NAD C268 Power Amp $1000
80×2 or 300×1 !

My favorite power amp at a grand is NAD’s C268. I love the NAD for a number of reasons, not the least of which is- it happens to sound smoother and warmer than the price strata would have you expect. Further, it runs cool so it’s reliable. It is comfortable with any impedance. And of course you can buy a second C268 and bridge to 300×2.

C268 is from NAD’s patented new Hybrid Digital design. NAD runs a unique Asymmetrical Power Drive technology. It is an analog amp which implements precisely matched computer modules to drive your speakers, instead of mismatched traditional transistors.

C268’s 80×2 is a lotta power. It peaks at about 300×2! It has NAD’s patented PowerDrive circuitry which allows it to stay smooth sounding even if you drive it into clipping. If you take a 200×2 amp from one of “the other guys” it will peak at not much over that, and sound harsh in the process. C268

just keeps driving- mellow as she goes. To be clear, C268 sounds cleaner and louder than your 200×2, $1200 amp of yesteryear.

Given that we can never get too much of a good thing, NAD allows C268 to be bridged, producing 300w in monoblock form. Yup, for $2000 you have 300×2 with big headroom. And by nature of the beasts, each power supply and PCB of electronics- are completely separate, channel to channel. This provides better separation and imaging.

C268 has RCA AND BALANCED inputs. It also has an input level control that will allow great flexibility, especially in bi-amp or multi-zone configs. C268 even has loop through in case you are daisy chaining.

Please note that while C268 (or plural C268s) stand on their own, many a C268 will be sold as a companion, running in the bridged (300×1) mode with NAD’s own C368 integrated amp! Check out the C368 on Dave’s Faves as well. What a great combo for only $2200! You’ve got enough power to

drive any speakers. You can buy in stages. The sound is smooth enough for horns like the Klipsches, yet strong enough for more hungry four ohm speakers like Brystons or Maggies.

I want to emphasize that C268 is the perfect replacement for your old 200×2 Rotel or Adcom. Those amps (both made by Rotel by the way!) were fine for their day. But they ran hot, didn’t like low impedances and popped fuses quickly if you stomped on the gas. C268 runs cooler, tougher and more musical. C268 runs LESS money new than those boys did in their day, and is a much superior amp in all regards.

NAD is hitting the nail on the head again. Great performance at budget pricing!