NAD 3020 best selling amplifier of all time (1980),Why?/what does it sound like .

Here I review the NAD 3020 amplifier from 1980 20 watts per ch
source Arcam alpha CD player .
Speakers B and W DM 4s plus monitor audio MA4 also Rogers Ls35a .
turntable Sansui 222 plus Thorens td150 with SME arm .

[@dbdigital57]

In the US, we called this equipment by the letters NAD regather than “nad” as it was an abbreviation for New Acoustic Dimension. I didn’t know it was so popular in sales worldwide. It was the best “bang for the buck (pound)” by far. Their design with +3db of Dynamic Headroom in the amp helped it punch well above its stated rating and helped it to handle down to 2 ohm loads (that and a great power transformer). I appreciated your saying how good the preamp is for plugging into a higher wattage amp if needed. I have used the 3140 (40 watts/channel) since it came out. You could even bridge the channels and use a separate 2140 amp only whereby each unit fed one speaker.

[@doonray]

There is something a bit special about the little old NAD 3020. I found it takes a few hours of run time to start sounding it's best. Had it running from a tube DAC (MF tubalog). Great combo! What actually surprised me the most, was just how much power and impact it had in the bass. I've heard its sound described as 'warm and dark' and I think that's pretty accurate. I paired it with Mission LX-2s which seemed a very happy combo!

[@NatMart9394]

In 1982 I decided on the little Naim Nait. I used it for over 25 years, It was soooo sweet. Wish I still had it.

[@marinadonida410]

Regarding the "rolled off" top end. Switch the jumpers on the back from "normal" to "Lab" inputs. This bypasses filters designed to bandwidth limit and stabilize the amp when used with certain "fast" phono cartridges that can (when unfiltered) generate transient intermodulation effects imparting an abrasive quality to the treble. It also filters subsonic frequencies found in record warps common in the day. The "Lab" mode when played with good, undemanding sources you should notice an opening up of the very top octave. I run my 3020 with B&W DM4s and prefer it in "normal" mode as it helps to ameliorate the DM4's somewhat over etched top end.

[@stereoreviewx]

Yes thanks somewhere in my brain I didn’t know that once Cheers K

[@soloM81]

@@stereoreviewx question do you know of any amps or stereo receivers that have q-sound?

[@MickPsyphon]

I agree completely! The NAD 3020 punched way above it's waist. Superb piece of equipment!

[@tenjake.]

Bone apple tea 🙃

[@1mctous]

It sold for $200 in the US. I bought one in 1981 and really enjoyed it, mainly through the MM phono stage. The preamp is the star of the show; I added more power with an Adcom GFA-545 and also got more clarity.

[@kidoctane]

Bought mine in 1981, still have it, still gets used almost daily. Needs a service every decade or so. lt was part of the HiFi "System" l purchased at the time. l have replaced every component of that system, a few times over. But l have never felt the need to "upgrade" the NAD. It's currently driving a set of speakers that we paid 10x the price of the NAD.

[@kylerodgers4160]

I have a NAD 3220 and love it! I use it with my technics turntable and Sennhieser phones and it’s great little corner system while sitting at a desk.

[@nwr99nwr99]

Takes me back to the mid 80's and my 1st set up- NAD 3020i, Dual CS505 mkII, Mordaunt Short ms25ti's, NAD cassette deck and a lovely sounding Leak tuner from the 60's. Can the sheer joy and revelation of hearing your record collection for the first time on a decent set up ever be matched? Probably not.

[@vimfuego8827]

Excellent comment !

[@RUfromthe40s]

@@vimfuego8827 today ,most certainly ,YES

[@MrSketchydave69]

I had a 3020e back in the 80's... wish I still had it....traded it in for an A&R A60 that eventually blew up on me....

[@matsolof7946]

Nice to hear your review, and how you describe the special character of the amp. I’m doing a “restoration” of an old NAD 3020, the first revision predecessor of the A and B models. Complete cleanup, replacing all electrolytics by new high-quality types, re-cabling which was messy from manufacturer. Also corrected minor design, and manufacturing flaws. Since I work as an electronics designer, I’ve gone through the circuits, and done SPICE simulations of some. Especially interesting to hear what you say about the midrange, cause of the design of the tone controls (set in the middle), there is a “hump” on about 400Hz. On the output stage transistors, designer omitted the usual emitter resistors, probably to further ensure low output resistance, important in bass response band which requires high power. However, this leads to poor temperature stability, and my amp anyway, runs in pure class-B probably garbles the high range. What you hear, corresponds well to my observations of the circuits.

