NAD 3300PE Integrated Amplifiers

NAD 3300PE Integrated Amplifiers 

DESCRIPTION

60 Watt Monitor Series Integrated Amplifier - Power Envelope (1987-1988)

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-8 of 8  
[Dec 27, 2021]
chaples19


Strength:

Power plant full analog XLR input Class A/B 0.004% THD Dual-mono Weight: 52 Pounds large cooling fins. hudson valley arborist

Weakness:

Display Remote big

Purchased:
New  
OVERALL
RATING
5
[Nov 24, 2020]
niles300z


Strength:

Typical old school nad goodness. Maybe not their best, but so rewarding musically and i have always been a fan of the military styling. Made in Taiwan there was some QA issues but overall well made and heavy like a good amp should be. Well engineered and from a good pedigree. Will power 4 ohm speakers with ease. Nice touch with the semi-parametric tone controls and bypass! . Not much bad i can say about these. Many could benefit from a recapping but I've always enjoyed them as is and am still a sucker all these years later after owning several models. Most modern gear can not hold a candle to these units unless you fork out about 1000 dollars. You can hear the high headroom design in the burly attack and punchy delivery. Kudos NAD!

Weakness:

None to be sure.9

Price Paid:
150
Purchased:
Used  
Model Year:
1988
OVERALL
RATING
5
[Aug 05, 2016]
Idnod
Casual Listener

It's 2016 and a decade has passed since last review of the NAD 3300.
Well, there are still fully functional units out there and a few sentimental fools buying it - I would be one of those.

I bought a NAD primarily due to my pleasant experience with it in the paaast.

So why did I end up with this old gear? It all started when I began collecting loose change from toll fees to groceries. After almost a year my piggy bank (one of those containers with a lid that totals the drops) was about full, I asked my self what can I treat myself to that would entertain me the same amount of time it took to fill it up? Hmmm...dinner? Blue Ray disks? Running shoes?

An audio quest!!! I'll set up a vintage audio with loose coins collected - sound plan (pun)

So I head off the Craigslist land...voila!!! a NAD Monitor series integrated and a JMlab micron carat bookshelf for the taking. Without hesitation I drive off to check if these are worthy quest finds. 2 years and 4 piggy banks later I have in a way completed my quest.

I dubbed thee NADdiction ...

NAD 3300 integrated, NAD 5170 multidisc CD, NAD 522 CD, NAD 533 TT, NAD 4300 tuner, NAD 1300 preamp (back up for 3300) and JMLABS micron carats.

The 3300 is still sweet sounding with the usual NAD sound characteristics - not boomy or bright. Musically entertaining at low and medium volume levels. I have never brought any of my NADs to a point of clipping since they do create high SPLs at even 20watts.

Bottom line, if you generally listen to any music at low-med volumes in a medium sized apartment the 3300 will serve you well. But don't get me wrong these can also rock a bigger space with bigger speakers as demontrated by the previous owner when I auditioned it.

So, if you come across a decent and hopefully not abused 3300 for under $150 grab it!!! It's worth every entertainment cent.

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Apr 05, 2006]
lenhoffcpa@yahoo.com
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Clean, sweet reproduction not warm not cold just clean. Bass can have punch while violins are not shrill.

Weakness:

No one used gold plating then.

This is for the 3240PE since its not on the list. For 18 years I've driven a small pair of Energy speakers with this and was happy. Then I bought a pair of Pinnacle Classic Gold Tower speakers which blew me away for the money. I then decided that I need to upgrade my whole system. Replaced my Sony CD player with an ES model. SMART. THe tried to replace the NAD. I don't have the money. B&K, Rotel just didn't come close. The NAD from this era (late 80s) as a tech at a competitor told me, is just plain right up there. Now I know why they are still in demand. Live , learn and LISTEN.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[May 16, 2001]
Steve
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Neutral sound, headroom, reliability/durability, provision for connection to and between 2 tape and/or cd recorders, tone control bypass, bass eq setting

Weakness:

none with reasonably efficient speakers

I bought this amplifier new back in '86 or '87 and have been using it nonstop ever since. Though it has been moved about and jostled over the years, this amp has never required repairs, except for the occaisional cleaning of switches and potentiometers. It has always sounded uncolored and dynamic, never clipping even when playing quite loud. During its long tenure, I have used a few different speakers, with rated efficiencies of 88 to 90 db, and from 8 ohms down to less than 4 ohms. I currently am using Vandersteen 1c, which the NAD 3300 drives quite loudly with the volume control between 12 and 2 o'clock.

