NAD has two new, cutting edge, extremely high performing power amps that are happily under priced.
Both have scant levels of distortion and are impedance invariant. They sound the same whether you drive them a little, or a LOT. Both are analog designs with a smooth and clear tonal character. The bass drops the hammer with tight impact. There’s no sloppy sludge in these new boys.
NAD C-298 Power Amp: $2400 (185×2 or 620w monoblock)
(4 3/4h, 17 1/8, 15 1/2d, 25 lbs, THD .00017%)
NAD‘s brand new C-298 power amp, has just landed. This magnificent amp is the first on the market with the new Eigentakt design. This technology blends edge of the art detail and big punch, with the smoothest sound of its price point.
It’s bold to say BEST SOUNDING at any price point. There is always room for discussion, which involves opinion and taste. Fair enough.
Yet, there are a few givens that must be considered as we address this topic. For an amp to be state of the art at a price point, it has to be able to check a few boxes.
*It has to be happy with any impedance of any speaker.
This… is a tall order. The vast majority of amps out there simply lose their poise with most speakers. Even if a speaker is rated at 8 ohms, that’s just an average “nominal” rating. In the bass it could dip to an ohm or two. They virtually all dip to 4.
*It has to maintain low distortion regardless of load
Many amps sound good at low volume. But as you turn them up and they’re challenged.
They can literally scream. A true best of class amp has to be immune to this oscillation. C-298 attains new standards of low distortion. C-298 challenges the best measuring equipment on the market.
*It has to have dynamic contrast that can make a plucked guitar string or highly emotive human voice downright take your breath away.
*It needs to maintain controlled bass response for tight drum skins, stand up basses and the lower register of a piano.
NAD has launched a new power amp with updated technology. NAD’s HybridDigital amps have been better than other D designs for a host of reasons, not the least of which is its use of an analog power supply. C-298 is a cut above- in that it will use NAD’s new Purifi Eigentakt amp technology.
Purifi is a company in Denmark that has brought on a host of engineering talent to revisit all aspects of amplifier design. Purifi has created a new D module technology it has dubbed “Eigentakt.”
NAD has been licensed to manufacture the Eigentakt modules that Purifi has designed. It is the core technology of C-298.
NAD augments the Eigentakt modules in C-298 with some of its own schemes to create uniquely linear performance. Eigentakt (means self clocking) modules are self oscillating ANALOG amplifiers.
IM and THD are virtually unmeasurable. The amplifier is comfortable (Eigentakt is impedance invariant) with any impedance so you can drive the speakers of your choice without regard to its impedance curve. C-298 enjoys state of the art performance in regard to clean clipping without ringing distortion. C-298 will maintain its low levels of distortion all the way up to clipping level. Most amps get rickety and go off the rails at that point. NAD’s Eigentakt implementation will achieve precision and lack typical amplifier artifacts of distortion, whether in midrange grunge or bass overhang/fuzz. Damping factor is high with a rating of 800.
C-298 can be run in stereo (185×2, 8 ohms, 340×2, 4 ohms) or mono = 620w! C-298 runs RCA and XLR inputs. There is an input level control you can use, or bypass.
NAD C-298 will handle a large speaker with a wide array of drivers better than designs of yesteryear. Think of all the big B&Ws, KEFs and other large cabinets with a massive driver counts and complex crossovers. Further, some of those big dogs needed outboard equalizers to make them even more schizophrenic than their passive networks alone.
C-298 stays low in distortion and high on control even with Frankenstein’s speaker designs.
C-298 has now arrived. We have driven a wide variety of speakers with it. Here are the results.
*The transparency of the amp is remarkable- game changing. It depicts details to a greater degree than similarly priced amps. It competes with the biggest and priciest amp out there.
*The noise floor is nil. You can listen to C-298 through high SPL speakers, like Klipsch, and NOT have to eat any hiss or hum.
*Bass control is superb. Even through the devastatingly revealing Bryston towers, C-298 hits hard and tight. There is no hint of hangover.
*Smooth- but loud. Yep, C-298 can run speakers at high volumes without sounding nasty. Try running your old amp at a GOODLY volume and you’ll find, the harder you drive it, the nastier it bites. It is likely that your speakers are even better than you knew- because your amp has been making them sound MEAN as you enjoy them more.