[@tiadanama1998]

So how did it turned out?

[@24bellers20]

Still got one boxed in my loft with some MIssion 730 speakers and Sansui sr 222. I’m going to get them out and try them. Glad I found this channel.😁 I’ll compare the pre with my Kairn. Worth a shot.

[@griffith4830]

Lovely review. So true. Still have mine from 1980. Have had many Amps since that are just not as musical. Iconic piece

[@howardleah8401]

That's the biz - it's part of the furniture!

[@mitchlee2961]

Just repaired one. Went to the trouble because vocals sounded right. Very solid and with a magic texture that tells the story of THIS EXACT VOICE. A Bit like my Sansui 661 or 551 but maybe less lovely and more accurate. Not as sweet as Sansui 221, but much more solid. These amps are so enjoyable! Addictive. I just sit and smile. Especially with the RCA Living Stereo discs from the day. Together = double magic! Thanks for sharing your experience. Helpful.

[@stereoreviewx]

Yes I would agree with you completely I like my Sansui 331 best the only one I haven’t got is the 221

[@cannawpz]

Hi guys, I always dreaming about good quality amp. Finally after 30 years I bought NAD 3240PE but I sound bad. After that I invested in the sansui 221. It sounds great but too bassy with loudness. It would be great if you Kevin compare the amps sansui and NAD 20 series. Is possible?

[@humanchannel1569]

this gentleman is the wizard or Gandalf off the Vintage audio world .learning alot from his reviews. am just waiting to here The One Vintage amp to rule them all.

[@matereo]

I had most of them.. The first two versions of the 3020 was a nice amp for the money. The best one of the rest, of the later variants and that i had as one of my amps then and kept for many years is the 3225 pe. I had it setup with a pair of JPW AP2 speakers and a Manticore mantra TT with musician arm and a Goldring 1040. It was like going to an amusement park each time i sat down in front of that and played records back then. Not many times did i have more fun.

[@lucaand]

My brother found this amp in the rubbish dump (unbelievable!) and brought it home. I unplugged my Sansui G-3500, that I thought was the best with my KEFs 103.2, but once the NAD 3020 was plugged in to the KEFs the sound was amazing. I think I found nirvana, at last....or at least I hope. BTW, great review. Ciao from your Italian fans.

[@stereoreviewx]

Yeah there’s something so involving about the Nad

[@26Jorgeb]

Hi Kelvin! You really got me sold on this one.I think I just might buy one for myself! Thanks for the very informative video!Keep them coming.

[@kylemacarthur3177]

I owned a Pioneer Sx-3700, and while I liked the full and bassy sound, it lacked "something." I replaced it with a NAD 3020, and was instantly blown away. You're absolutely right: You start listening to the detail and you understand what the engineers and producers were thinking when they laid down the track... You understand the subtle microphone details, and you start to pick up instruments that had been lost in the bass. A perfect example for me is "Delta" by Crosby, Stills and Nash, off their "Daylight Again" album. You hear the echo of Crosby's voice and it reveals the air of the studio. You then hear the harmonies come in, followed by a distant and muted snare drum. And then the chorus of background singers kicks in... Wow. That's why I love my NAD 3020. Every once in a while I think about upgrading. And then I ask myself: "Why? You love this thing!!"

[@stereoreviewx]

Nice sound description my friend and yes and upgrade so-called will probably end in disappointment K

[@RUfromthe40s]

that also can be a problem with the speakers you had at the time, but i agree with you, pioneer till 79 was a great brand after in 1980 the sound become ok not excelent ,the SX-3700 is a good example of that ,NAD had the same problem but some decreased more than others, i had a similar problem with some 80´s pioneer speakers ,allthough everyone i knew said it was the best sounding system, only after putting on top some Technics SB-F3(excelent speakers for direct listening, but might not sound that good with expensive modern amplifiers said to be good, wich aren´t) i notice some sounds that weren´t there in some Lp´s , i remenber reading about this speakers and someone saying that were the 8 ohms speakers that put to shame some 4 ohms speakers, and i never stoped using them, if someone says that they have no bass , the only problem is having a really bad amplifier, no matter if it cost a fortune.(that happens a lot today)

[@lukaszx5271]

Fantastic canal! Please review my beloved audiolab 8000a. Another classic and amp that is hard to beat this days by its competitors.

[@nicholas6823]

The Audiolab was one of a string of amps I “upgraded” to after the Nad. I ended up hating the Audiolab! Thinking back, in the CD era of the mid 80s it all sounded so harsh and clinical after the magical sound of the Nad. I had to retrieve the Nad from my sister! I too would be very interested to hear what Kelvin thinks about the Audiolab. Got rid of mine years ago. With the right gear it probably is a good amp.