If you run across this amplifier used and in good condition, I imagine that it would be quite inexpensive and, based on my experience, would be an excellent buy, unless you like your solid-state amplification to be overly bright and edgey.

Similar Products Used:

Old Harmon Kardon integrated amp designed by Mati Otals

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Aug 24, 2001]
Sven
Audio Enthusiast

This is a follow up on the 3300 review below. I gave some technical specifics that now should be disregarded. The dynamic headroom of this amp. is not 1.5dB as i stated.I also found articles about the Power Envelope feature published by Nad.

The dynamic Headroom is +6dB and nothing else.
----------------------------------------------

About the Power Envelope :
---------------------------
The PE circuit provides a more efficient way to meet the power supply demands of music, rather then the traditional way of opening and closing to feed current from the power supply to the loudspeaker in accordance with the demands of the audio signal.
The PE employs TWO power supplies: A lower voltage supply that operates up to the amplifiers rated continous power level (In the 3300 case 2X60w) with modest heating and cost) plus a high voltage supply that provides extra power for the highest level notes and chords in music.
Although the second power supply produces twice as much power as the normal supply, it provides current only in short bursts. Consequently it doesent get hot and doesent need a massive, costly transformer.
If High power is demanded continously (by a high level test tone for instance) the high voltage supply automatically disengages and the amplifier operates only from the lower voltage supply.
PE can provide the same bursts of high voltage and current as much larger and more expensive amps, but if the PE is fed an continous high level test tone (or is overdriven by a careless listener) it automatically closes down to its rated power level to protect itself and avoid overheating.

Comment: This amp should therefore be perfect for complex and dynamic music. Classical music and any sort of acoustic music should mate well with this kind of amp.The only question mark is WHEN the PE decides to switch over to lower voltage output, in the middle of an demanding classical passage it wouldent be so good...... On the other hand its great to know that the 3300 handles all the dynamics of the CD source, eerie! It would also mean that if one would like to make the fullest use of the PE, one should invest in sensitive and big full range speakers that can handle the long term PE outbursts of 300w/channel ! And more so in 4ohms, for that extra speciell outburst of 350w+
Techno music and all music with a lot of subsonic bass and power demanding kick drums should invest in efficient speakers with a sensitivity not below 91dB o make full use of the PE feature.



OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Oct 25, 1999]
Dougal McQueen
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Good power source, heavy transformer.

Weakness:

None to my ears, as good as the rest of my components.

I don't have any technical information but would like to obtain it. I've approached nad about there older components but they simply are not interested. If someone can help can they please email me. It's a really fine amp for a medium sized room.

Similar Products Used:

Alot of nad amps, technics, leak, sanyo and others.

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
4
[Aug 13, 2001]
Sven
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Clean,clean,I mean CLEAN sound. Not as "dark" as todays Nad product line. Ambitious Phono section. Many inputs.

Weakness:

Requires decent source, can reveal a bad link in your system at once.(What you put in and attach to, you´ll have out)

So,yes.I bought this machine unseen and unheard. After some research for the technical specifics of the 3300 I just had no doubt left.
12 effect-transistors (Mos Fet?) mounted to a huge internal heatsink. The cover is hot like a Krell (Be sure not to stack any gear on top of it, or the heatprotection circuit will release, sending really nasty "plopp" sounds ("Pop" sounds? "Click" sounds? "Fart" sounds?....well anyway) to your speakers, like what happend to me yesterday.
Although it is 60w/Channel in Audio Reviews product presentation, I have seen two other figures during my excursion on the net. One for 2x68w and the other 2x80. The truth is that it actually "feels" more like a 60w Nad. In other words, sufficient when you bear in mind that a Nad is capable of headroom. In the 3300 case its 1.5dB. Not bad.

