80×2, C368 can jump like Michael Jordan. This leaves the other guys in the weeds! They are lucky to achieve their power ratings and sound downright nasty when approaching their power limits. C368 can drive great speakers to high levels of performance. It can drive A&B speakers where competitors turn to jello and shut off when speakers B are added.
ATTENTION VINYL LOVERS! C368 has a superb MM phono section with precisely accurate RIAA equalization. Phono performance from C368 is conspicuously strong for this strata. NAD pays attention to a vital aspect of playing records. It has a subsonic filter to minimize turntable rumble without stealing bass out of your music. C368 reveals phono with minimal rumble instead of wasting your power amplifying warps. Records are especially more palatable with C368 vs other $1k integrateds.
C368 has a has a top notch 24/192 DAC with two OPT inputs and two Coax inputs. Any modest CD player or streaming device (like Bluesound or Sonos) will benefit from the improved DAC of C368. If you run a CD player digitally into most integrateds with a DAC, the improvement is subtle. That's not the case with C368. The on board DAC makes a distinct improvement on CD and a DRAMATIC improvement on Bluesound or Sonos! C368 has Bluetooth.
C368 has two additional aux ins. It features preamp outs in case you want to add a subwoofer or larger power amp. Fallout new vegas holorifle mods. C368 doesn't have a USB input- no loss! The other guys who waste their money on a funky asynch USB input trade off massive performance in power and smoothness. I'm not a huge headphone listener but I can tell C368 is a cut above in this department too.
As speakers move back and forth, they throw signal back down the throat of the amp in the process. The new NAD amps have no trouble withstanding, and actually gripping the 'water pressure' to provide better control and less distortion than ever.
C368 is a welcome tool in our belt. While it can run any speakers respectably on its own, you also have the bridged option going forward. With that in mind, you CAN drive ANY speakers out there. C368 is so good (& with C268 as an option), we might argue, you don't need to spend more on electronics. Any benefit is so small, that the additional investment should go into your speakers!
Whether you're going new or second-hand, these affordable integrated amplifiers will make your records sing.
It wasn't that long ago when a quality budget amplifier meant that, if you turned it on and it didn't smell of burning, you were onto a winner. Then NAD produced the famed 3020 integrated amplifier and the race was on to produce a quality design for ever less money and with ever more features.
These days, budget amplifiers sound pretty darned good and are packed with features that go above and beyond the standard fare, bringing in digital facilities, streaming options and more.
Hence, today, a typical budget amplifier offers a host of facilities, sounds great and is super reliable. So what boxes should you look out for?
When buying an amplifier for use with a turntable, be aware that some include a phono amplifier within – the bit that connects directly to your deck and allows you to hear what's going on inside those grooves. Other turntables do not include a phono amplifier so be aware that you will need to buy one if you want to use a turntable in a hi-fi set-up.
This is a feature aimed at budget amplifiers so we've limited the selection to sub-£400 models. If I miss your favourite speakers then why not tell us about it in the Comments section below?
ROTEL RA-04 SE
Price: £130 [approx]
I wanted to try to include a couple of ‘bargains' in this overview. A couple of amps that are not currently on sale, possibly recently pulled from a product line, but are new enough to be trusted second hand without repair (as long as they've been treated well) and sound the business. This is one of those. Maybe a touch edgy on the treble perhaps, but still a bargain.
YAMAHA A-S500
Price: £150
This is another one to look out for on the second-hand market. Of course, the prices for these second hand purchases can vary widely, I only offer a rough guide. Don't partner it with bright hi-fi, it will provide all the life your hi-fi needs. It offers great timing, is certainly dynamic and is packed with features.
PRO-JECT STEREO BOX S
Price: £199
Built in a tiny chassis, spanning 40x100x100 that you could easily hold in your hand, the Stereo Box S still manages to pump out 25W of power. It's not the best sounding amp at high levels, but at a reasonable volume this little amp has a lot to offer with excellent focus. Great for those people with little space to spare.
CAMBRIDGE TOPAZ AM10
Price: £200
You can buy a Topaz AM5 for just £150 (that is also recommended) but I prefer the AM10 because it provides a good quality phono amplifier built in and offers a bit more oomph at 35W instead of 25W which prevents stress and strain. You also get a headphone amplifier built in, increasing value for money. Excellent sound quality.
ONKYO A-9010
Price: £229
Many people see Onkyo as just another AV manufacturer but I've always been surprised, when reviewing them for national hi-fi magazines, at just how good their amplifier stages are. This one is no different. Don't be fooled by the prosaic looks – all the exciting stuff is inside the chassis. Where it should be.
MARANTZ PM6006
Price: £250
Offering a clean and solid sound, the Marantz offers a DAC running up to 24bit/96kHz, a headphone amp and even a tape loop for recording. Even though there's no USB port, there are a couple of optical ports around the back.
MONITOR AUDIO AIRSTREAM A100
Nad Speakers Review
Price: £290
Monitor Audio has retired the A100 now but you can still pick one up in pretty decent condition from eBay. Positioned flat or standing on its end, the A100 certainly offers eye-catching styling. No Bluetooth here but there is AirPlay for Apple fans plus DNLA streaming for Android/Windows. Good value and nice quality sound.
NAD C326BEE
Price: £350
Offering oodles of connectivity options including sub-woofer ports if you're into those. It also includes a useful headphone amplifier built-in plus a connection for a music player. In terms of sound, if you like your bass, check out the NAD as there's plenty of solidity down there. In fact, the general sound quality of the NAD is dominated by the lower frequencies along with an appealing dynamism.
Nad Stereo Amps
Complete your set-up with our guides to the best budget turntables and speakers. Nonton streaming cooking master boy 720p.