[@boogiewoogie9770]

I currently use a NAD 314 which is a similar model as preamp into a Talk Electronics Storm 1 which is also an integrated. Both amps were dirt cheap and it works a treat! Strange combination but wow what a sound!

[@chrisclose7793]

I run a yamaha ax396 amp with B&W dm602s and I find that combination can produce a delicate sound with classical and jazz to real wham bam thank you mam with rock and pop music

[@shibubasheer]

I have recently started using a NAD C 162 and your feedback is similar to what I heard with this preamp. It has a full rich sound.

[@TheBRBvideos]

I personally sold hundreds of 3020's when I ran a Hi-Fi Markets franchise in Bradford, West Yorks. For me it's outstanding achievment was that it 'timed' better than many more expensive amp's. Play Dire Straits 'Sultans of Swing' through one a sale was usually made.

[@stereoreviewx]

great to hear real world stuff thanks

[@johncooper6246]

Think it was 1981 at a party in Toronto and this amp blew my mind. So clean spinning vinyl and asked the host if he would consider selling. Anyway, still haven't bought one and should before I die.

[@RUfromthe40s]

i went home and my older NAD is a 3060 wich sounds good like the 70´s other good brands had as only diference the type of sound or frequencies in use at bass and treble control allthough some have the switch to control to diferent low or high frequencies like the 3060

[@thisisnev]

Unfortunately, the casing of the original 3020 was a bit on the flimsy side compared to Japanese amps of the time. The 7020 receiver was more solidly built, combines a 3020 amp and 4020 tuner and can be had for a lot less than the 3020 - I nabbed my rev.2 model for £40 back in July. Asking prices for vintage gear have gone up a bit since then, but 7020s still slip under the radar. I agree with you about the sound, Kelvin - it's not flat, but it's very easy on the ear, even for extended listening and has a way of drawing me in.

[@simeonbanner6204]

Hi I've got the 7020 too. I get a scratch noise moving the big tuner dial. I can't realistically get a outdoor arial but would love to hear it on FM again. Can you get portable antenna or are they all a waste of time? Have you had the speaker clamps at the back changed, where the speaker cable goes?

[@thisisnev]

@@simeonbanner6204 I get pretty good results from a basic telescopic indoor aerial that plugs into the socket at the back. Still using the original speaker connects!

[@simeonbanner6204]

@@thisisnev Thanks for the advice, sorry just saw it from 5 months ago.

[@johngriffin641]

The 3020's real strength was the phono stage where it easily outperformed anything near it's price range. With other sources the advantage was less clear IME but in it's day most sources were vinyl so it was entry level proper hi-fi.

[@joeysarmiento1925]

Finding a great sound for not a lot of money... that's a nice mission for audio guys like us.

[@CM-dw3gh]

Has anyone had to clean theyres internally? I've recently bought 1 off a lady that hasn't been played in 4 years. First time cranking it up there was a horrible loud crackle (from what I've read this could be dust in the volume pot). The sound coming through the speakers was dreadful, like it was coming from those little speakers you get for mobile phones but with no bass. Very tinny sound. Had to turn it off as I was concerned with damaging the voice coils on speakers. Bought some deoxit and air sprays so I'm hoping removing the dust is the best I can do at this point. Any advise would be great..

[@nasskhan4543]

The Nad 3020 really is a superb amplifier.

[@greymurdock2]

I really enjoy your videos. Thanks for reviewing vintage audio!

[@jacovanlith5082]

I thought you were telling us how delightfull the dinner was in a four star Michelin restaurant. But your ears were filled with Sound in an Audio Bar named "Chez Nad" When I was young in the sixties, I used to be an Amp Spotter. She killed my L&G 3600 by watering the plants in the pots.

[@jacovanlith5082]

"She" is my wife

[@DJWerkz]

Great stuff, you should also do a top 10 of other classics like the Pioneer A400 and Kenwood KA3020SE.

[@GrahamAtDesk]

I lusted after the 3020SE for years, but as a student the 1030 was more in my price bracket. But last year I picked up a boxed 3020SE for 60 quid. It would have been rude not to. I use it in my study, and it's got quite a bit of character. Having re-read some old reviews, I suspect the A400 is a belter. Don't think I've ever heard one though. Would love to hear your thoughts if you tried either of them out Kelvin.

