Everything

For the price Nothing

This is a pretty good little amplifier until you seriously compare it to really expensive high end equipment. Then things get positively scary. On close auditioning it can humble equipment far above what you would think possible.
I bought this one because it was the cheapest way to get a moving coil pre-amp at the time (3020B) and I have never regretted it. I have used it as a spare many times to replace a piece of equipment that is in the shop. It has never broken.
It sounds like 20 watts of Krell. It has detail and slam in spades.
Buy one....it's the neatest thing since sliced cheese.

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warmth of sound,clarity,power,simplicity of use,reliability...it's just a beautiful amp, unfussy and does the job very nicely.

The only criticisms I have are the buttons which select the mode, you press one and the other flies off !! A bit tiresome..but worth it ! Anyone found the cure? Thought about gluing them on with araldite..not sure if that is wise? The other is that the rear connectors are now a bit loose ..but hey..it's over 20yrs old, I think we can forgive it for that.

Well... Just look at all the other reviews. I can agree entirely !!! I've had this amp from new for over 20yrs, in fact it was the first stereo I ever bought when I first left school and started work.Can't remember how much it cost. My brother in law at the time (Steve) was the hi-fi knowledge in the family and he recommended a few set-ups.. which at the time was:- DUAL..turntable TECHNICS cassette deck (can't remember the model) NAD3020 Amp. NAD4020A Tuner and AR18 Speakers. The speakers I gave away..like a twat !! what was I thinking ! The turntable and cassette deck gave up. BUT...THE NAD'S ARE STILL WITH ME !! and they sing as beautifully now as when they first came out the box..cheers Steve...superb choice !! If you see one of these little beauties on ebay..buy it !! Don't hesitate..just buy it. You'll be delighted. I'm just in the process of setting up a home recording studio and the 3020 is going into the line-up somewhere..it just has to !! but first..I'm going to treat it to a top class pair of monitor speakers. Can anyone suggest a tried and proven match for this amp? If you say ..yes..AR18's...I'll cry !! The detail this amp brings out in almost every type of music you put through it is a delight to the ears. As for the power..I have never had the volume dial right up..it's just not necessary. This amp just fills the speakers with a flood of quality sound, a slight tweek and the floors thumping !! What more can I say..convinced yet? !!

Value Neutral sound Can take a lot of punishment!

Can't really think of anything bad.

Just thought I'd write a few lines about this classic. I've had one for 20 or so years now (so long I can't recall exactly!) It's been marvellous and never given a bit of trouble. Well worth the original investment of about £120 ($210 current exchange rate.) My model (3020E) has the original "loudness" control replaced by a Mute control, which just attenuates the input so the volume control is more effective at low listening levels. Also gone is the 5 LED display of the earlier model. For the money, it can't really be faulted at all. On occasions, I turn the wick up a bit just to blow the cobwebs off my system, and the output sounds pretty good. The amp never looses it's composure until the programme content is too loud to appreciate (in an average sized room.) In short, one of my best audio purchases. I notice someone was asking for circuit schematics for the 3020. These can be found at http://www.tcaas.btinternet.co.uk/index-4.htm

Excellent bass

nane

Great sounding

Very good amp.

None

Warm sound amplifier that's it !

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Natural and musical sound. Phono stage. Can use it as preamp.

Appearance, if any. The knobs and buttons seem to be bad quality, but in my case they are still the originals !! Ah, and it has only one set of speaker connectors, but, do you have 2 pairs of speakers?

What else can I say about this classic? The 3020i version is just like the "original" 3020 that caused NAD's well deserved fame, with even some improvements: -Better passive components -Ellimination of power indicator LEDs -Mute button (-20dB) really useful for low volume listening. Just bought it used but in excellent condition, it has more than 20 years old and it will NEVER go out. I also have a Yamaha RXV-395 (5x60W, Dolby Prologic) which is not bad at all (see review). But in an A/B test, the 3020i plays in another league, after some warm-up minutes. I use it with Tannoy Profile 638 speakers, which seem to blend perfectly with it. This amp is only 20 W/channel, BUT... these are "NAD watts", which means more close to 40 W/channel compared to other amps, thanks to it's +3 dB headroom. It seems that NAD is very conservative when rating power. You need a good pair of speakers and adequate cabling (common zip cord at least 1.5 mm2 will do, depending on lenght). Great dynamics, absolutely (and purely) musical. Does not add anything to sound, I feel it delivers just what came out of the recording studio. Listen and smile! In addition, it has a very (I mean VERY!!) good phono stage, which has been a comparison standard through years, so they say. The "minimalistic" external appearance (well, it is... cheap...) will not impress your friends, but surely its sound will. BUY IT IF YOU FIND IT... you will thank yourself for it.

Price, value, astonishing build quality (no fault at all in 15 years, despite parties, travel, dropping from a height), clarity, balance, musicality, depth

Clips at half level when driving R2's, but they require a 100W amp so not really the fault of the NAD. Loses clarity and separation when pushed to high levels

This is an open "thankyou" to the designers of the NAD 3020E. I bought this amp over 15 years ago. It has accompanied me through moving houses, relocating jobs, and as of late brought in my suitcase into Saudi. In all this time I thought it was cheap and nasty, until I bought a set of Tannoy Revolution R2 speakers (see separate review). Now I stand corrected.. this amp is a classic. Clarity, depth, balance, soundstage. Now I realise that the fault lay with my 15 year old Missions all along. Forgive me, NAD. This amp is a beauty. I even like the welcome "hrrummph" on switch on.. kinda says "hello" to you.

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None.. my first and only amp. I am looking at a secondhand Audiolab 8000 soon however.

Reliable friendly 20 yrs

can't doubt the time

I have a lot of amps. I just purchased an amp that has a listing of over $1000. Not that that matters. I have had an NAD 3020B since it came out. I once had the original speakers that came out with it, but the cops seemed to come to my house too much. I have a lifelong friend that was so impressed with that system,he is known as HI FI Ed now. This is really one of the greatest Hi Fi innovations that have come down the tube (also QUAD 405 and the Soundcraftsmen H). I so love this amp. It will never go away P.S. Check out the new Wharfedale 7.1 anniversary bookshelf.

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Well I`m not really an audiophile and dont have that really sensitive ears, but I like the depth and darkness.

Dont like the plastic buttons. Volume control button is cracked but the others are still Ok. Being so old - Doesnt have a cd-input so i have to crawl behind and switch bettwen CD and computer on AUX.

Hello. I just wanted to share my thoughts with you all. I got this truly amazing amp ~3 months from now. After my Tehnics broke down I wanted to find something just for a quick replace... So my cousain called and said that he has an old NAD 3020. I came to his house...And he told me that the amp was in the SHED FOR 2 YEARS (since he got a new one).. I was stuned when it worked instantly (btw i like the "bang" when jou start it ;-))... Not only that but the sound is really great, especialy for my kind of music (thrash/death metal)...Very dark, deep...just cool... Now I wanna keep it ;-))

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sound quality and soundstaging. reliability value resources aimed at sonic performance rather than bells and whistle features

none at the price but speaker posts a bit flimsy for proper cables

nad3020e. daily use over 10 years. loud harrumph noise through speakers on startup since day one but no ill effects. totally reliable. detailed articulate open sound is reason for not changing -upgrades of other components just reveal more of the basic lucid presentation and soundstaging over various types of music. will probably change soon for another nad amp only because i fancy a change, this will probably outlast me! i have auditioned many other amps over the last few years and have yet to hear one anywhere near this price range which would represent a quantum improvement for a system being used at reasonable neighbour friendly levels.

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