I inherited a classic NAD 3020i amplifier nearly twenty years ago and it's been the centre of my HiFi system ever since. Warm and lively with a generous bass response it was hard to fault. But time moves on and I thought it was time to replace the old girl with something a bit more up to date.
The technological differences between the old NAD and the new couldn't be more stark, but the musical qualities the original 3020 were known for are preserved in the new digital hybrid version, despite the move from class AB to class D amplification. The new amp is clearer and more detailed with a firm and well extended bass but it's still lively and musical to listen to. Here are a few general thoughts:
- I tried operating the amplifier on its side, but it got a bit too hot for my taste, even though I'd inserted spacers underneath it to allow ventilation. I think it really should be used in the upright position. The display makes more sense that way.
- It has two digital and two analogue inputs, which are just enough for me to plug in my TV, CD player, record player and cassette deck. There is a preamp out which could, at a pinch, be used for recording and a sub-woofer output. Be aware that the main speaker output remains full-range even when the sub is plugged in. You'll need to tune your sub-woofer settings carefully to integrate it correctly with your main speakers. There's a bass boost control for use with very small speakers, but that's the only tone control available.
- Bluetooth works well and is fine for late-night listening, but I found that sometimes the Bluetooth source would take over when I was listening to something else. I think it's best to break the connection (but not the pairing) when not using BT.
- I tried several times to set it up to turn itself on and switch to optical input when I used my TV's remote, but this feature wouldn't work properly for me. No disaster - it's easy enough to operate the TV and the amp separately and you don't necessarily want full-blown sound when you're only watching the news.
- It was only by accident that I found that the seller had inserted a UK mains cable under the packing tray. I was all set to rewire the euro cable that came in the accessory box. It wouldn't have hurt to have put a slip in the packaging telling me where to look.
- You can't tune the loading for the phono input.
- The volume display on the front panel reaches max when the actual volume is 50% or less. A firmware fix for this would be nice.
- It has the world's most easily lost remote. However, it works well enough.
- You only get a "getting started" sheet in the box. The actual manual is an online PDF, but you're only likely to need it if you want to change the auto power-off and input sensing settings.
For a small-to-medium-sized listening room and reasonably efficient speakers this amp is hard to beat. I'm very happy with mine.
