NAD Electronics
NAD C538 is an OK HiFi component – After over 30 years, my AKAI CD210A CD player failed. It would no longer recognize that a disc was inserted and so I surmised that the laser had… Read more
failed. Once again, I went on line and came across Living Sound & Vision in Brisbane. Their service has been good. If I was living in Brisbane, I would have gone into their store, but I had a look through their on line site instead. I found a unit that I thought was reasonably priced and would do the job that I wanted it to do. Once again, I was surprised at how much prices had increased over 30 years. When the unit arrived, it was in good packaging. Once again, there was only a quick user set up provided and I had to go to the NAD website to download the operation manual. Not happy with this at all. Its appearance is in keeping with the minimalist NAD styling, which is OK with me. Connection to the new amplifier was stock standard but I have routed the CD player via a graphic equalizer to compensate for my older person level of hearing. It works quite well as long as the equalizer isn't the next piece of my old Hi-Fi set to fail. It also comes with a remote control unit which seems to work quite well. But like the C368 amplifier that I also bought, the remote control unit is a bit fiddly to use until you get used to it. All up, it appears to be a reasonable purchase at $500 and I expect that it should last some time. Warranty is a NAD standard of two years and purchasers are recommended to retain the original box for future transport if required.
NAD VISO HP50: Value & Sound Quality – Use these head phones primarily and frequently with Fiio X1 and X5 whilst doing outside activity and gardening. A bit bright a bit first but soon… Read more
settled down. Very happy with the sound quality across ranges for the price point. I have other more expensive headphones used with Vincent headphone amp but find the NAD fantastic and most used for everyday use. Sometimes show up at knock down sales prices. You can't go wrong. Recently added Brainwavs replacement ear pads, which I think sound better than the originals. HP50 still going strong after 5 years heavy use.
NAD C368 Integrated Amplifier – After over 40 years my Yamaha CA710 amplifier failed again and wasn't worth fixing. Time to buy a new one. I visited a few on line sites and found… Read more
Living Sound and Vision in Brisbane, who had a reasonable set up. Their range of manufactures was a bit limited and I was a bit surprised at how much more things cost now since the 1980s. I decided on the NAD C368 amplifier for $1445. NAD have been around for quite a while. I could never afford NAD equipment in the 1980s. Their general appearance is now almost stark. Included in the box was just a basic start up guide. This really annoys me. To get the full operator manual, you have to download it from the NAD website. Packaging was good, and purchasers are encouraged to retain the box for future transport i.e. warranty claims etc. Warranty is two years. In the list of contents, it is indicated that you should receive two power cables, but I only received one, suitable for local conditions. There are hardly any controls on the front panel. A luminous display, a mode selector. a power button & a multi-selector set up reminiscent of an Apple i-Pod. The rear panel doesn't have any inputs for a tape deck, but who has one of those these days. It resulted in my having to restrict the way that I could use my graphic equalizer to the CD player only. However there are a variety of other inputs i.e. co-axial / HDMI / optical. The unit can handle four speakers in two pairs, which can be selected for either / or / both. It also comes with a remote control and WiFi capability. I de-activated a number of options via direct input and changed the names of the inputs that I would be using. It was a bit of a tedious process and the manual needs to be handy when you are doing a set-up. The amplifier also has some capabilities that I will never be using, and allows for expanded functionality by having positions available for optional modules. In short, it can do quite a bit that my old amplifier couldn't do. I had a few issues with connections due to the type of connectors on the rear panel for speakers and turntable, due mainly to the age/vintage of my existing equipment. Once all the set up was finished, and the blue tooth functionality enabled, I generally found it easier to operate the amplifier via my smart 'phone. this amplifier easily drives a pair of JBL L-19 speakers. Sound is good for my purposes on all inputs i.e. phono / tuner / CD player. In short, I am quite happy with this amplifier. It is mid-range as far as price is concerned for a quality unit. It comes with a comprehensive remote control unit, which is multi-functional as far as selecting other components is concerned, but I think that it is a bit cluttered, button are small and text is a bit difficult to read in low light conditions. More experience using it should make things easier.