Tempting. I'd probably bite if it was a silver face plate.
NAD C 3050 Stereo Integrated Amplifier
NAD C 3050 Stereo Integrated Amplifier A 100 Wpc HybridDigital amp with great 1970s design including VU meters and a vinyl-clad metal case. Unlike the limited edition C 3050 LE, the C 3050 will have the BluOS MDC 2.0 module as an add-on option, and will come wrapped in a wood grain look vinyl...upscaleaudio.com
I was more surprised to see that there was a listing this early. I didn't think they were getting these until Spring of 2023.
Is the standard version cheaper?
It is the $1,299 versus the $1,972.
Upscale is gonna piss off some people that order off that listing when they receive the standard finish instead of the walnut based on your intel
Yeah, my intuition thought better. The image is still the LE. The link is also a pre-order since no one has the standard edition yet.Upscale is gonna piss off some people that order off that listing when they receive the standard finish instead of the walnut based on your intel
@Corycm This. Good vendor too, that’s where I got mine. If this is a forever upgrade, it’s worth it to jump to the C298 power amp.How about NAD separates?
NAD Electronics C 268 Stereo Power Amplifier Factory Refurbished
NAD Electronics C 268 Stereo Power Amplifier Factory Refurbished Amazing FlexibilityAs with every amp in the Classic Series, we here at NAD have carefully thought through all the possible use cases and strategically chosen the most essential of features. Thanks to selectable balanced inputs, the...www.safeandsoundhq.com
NAD Electronics C 165BEE Stereo Preamplifier Open Box
NAD Electronics C 165BEE Stereo Preamplifier Open Box Performance Far Beyond Expectation Distinguished amongst analogue preamplifiers, the C 165BEE is built to be the heart of any advanced home audio system. Starting with six line level inputs, including MC/MM phono input, the C 165BEE is...www.safeandsoundhq.com
So what’s the skinny on the separates? These fit right into my budget and I trust your opinion on these. But I know zippo about amps. What are the highlights I should know?
That's what I've always been curious about some of these separates too is the volume knob is on the preamp. So like if I have the Sutherland preamp, but an NAD power amp there is nowhere to control the volume unless I get the matching preamp, but then is the Sutherland redundant? Not that I am looking, but just a hypothetical.
in this scenario, the Sutherland is a phono preamp only, which takes the cartridge level input and raises it to line level. the separate preamplifier provides multiple switchable line level inputs, and then passes those volume-attenuated signals to the power amp, which just goes full tilt all the time. As Joe said, a normal integrated amplifier is called such because it integrates the preamp (input switcher, volume control), power amp (speaker amplifier), and sometimes a phono stage into a single chassis.
It basically just gives you a bunch of inputs, lets you switch between them, and lets you adjust the volume. The power amplifier is just a big dumb box that takes an input and embiggens it enough to power speakers.
Well built. Not flashy. Killer sound.