My take is that Eigentakt is more than just the latest thing- although it certainly IS that. NAD’s incorporation of this new technology is highly successful and massive fun!
TAS Comments:
*The amplifier had more than enough power to drive the Wilson Chronosonic XVX ($329,000)
to any listening volume without strain. Even on music with very wide dynamic range the C298 had plenty of pluck. Peaks were produced effortlessly; the bottom end stayed tight and defined at high playback levels; and the soundstage didn’t collapse during the loudest and most complex passages. It’s worth noting that the Eigentakt output module is rated at 400w, but NAD specifies the C298’s output power at 185Wpc into 8 ohms. Clearly, there’s a generous amount of headroom.
*C298’s bass reproduction was outstanding. This amplifier goes deep, has a nice sense of heft and weight through the mid-bass, and has terrific dynamic punch on instruments such as kick drum.
*But it wasn’t just all sledgehammer impact; the C298 also revealed dynamic subtleties and nuance. Throughout the listening, I noticed that the C298 had an unusually satisfying ability to convey music’s rhythmic flow and forward propulsion.
*The midrange had a nice presence on Norah Jones…. Her vocal had good tonality too.
C298 lacked the chalky haze over the mids and treble that I’ve heard from other amplifiers.
Instrumental timbre was fairly natural, with excellent resolution of inner textural detail. C298 was also remarkably adept at revealing subtle instrumental lines. It was easy to hear low level instruments in the mix or at the back of the hall. C298’s sound staging was outstanding; big, open spacious and detailed with precise image placement. If you think of amplifiers in this price as sounding flat, congealed and a little grainy (compared to reference amplifiers) you’ll be in for a pleasant surprise with C298.
*It was supremely musical and engaging, particularly the wonderful sense of rhythmic drive and ability to convey dynamic shadings and expression.
NAD C-268 Power Amp $1000 (80×2 or 300w monoblock)
(3 7/8h, 17 1/8w, 15 3/8d, 20 lbs, THD .03%)
C-268 is C-298’s little brother. There are some significant similarities between their designs, yet C-268 doesn’t use the Eigentakt power module. Its design is analog N Core with a full analog, non switching power supply, just like C-298!
Being the little brother means that C-268 doesn’t get the massive attention of C-298. That’s totally understandable. Heavyweights draw more publicity than middleweights. C-298 has a lot more power and uses the Eigentakt power module. It is getting well deserved acclaim for being one of the FINEST AMPS AT ANY PRICE these days. That’s hard to over look. Yet if $2k isn’t in your wheel house, C-268 should be your power amp.
C-268 is also capable of driving any impedance. It is an ideal amp for hungry old towers, or modern designs with a more sensible impedance.
C-268 has a super smooth, clean sound, even when you challenge it. I have to underscore this. You’ll be happily surprised at how detailed, yet musical C-268 sounds compared to amps of much higher power ratings from Emotiva and Adcom for ex. C-268 is much different from heavy old classic amps that run hot and shriek as you turn them up. If you listen to C-268 on vocal, guitar and piano for example, it will outperform classics like Levinsons and Krells. It does so without running hot or getting angry when you ask for more. Man I remember people popping fuses left and right as they drove their 200×2, 50 pound amps with gusto.
Let’s face the competition. I think NAD C-268 and C-298 are better choices than similarly priced Adcoms, Rotels, Emos and Parasounds. C-268 runs at less than half the THD of these other guys while sounding smoother, while staying cool, calm and collected. C-298 runs rings around them.
You might not infer that the lower THD would matter since the numbers are so low already. I can promise you, you can hear the improvement with NAD.
Due to NAD’s famous propensity for headroom, you’re likely to find C-268 can replace one of those big old, hot amps in your system. Before C-298 was introduced (Christmas 2020) we sold numerous bridged C-268s. Our customers love ‘em! Some customers bought a single C-268 and added another later. Some bought a pair right away.
Here are a couple of other sweet details about these amps. They both have RCA and BALANCED inputs, AND a level control. If your preamp supports BALANCED, by all means take advantage of that feature. The level control MAY come in handy for you, based on your preamp,
sources and speakers. You may even choose to multi-amp and some point. Hence this input level control could be a very worthwhile tool for you.
Now that we have C-298, that’s where I recommend you go. It isn’t THAT much more money and C-298 truly rivals state of the art amps for many thousands!