[@DJWerkz]

@@GrahamAtDesk Hi Graham, its all personal taste but I did several comparisons at the time between the Pioneer and the Kenwood and just found the Kenwood a bit more dynamic. The real killer on the Kenwood is the source direct mode, for me it easily surpassed the Pioneer performance in clarity and neutrality

[@nudawas]

I own 3020B , pioneerA-400 and kenwood ka 4002 and for 4002 sounds sweetest from all of them ( tuby) it's only 18W but what a beautiful sounding amp

[@timkiwi]

I purchased one of these Amps in London in the 80's with a pair of B&W DM22 speakers. the amp was stolen and the NAD i purchased in NZ to replace it never sounded as good. I still own the DM22's which sound great with my Music Fidelity A2 amp.

[@simeonbanner6204]

Fantastic review. My later father had the 7020 receiver which I think was the same basically. He had it with a big arial on the roof and huge old Mordant Short speakers. Always sounded really loud, deep and rich. There's a dude who repairs mission cyrus amps (you can find him online). He says you would pay maybe a £1000 to get such quality as the NAD here and the older amps. A guy in a hi-fi shop talked me all the brands or many got sold to some huge Taiwanese company a decade or more ago. My feeling with the NAD is the incredible build quality. Dad left it in the woods, in a shed. When he passed away or some years later I switched it on and it worked. Incredible and a tribute to those who made it and the designers.

[@tenmillionvolts]

Never understood what people liked about them. Fixed loads of them and couldn't tell it apart from any mediocre amp. Used the old 2N3055 garden variety transistors so at least they were easy to buy and cheap to replace. What I remember most about the NAD amps was the junk Chinese resistors they used which caused so many issues. Technics new class A and especially class AA sound so much better to my ears

[@trout211]

"NAD is an abbreviation for New Acoustic Dimension. The company was founded in London, England, in 1972 by Dr. Martin L. Borish, an electrical engineer with a PhD in physics. Its most famous product is the late-1970s NAD 3020, an integrated amplifier designed by Bjørn Erik Edvardsen, which was highly regarded by various magazines in Britain." - Wikipedia

[@isaacbell2426]

Some do suffer from that “power on thud”just have to turn volume down when powering up. Better still don’t turn it off!!

[@sirnosedavoidoffunk]

Change the capacitors in the pre section. You'll get rid of "thumps" and be surprised by the incredible improvement on sound. Obviosly changing power transistors for better ones, removing tone controls and adding emitter resistors and bias pots will take this thing to another level but that is overkill.

[@tropico4672]

It was a game changer at that time but there was also Marantz and other brands that did a lot in the hifi segment back in the 80's, mission Cyrus, musical fidelity class a, and also the Rotel series.

[@richardmanning4090]

Hi Kelvin, I always look forward to your enjoyable reviews and this one was no exception, well up to your usual high standard. I remember the 3020 fondly having owned one at one time, along with everybody else so it would seem. The Nad did sterling service until a channel blew during a party, some moron reenacting spinal tap, proving the amp went all the way up to eleven - it didn’t! I ended up upgrading with something that I convinced myself was “better”. Probably not true, there’s a lot of kidology in hifi, not least kidding yourself. Wish you and the channel well.

[@keplermission4947]

NAD 3020 was the best selling piece of Hi-Fi of all time ... BUT ... it wasn't the best sounding of all time. Based on another British amplifier from the brand that made the NAD 5040 turntable for Martin Borish, they both had a very lightweight, brash sound, no 'power', only 20 feeble watts from a tiny power supply. But they were good for the music of their day, Punk Rock, The Sex Pistols and you know, Johnny Rotten. NAD 3020 was Jolly Rotten but none of their owners cared to know. They thought that their Russian Fiat-based Lada cars were the best on the road. The NAD owners were peasants and loved their lifestyles.

[@dennisheadley4408]

The NAD 3020 is a true classic. Within their power capability they still aren't that far surpassed by today's amps. NAD amps were always conservatively rated in regard to power output. Good review of an worthy product that started a lot of people on their audiophile journey. Thanks from Phoenix, AZ.

[@ReferenceFidelityComponents]

Great design and good amp. I auditioned one against the Rotel RA-01 and budget Musical Fidelity Class A amp back in the day.. Ultimately to my ears, the Rotel and MF amps sounded sweeter. The Rotel was around 25wpc but didn't have the guts or drive of the NAD and the MF for me was the best sounding but too expensive. I bought the Rotel mostly down to cost. Money no object back then I liked the Arcam delta amplifiers. Linn were just too Meh and Naim's olive pickings never lived up to the hype. Even the NAD was musically almost on par with the Naim which was an eye opener for me.

