NAD C326BEE > Reviews (1)

I have been a fan of NAD electronics ever since the extremely infuriating moment when my first amplifier, a Rotel, suddenly cut itself off and the sound was never to return. I have to say with my previous 2 amps which have been NAD amplifiers, I am very impressed. Essentially NAD have 2 unmistakable characteristics; firstly their unassuming and arguably bland looks but more importantly, they also feature highly on the words sound quality.

So with this latest offering of NAD I was of course eager to find out how these new one fared against the rest of the competition and whether this would continue NAD's tradition of putting sound quality first. Firstly for the looks of this amplifier, they perfectly sum up the description I gave above of the typical design. While this is no bad thing because it essentially makes NAD instantly recognisable, it's not going to win many fans from those who put a firm emphasis on aesthetics. It is one of those love or hate things but me, I appreciate it, what it lacks in appealing looks, it compensates for in it's sturdy build.

The key to any good amplifier in my opinion is when you are solely listening to the music and not reflecting on the type of sound it offers. Often in reviews you will see people refer to a warm sound or a cold sound, or an overly bright one. I think it's important not to focus too much on any of these words because they are so subjective. However what is important and what impressively carries the sonics is the fact that there is no hint of colouration in the midrange and therefore what you are hearing is a very accurate reproduction of the music.

NAD amps really come into their own and are particularly well liked when you are playing music which has a heavy emphasis on bass. For instance when I played Outkasts Stankonia album, the bass drum slams with depth and with precision, which ensures that the bass is tight and deep without sounding over inflated or over stated. The other welcome aspect about this amp, is although it is rated at 50 watts per channel, it's measurement is clearly somewhat conservative. Even when the volume is turned up quite loudly, voices and instruments are still tight and cohesive without straining. This amp also has a very impressive dynamic range which allows for a great difference between the highest and lowest notes.

Therefore what this amp delivers in spades, is a big bold sound, with a wide soundstage, which really immerses you into the music. It is it's ability to generate bass depth, ensures a thrilling listen when playing more bass driven music. However this amplifier is the perfect choice for anyone looking for a quality budget amplifier. I have seen some reviews and suggestions that this amplifier should not be paired with speakers which cost in excess of 500.00, but when demoing this amplifier I did not notice this weakness. This will easily fit alongside much more expensive components.

It is not as powerful as some other amplifiers but is more than enough for any medium sized room and at the price, it's very difficult to fault this.
NAD continues it's consistency to deliver with this with this one

Key features

50 watts per channel
It has a 3.5 mm connection, allowing you to connect your laptop if you so wish
2 sub woofer outputs - For those bass fiends out there, this will allow you to connect a sub woofer
Seven Line Inputs - Allowing you to connect other external devices, console, television, external dac etc