NAD Hybrid Digital DAC C 368

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 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.