[@stereoreviewx]

Fair enough

[@Redstickler1000]

After leaving Uni in 1980 and before getting a job in my field of study, I worked for Rush Hi-Fi in Romford and Chelmsford and sold a ton of these NAD 3020s. They were an incredibly popular budget amp and extremely good value for money. Would love to hear one of these again. Nice one Kelvin.

[@livinglarge22ify]

Electrolytic Capacitors must be serviced to bring back a Nad3020

[@thomaskendall452]

That's true of any 35-40 year old amplifier.

[@ibleebinU]

NAD products ruled for that period and then some. I have the 1300 preamp / 214 amp and they punch way above their price point.

[@toneswinger]

Hey I found a top of the nad monitor series integrated amp 3100 in a scrap bin. Cleaned and serviced and attached to a pair of Dynaudio s sounds absolutely fantastic. Must be they had great dynamics

[@stereoreviewx]

Brilliant

[@michaeltownsend429]

Jesus. Your neighbourhood must be alright. I’d be bin dipping most nights after finding gold like that 😆

[@nealefrancis9094]

I had this with Bose 301mk2 and a micromega cd player

[@pernilsson2512]

I just recapped a 3020B Contained the most out of spec caps I’ve ever seen In an amp All had low value and high ESR !!!

[@nathanas64]

Outstanding review! Not just one of the best selling amps but truly a revolutionary amp if I dare say. My all time favorite ! Spent many enjoyable hours listening to this masterpiece with friends ! Designed in the UK too!

[@Andrew-rc3vh]

I used to read a lot of electronics mags at the time which had authors who were involved in the design of many famous British Hi-fi systems. You would often get the latest theories they were working with. To point out that which is relevant to what you say, they established that the human ear can pick up detail down to -160db and until that time the measuring equipment could not go down that far so you were working blind. Where the tests showed no difference between two amps in distortion and listening tests said there was, they later spotted the difference with better test equipment, so the audio manufacturers who designed on what the ear preferred were the more technically correct. Another reason why the punter was fooled was that distortion was often measured with a 1 kHz sine wave. If the job of the amplifier was to amplify this signal then with copious negative feedback you could reproduce to as small as you wanted. The trouble was this was not the case with more complicated signals where increasing negative feedback would introduce its own kind of distortion. Distortion comes in two types: harmonic and anharmonic . A harmonic distortion will sound musical, where anharmonic distortion is nasty to the ears. Anyway the trick was to use as little feedback as possible and use an amplifier stage which is most linear in the first place. This is why people preferred class A because it is more linear before applying feedback. Then I suppose there are the physical imperfections in capacitors which make them deviate from the perfect theoretical model of a capacitor. Some capacitors "sounded" better than others!.

[@cmdreffietrinket]

I have a 3020i that I have owned since 1990. It’s going in the pine box with me when my time comes. 👍

[@michaelvincent8306]

I had a demo of the 3020 in about 1983 so I'm not sure what nad 3020 it was against a nytech 202 I think and bought the nytech had it a few years but it was unreliable then bought a 42 110 naim from listening to reviews and hated it

[@michaelhayes6118]

Due to this review I have purchased one in mint condition. Completely re-capped with high-end components. The sound is so good, my jaw dropped. Zero listening fatigue. It is in control of the music and delivers in all ranges. This is the amp I will use to compare others with. At the end of this month I may be getting the AU-317 (also due to Kelvin's review). Can't wait to recap that one and then compare these two giant-killers. But I hope Kelvin will do this for us as I lack his expertise in this regard. Love, love, love the 3020. Such a good buy.

[@stereoreviewx]

Great to hear that Michael Let us know what you think when you get the Sansui Cheers K

[@PAL-MUSIC-1]

Got the 3130, which is a great improvement on the 3020 in my opinion. but I do like the 3020...👍🏼

[@raccoon874]

*NAD from the 1980s and early 1990s has a tube-like warmth. That's the easiest way to sum it up.*

[@stereoreviewx]

I wouldn’t argue

[@nudawas]

Me neither. I've own 3020B , PioneerA-400 and Kenwood Ka 4002 and if you want tube like amp it will be definitely ka 4002 . Sweet sounding amp with only 18W of amazing power .

[@ML-rm3vk]

nad is a great name in high fi question what do you think of dyanco 70 pas 3 and dyanco a25 speakers I purchased the a25 many years back but they sound great.very informative video brilliant. thanks.

[@stevedundee866]

NAD 3020 was my first amp. Something very special about it. Wish I still had it !

[@thomasstone1363]

Get yourself another :) I have a 3020 in one room and a 302 in another. Wonderful, wonderful listening experience

[@plooopymops]

@@thomasstone1363 If you could only have one, what would it be? The 3020 or the 302?

