NAD C3050 Integrated Amp $1400: 100×2
(5h, 17 5/8w, 13 3/16d, 22 lbs)
NAD has just introduced this NEW, vintage looking, integrated amp with very fun power meters. It has a modern build quality and features. It just LOOKS vintage. That’s exactly how we want it. It has to be modern under the hood. Do not waste your money trying to fix vintage gear.
British Hi-Fi News has just run some tests on this guy. Mind you, these are tests that C3050 actually achieved. These are not CLAIMS- where many companies fib about power ratings!
Vol 68, #4, p.73: C3050 achieved 120×2 into 8 ohms, and 200×2 into 4 ohms, at rated distortion levels. When run to clipping, C3050 produced 139w in 8 ohms and 275w into 4ohms. NAD exceeds its power claims handily. Most other companies claim their power at full clipping! On that basis NAD could claim C3050 runs 139 w/ch. But this isn’t NAD’s style. NAD claims C3050’s power at .03% THD.
While there is high interest in the vintage product market, such purchases are almost always a big MISTAKE. First of all, as a guy who has been in the biz since the early 70s, I can tell you those products weren’t built anywhere near as well as what we have today. Think of the car you drove then vs the car you drive now! Please don’t make the mistake of throwing money down the toilet by trying to fix something from yesteryear. It is the proverbial money pit and CAN’T sound as good as modern gear.
I GET that many people love the classic look. C3050 has that. It has a contemporary NAD UcD amplifier of 100×2. It is impedance invariant and sounds smoother than amps that run mismatched transistors.
It has inputs of:
1 OPT
1 Coax
1 eARC
1 MM Phono
1 Set analog RCA inputs
Outputs are:
1 Set RCA analog L&R out- looped to main input
1 Single Mono sub out
It has some nice features as well. They include Bluetooth, bass & treble controls, speakers A, B, A+B, or off. It has a 1/4” headphone jack. C3050 doesn’t have an on board Bluesound streamer. I always recommend you buy that as an outboard component anyway. Technology will change.
If you’re after the most pure, open, airy sound at this price point, look to Rogue Sphinx V3. NAD’s C389 is $1500 and more power and punch. But if you want all the features in one component, pleasant sound and vintage aesthetics, C3050 is for you.
