NAD C 350 Integrated Amplifiers
NAD C 350 Integrated Amplifiers
[Dec 27, 2001]
Aaron CNAOPOBNy
Audiophile
Strength:
Price Point. No Multi-Colour Display Distractions.
Weakness:
Processor Loop Jumpers. Largish Size. Editorialised Sound.
Similar Products Used: CyrusI/II, Arcam, Entry Yamaha 2ch./ Yardsale stuff/ Hot street Buys. |
[Sep 30, 2001]
Jeff Whiteside
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Detailed, clean & clear, good soundstage, very good at well recorded acoustic music, tone controls
Weakness:
Slightly harsh with metal & rock, needs to run for a couple of hours before it sounds best I was in the market for an integrated stereo amplifier or an AV receiver to drive my Klipsch Lascalas. After exhausting every option under $800 in the AV market, I decided I would not be happy with the music capabilities of any AV receiver I could find. So, with that decided, I began looking at Integrated Stereo Amps. I don't need a huge amount of power with the Lascalas as they could fill my room with sound running on a transistor radio. So, my next criteria was THD...which I wanted at a maximum to be .08%. In steps the NAD C350 with a conservative 60 watts per channel at .03% rated distortion. I hooked the amplifier up using high quality interconnects and replaced my speaker wire at the same time. I've never heard these Lascalas as clear and precise as they are now. What I found remarkable about this amplifier was the realism and sheer quality reproduction of horned and other acoutic instruments. Also, when this amp is thrown complex orchestras, none of the individual instruments are lost in the mix. The detail and layering that the artists put in their music is fully brought out in the C350/Lascala combination. All of those faint textures are right there, vocals are clean and distinct, and even at the loudest volume I could possibly stand - there was no distortion. The tone controls are a nice feature...as this amplifier tends to be a bit bright on the Lascalas when playing rock and metal music. The tone controls tone down (or up) the very ends of the frequency spectrums, and so muddiness of the music only happens when the controls are brought to their extremes. And that tone defeat is nice too...quick access to flat spectrum. This amplifier also needs to be run for awhile before it really starts sounding its best. The bass and midrange is notably more prominent and warm after a couple of hours of use. For under $500, this is the best musically versatile amplifier you can get. If music is more important to you than movies/home theatre setup and price is an issue...give this amp a listen to. Similar Products Used: HK, Denon, Onkyo, Kenwood (back in their day) |
[Sep 24, 2001]
Carlo Berruti
Audiophile
Strength:
Outstanding, terrific, superb power, stunning clarity and neutrality, a vary MUSICAL product, it produces a very realistic sound, surely THE best in it's price range!
Weakness:
naaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!! I was searching for a secondary amplifier for my second system in my bedroom, I didn't want to spend so much, but I wanted QUALITY, as always! The NAD was a perfect buy, I'm fully satisfacted, it is neutral and musical, and has enough power to full a big room. It is a fantastic product for the price. It can compete with some amplifiers of twice the cost! Similar Products Used: Opera Aida, Unison research Aria S-2, Thule Audio Spirit,Musical Fidelity A3,Meridian 551,Copland CSA 8, ecc.. |
[Sep 19, 2001]
Seth A.
Audiophile
Strength:
Great sound for the price, many inputs, pre-ins/outs, warranty
Weakness:
reliability, not _quite_ as dynamic as other NAD models I've heard, but still impressive I also own a NAD 7140 and 304. The 304 is a 1996(?) model that I purchased used. In june it blew capacitors and transisters (went into protect mode). So, I purchased a C350 knowing the 304 would be out for repair for quite some time. Similar Products Used: NAD 7140, NAD 304, AR Model R |
[Feb 13, 2001]
Jimmy Myhrman
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Great middle-range detail, lots of power, deep and nice bass.
Weakness:
Remove has to be pointed right at the amp. I was amazed by the extremely well detailed mid-range this amp provides. I used to blame my speakers for the lack of detail there, but obviously it must have been the amps i've tried because now I'm fully satisfied. The bass is also deep and powerful. When I first turned on the amp I missed some treble, but after having listened for a while this got much better (maybe it had to warm up) and I'm now fully satisfied with the highs as well. Similar Products Used: HK650 |
[Jan 25, 2001]
Dr.Allen Don
Audiophile
Strength:
Remarkable Support by this authorized NAD dealer. Answered within 24 hours by e-mail. Shipped to me same day I ordered and was provided a tracer number to track my shipment. Sonically dynamite at any decibel level, high or low. The same punch I got from my my earlier NAD7250PE which had 6 db of dynamic headroom. The C350 claims only 3.5 db of dynamic headroom, but you wouldn't know it. Tone defeat if you want to listen without any modification of the signal. Inputs and outputs galore. Interesting approach to Tape1-in--as long as you are taping, you cannot accidently send an alternate signal to the recorder. The 60 watts drives my two pairs of speakers--ohms in parallel, giving 4 ohm load. Huge Holgren toroidal transformer and huge power capacitors delivering high current demand handle the 4 ohm with ease.
Weakness:
No Phono input, but solved as mentioned above. Manual could be a little better. Sonically superb. All necessary inputs and outputs. Fine ergonomics. Fine remote. Excellent quality heavy-duty construction. Similar Products Used: NAD7250PE, Various Sony Amps over the years, Adcom once, Audiiosource, Denon, JVC. All were good, but not quite up to the two NAD units, the NAD7250PE and the new C350. |
[Aug 03, 2001]
Martin
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Clarity, detail, neutrality, power.
Weakness:
None that I can hear I've only had this amp for three weeks, so this is an 'impressions so far' review. The news is all good. The NAD organises the signal into a cohesive whole, with excellent seperation and detail. It drives my Mission m74 floorstanders with authority and power. It sounds clean and undistorted across the full spectrum. Bass is smooth and pumping, midrange is singing, and treble is under control. Similar Products Used: Pioneer 454 AV Receiver (thank God it's gone) |
[Jul 27, 2001]
Grant
Casual Listener
Strength:
Wonderful clean sound with plenty of presence
Weakness:
You need to be a bit of a sharp shooter with the remote Following the death of my trusty Technics amp after 11 years of service, I found myself looking for a new amp. After several weeks of research and listening, I settled on the Nad C350. I was immediately struck by the warmth and clarity of its sound. Despite my interest in hi-fi, some of musical tastes are particularly lo-fi (the inadequacy of which recordings I thought the amp would highlight) but even with simple guitar and voice recordings the C350 delivers with depth. I highly recommend this amp. |
[Jul 23, 2001]
Brian
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Everything. It powers my small Heybrook monitors perfectly and compliments my California Audio Labs Icon Mk II CD player perfectly as well.
Weakness:
None to speak of. I was in the market for a nice integrated to pair with my California Audio Labs Icon Mk II CD player. I was looking for something rather inexpensive that would perform strongly and do most everything right and had no glaring weaknesses - like a lot of equipment at this price point. Similar Products Used: Rotel 971 - 951 preamp/amp combo |
[May 22, 2001]
toivo
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Lots of reserve power, great details, tight lows, singing highs (especially acoustic guitar)
Weakness:
remote should come with a battery, "blah" looks, no internal phono stage. This is a great amp. I just bought it, so perhaps my opinion will change in a few years...but for now, I highly recommend it. I'm using it with a music hall mmf-2.1 and a Sony 5-disk ES unit. I bought the NAD phono stage along with it. |