[@thomasstone1363]

@@plooopymops The 3020 is more "fun". I have my 302 set up with more analytical speakers and it's where I do most of my critical listening (I'm a composer so do a fair bit of that). So for my purposes if I could only have one it would be the 302.

[@geoffwalmsley3066]

listened to This alongside the newly released pioneer 400, the pioneer blew it out of the water,more power, more detail,better built, Bought the pioneer

[@stereoreviewx]

Okay interesting K

[@richardmanning4090]

Both amps had legendary status and sold in enormous numbers because of one reason. They were the best value for money amplifiers of their time, NAD in 1978, the A400 in 1990. A gateway for many of us into real hifi. Never owned the A400 but heard it many times in friends systems, a very good buy at the time.

[@jim586]

I’ve said it elsewhere in this thread but the Pioneer was designed especially for the UK. They employed the great British designer Tom Evans.

[@sarkybugger5009]

Bought mine back in 1982 for £89.95, along with a Dual CS505 and a pair of Acoustic Research AR18S. It's still running smooth, but with a Thorens TD165 at the front, and a pair of Linn Index speakers hanging out the back. There are a couple of crackles on the volume pot, but I can't be arsed to sort it out. A couple of spins, and it settles down. Great little amp, and I've owned _bigger and better_ ones. This is the one I have kept.

[@fernandogomes4348]

I bought a 3240 brand new in1989. I used it day in day out since then. Speakers have come and gone but the nad always stayed. Recently l upgraded 14 caps (nothing lasts forever)and hooked it to my new R3's. A second hand Dual cs 5000 provides the analog source and Sony ns900v (sacd) for digital. Bliss for little money. The c 350 dlrs l spent couldn't buy me nothing close to it. With 40w/channel and 6db of headroom this amp still delivers. NAD owners rejoice! Cheers. Fernando in Canada 👍

[@kais2345]

I was fortunate enough to pick up a silver fascia 3020 second hand for $150aud after a previous hand-me-down Sony amp was having channel issues. This was about ten years ago, when I was in my early 20's at uni, no car etc. So I took the 1.5 hour public transport ride out to the rich side of town with a big ruck sack and met the older gentleman who was selling the amp. He said he was changing out all the audio in his mansion-like house to bluetooth so didn't need his old audio equipment anymore (even at the time I wanted to talk him out of it..). It dawned on me when he handed me the manual and accompanying tuner that I was quite literally getting the amp second hand! I'm honestly surprised he let me take it when I showed him how I was getting it home, bundled up into a big sack. Ten years later it is still running great, although I doubt it's had a recap/service in its 40 years, so I'm looking into that now. Funnily enough, I'm waiting for a 3020i to arrive to completely replace the old Sony that I've been using as a party backup, I got sick of hitting it so both channels would play!

[@jimozae]

I had this amp in 1991 and still my best amp today

[@patbassman8251]

So glad I found your channel I need advice , for 30 years I have used the same components , a Nad 3020i , JBL TLX14s , a Dual 505 , and a Cambridge CD player , my Dual gave up the fight after me trying to keep it going with bits of tape and cotton I can't complain for a 120 quid turntable and over 20 years of usage . I up graded to a pro ject Experience turntable with the Ortofon blue cartridge , im looking to up grade another part of the chain but not sure what right now after watching some of you videos. The sound has changed a great deal but im not happy , I think there are many factors to take into consideration , first we have moved to a hot country with tiled floors and the room for the Hi Fi is bigger. I was using a pre amp for the TT into the Nad amp but im trying the amps phono now im not sure I can hear any difference at this point . I can hear a difference in the turntables more detail and a better feeling of the production eg I was disappointed in the best of Cream LP the drums are very low in the mix, 60s recording in comparison with say Phil Collins 80s recording. Anyway I feel like im lacking bass it sounds nice with Joni Mitchel and Jaco pastorius beautiful in fact but with Dub reggae just lacking in power and fatness. Just to put a spanner in the works im a bass player myself so probably greedy for bass and probably have damaged hearing from working with machines in furniture making . Sorry it was so long winded.