My 3300 is vibrating and humming in the transformer-area. It is only audible if I listen carefully with one ear about 15cm from the cover and it is absolutely dead quiet through the speakers even when i cram the volume on full blast without source. Maybe a sign of age, afterall this baby is celebrating its 13th birthday soon.

I have seen and heard a LOT of Nad gear (Its very popular in my surroundings) and i have never ever heard of a malfunctioning Nad in any way. I have browsed every review concerning Nad amps and integrated (and there are a lot !) in Audio Review and only in ,maybe, three cases found one error, similar to all three ,there was a humming and malfunction on the left channel, and all three came straight out of the box brandnew.

More specs: Phono section selectable MM/MC with three different input kapacitant values (switch) for making the best alignment to your pickup output voltage. Pretty impressing.
Tape1 and tape2 copyfunction (copys while you are listening to other program) Parametic bas and treble boost/cut. Bass can be altered in 50,120,250 Hz and treble for 3k,6k,12k. On the downside : You can just pick one frequency each to alter.But nevertheless useful if your listening enviroment has a tricky sort of reflexion/absorbtion in some specific frequency .Everybody who knows Nad engeneering also know that their filters work without adding to much mumbo jumbo to the overall soundstage.

This machine can be bridged together with another 3300 (or the 2100, same without preamp) and then gives all the power any speaker could ask for, 2x240w... and thats continiously !
As any math-wizard already calculated, yes, the 3300 can internally be switched into 1x240. Maybe for a killer subwoofer perhaps?

The "party switch" is there. The soft clipping protecting your speakers from sinus waves that like to become DC and therefore like to kill your expensive treble speakers. Do all the cheap amplifier and dead speakers in the middle of the Party ring a bell? Even if your speakers are rated for handling 300w of music, you would be amazed what a 60w Amp can do with them, just with a slight,slight overload.It´s a matter of minutes before usually the treble gives in first.

Most important : The sound. It is beginner audiophile, period. Ive listened to a New Gryphon the other day, and it was hooked to the top of the line B&W Nautilus, together with a pricetag of 200 000 sek = appr. 20 000 dollars. I gave 120 bucks for the 3300 and I have a decent pair of speakers. I am far from being a beginner in the audio world but this 20 000 dollar setup reminded me to 90 percent of what the 3300 can produce.
The only problem is that in the case with the 3300, the choice of speakers is the most crucial part. I have the impression that todays Nads are happy with a wide rang of speakers, since the tonality is on the dark side (but detailed) there are rarely any problems even with ultrastraight frequency designed speakers.
So, the tube-like warmth that I´ve met so many times before in the newer Nad line is not so apparent here. It is a new experience for me and i like it more for every record I play.
It is probably only revealing something i´ve suspected before but no amp could confirm before, and that would be that I´m actually beginning to realize that my Philips CD-r 775 is rather on the grainy side of audio producing.Quite a shock to know that my old Garrard Record player(British) has a lot more Hi-Fidelity then my one year old Philips CD-Player! I am going for another british pearl soon for , a Cambridge Audio Cd player.
Be sure too hook up your gear carefully!
Invest in speakers that are biwirable for a start, the difference is subtle but incredibly rewarding, like adding that extra tiny bit of tonal depht, that little bit of magic that you´ve always wanted. I have done so, and sound came so sweet out from my Jazz recordings, and Bach never came with such presence.
I give it a hundred galaxies worth of stars. If you can find one or even better TWO, It would be the best bargain you´ve ever made. The preamp alone is a giant uppgrade in any mid-fi system who needs a top notch Phono amplifier. The preamp came as a stand alone unit back in 1989 (the 1300) and it received rave revieuws. The 3300 is in every respect aspiring for the entry audiophile public, as long as you remember to switch the soft clipping OFF while you´re acting the armchair conducter at normal levels and push the bypass to the tone controls IN !.
I paid 120 bucks ! This amp is one whole grade ahead from the new HK 3470 wich i´ve owned to quite recently and the Nad is almost 13 years old! (The HK cost me 380 bucks) And Im looking for another one, ohhh sweet sweet musicheaven.




Similar Products Used:

Nad 302,Nad 304,HK 330b HK 3470 and countless electronic dinky toys from the land of the rising sun.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
Showing 1-8 of 8  

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