[@stereoreviewx]

Yes Bernard probably has a good phono stage by the way I mean rooms are everything I would try tweaking speaker locations a lot height distance from the wall etc etc. Also you know going above the recommended cartridge weight will give you more bass and solidity you can’t go far but that’s another good area for tweaking. K

[@patbassman8251]

@@stereoreviewx I took your advice and added a bit more weight on the cartridge and moved the speakers closer to the wall , yeah I think there is a little improvement , thanks , I think I will upgrade my speakers in the future , i have always wanted a pair of kefs , after being impressed with a friends set up years ago , Nad 3020 , Dual 505 and a pair of Kefs very sweat sound . Iv heard though Kefs are more suited for classical music as they have a more delicate sound I wouldn't know if there is any truth in that. I have quite a mixed taste in music from Jazz, a little classical , heavy Dub reggae , to New wave punk .

[@rdyork41]

The Denon 250 III was great as well for about the same price,.Came out a few years after the 3020 though

[@xorbitman]

I had one of these and upgraded to the NAD 3140. I bought a 3150 and bridged it to mono! It was fantastic and I used it to power my Polk RTA-12. I still have my Rega Planar 2 TT with a Grace graphite Tone arm with a new Grado cartridge. I have a record clamp and a soft brush. Also a little device that lifts the tone arm after the end of the record.

[@Gibnetz]

Got my 3150 when a was !7 years old, still regrets selling it to this day. Great amp.

[@peterrichardson9248]

Oh dear never heard of the NAD 3020 but never mind. Great channel which a friend found for me and you do a great job. When we were teenagers we used to raid the local dump to find valve radios and even valve amps. Take them home, remove the valves and hose off the mud etc. Leave them to dry in the sun and then wire them up to see if they worked or we got a poke from the mains, or both. Great fun and fairly dangerous but then we all survived! Are you a fan of Tommy Cooper by chance?

[@stereoreviewx]

I’m not sure how to answer about Tommy Cooper is it a trick question

[@volt7cooltangs701]

Can’t get enough Kelvin. Love your style, message and delivery man. Steeped in hifi knowledge & experience and hilarious too. Absolutely love the vids.

[@Chris-nd5se]

Love your enthusiasm. Looking forward to the next video.

[@slowpawstevet3676]

The 3020 has been followed over the years by many updated versions; 3020B, 3020i, 3020E - is the original still the best version? many thanks Steve.

[@donjohnstone3707]

Apparently everyone agrees that the Nad 3020 was a wonderful sounding amp, especially the pre-amp, and excellent value for money when it was available new. So the question is why NAD did not take advantage of the 3020's great reputation and continue making them, using the same iconic pre-amp circuit. Surely they would sell very well these days, just as they had for 20+ years after they were first available. Unfortunately, this situation seems to happen with many quality audio products. Are the people in charge of Audio design and manufacturing companies too dumb to realise that when you are on a good thing, with certain products, you should stick with them for good profitable business reasons? It is no wonder that many companies go out of business when they stop producing their most popular and best quality products and only focus on being trendy.

[@stereoreviewx]

Yes I wonder about this all the time Sometimes I think they simply don’t care Which doesn’t really make sense I know because surely they won’t sales Other possibilities are they weren’t making money on those amps and they had to cut costs I would love to know the answer to this

[@kennekam]

What modern budget amp would you recommend to a young enthusiast? In my day it would have been the 3020 with a pair of AR7s and something like a used Thorens 150 or Rega or even a Connoisseur turn table kit.

[@blarfneggs3728]

I have a NAD 3150. Been through many but the NAD always stays.

[@SpyGuyUK]

Hi, Has anyone compared both the NAD 3020 and the Sansui AU 317 both of which Kelvin has reviewed to see which is best? Anyone know what the letters stand for after the NAD 3020 that usually say A, B, E or I? Great review Kelvin. Thanks.

[@stereoreviewx]

I would go for Sansui only because it always delivers with any Speaker

[@SpyGuyUK]

@@stereoreviewx I like the look of the Sansui better too. I have a hidden gem 💎of an amp that I think you would like. It's the Yamaha A-420 Amplifier which I got in 1986 and I am still using. It has the natural sound before the synthetic sound that came in after 1990. It also goes well with most speakers too!

[@crazyprayingmantis5596]

I run a 7020e (basically a 3020 with a digital tuner) It's currently my daily driver paired with PSB imagines. I used to run a seperate phono pre but for tidyness sake I now use the built in phono and I don't hear a difference. Great amps, i won't be changing it until it starts giving me problems

[@richardharding6099]

There is plenty more work to do, please come back. We miss you.

[@stereoreviewx]

Ok

[@cpcnw]

I built my own amp from a design by Graham Naulty. Obviously it used parts from all over the place. But *British Watts* are the proper measure of an amp lol!

[@somedude2630]

I bet one of these with my Dynaco A25’s would be heaven...

[@hugobloemers4425]

Good thing we hear it on this channel. If Techmoan would have done this video, this amp would be now selling for Garrard 301 money.

[@dayfornight88]

Picked up for free nad 3150

[@Bucefal76]

Yes, nice and reach middle, soft top and in fact not so punctual bass for todays standards. Very specific sound. Not for every speakers, not for every music genre, not for every listener. In my opinion today old nad,s ( there was few later models with very the same sound ) are more than curiosity to discover and taste than daily listening work horse. In my opinion pioneer a 400, another famous hi fi for everyman, is much better, universal and more system friendly amp. But A400 is a decade younger I think.

[@SplurgeFrugal]

Wow! This review takes me back to the Golden Age of Audio. The NAD 3020 was a real audio rock star and the first amp I purchased that made a real difference in how good my system (at that time) sounded.

[@Rob1972Gem]

would this amp work well with the KEF Q3 floor standing speakers

[@FlaviusMaximus1967]

I had one! Replaced my Pioneer SX780. Great sound, replaced it with a homemade tube SET.

[@valdiskrebs566]

Still listen to my NAD 3020 with DCM Time Windows... mmm! Looking for a DAC to plug into AUX to listen to digital content.

[@socksumi]

Conservative, high current design with oversized output transistors run well below their rated output off high voltage rails. Separate regulated power supplies and filter caps for each stage. Most importantly, no ICs to be found anywhere in the "80" series and the phono stage is blue printed after APT Holman's famous design making it less sensitive to cartridge loading. All this wins the day for musical, fuzz free sound at a budget price. But the 3020 doesn't do miracles (most of the parts are low grade including a barely adequate power transformer) and yes there is better gear to be had. After all, it was built to sell for under $200 US in 1979.

[@stereoreviewx]

Thanks for your knowledge my friend

[@colinshimmin3163]

I brought a 2nd hand one of these just to try. Wow what a performer for the price. I'm running Expensive Martin Logan speakers and this amp drove them with ease. I've now had it professionaly upgraded and all the cheap parts replaced with modern (better) parts and its now stonkin. It's now in my main system. All I can say is buy one! You will not be disappointed!! You can even use it as a separate preamplifier if required.

[@stereoreviewx]

Yeah it’s just a great thing isn’t it

[@montynorth3009]

This amp was phenomenally detailed and uncolored for such an affordable price. The phono preamp used discrete transistors.

[@AmazonasBiotop]

Wow. Discrete components that sounds great!

[@joeygonzo]

@@AmazonasBiotop Onkyo was full discrete too

[@mohankrishnasamy1456]

Have a working one in 2020. Great amplifier

[@benjr4931]

Do you think it would sound nice if I connect a high quality dj-mixer into the aux input? And use the dj-mixer as a preamplifier

[@stereoreviewx]

gonna doubt it

[@laurentzduba1298]

Is it just me and my ears, or does the NAD 3020 sound better if you turn off the soft clipping feature? 🤔

[@snuffpappy]

Are you familiar with the current NAD amp C 316BEE V2? I 'm curious how it compares with the 3020. I have my 316 paired with Martin Logans. Amazing clarity, detail and musicality.

[@ColdGrayMorning]

Thanks for rewiev of this Legend! Waiting rewiev for A&R Cambridge A60 too!

[@stevesmith3990]

I had one of these in the early 80's, wish I'd kept it. I do still have the 4020 tuner though, in perfect condition!

[@stevesmith3990]

Update, 2 years later I got one that has been fully restored and looks brand new, I'm a happy camper!

[@MrProgressor73]

what is difference between this one and NAD 3020e

[@bigdallyc]

I got one sitting in my den at this very moment. Picked it up for $80.

[@juliancharles-fellows4008]

Sorry but you are incorrect, the Matsushita Company ( Panasonic) who made Technics Amps such as SUV450, SUV50 SUV55 were sold in their millions.

[@MrPINKFL0YD]

Bought one of these from Richer Sounds in Liverpool back in the day. Fantastic amp.

[@DKHD176]

Just got mine re-capped after a few years sitting broken on a shelf. I had forgotten how great this amp sounds. It relegated its much more modern replacement to a closet. It was an easy decision, as the difference wasn't even close. I'm sure there are better new amps, but they're out of my price range.

[@26Jorgeb]

Hi Kelvin, What is the difference between a NAD 320 , NAD 320b, 320e,320i? Thanks Enrique

[@nztv8589]

can't be sure. But often the letter at the end specifies the region, ie us120v versus a european model which has 240v. The i is definately though the improved model.

[@clubsport9118]

Contains 2N3055 transistors - same as Leak Stereo 70.