Anyone compared NAD and Cambridge Intergrateds?


My Dad's 18-year-old NAD integrated stereo amp just shot craps. He's looking for a sub $800 replacement. He uses it primarily for jazz and classical music and the occasional stereo fed of his DVD when he watches movies. His speakers are Meadowlark Kestrels, which are rated 89db but they're easily driven in his small-to-moderate sized room.
I'm considering the NAD 326BEE or one of the Cambridge Azurs.

Thoughts? Recommendations? My Dad has no patience or space for separates or tubes (sadly).
vhiner
Larry,
I can assure you that 3 months is not an eon in electronics :-)

I have had very good experience with NAD amps. Compared NAD to Cambridge in 2005 when I was deciding on an amp. Mt ears preferred the NAD. I eventually used the integrated amp as a power amp after I got a TVC (passive preamp). The NAD was a very good power amp as well.
I can tell you that the Cambridge 340A is quite good. I haven't compared to NAD. Also, I haven't heard the newer version the 350A.

PMB
I used to own both the Cambridge 540A v2 and the NAD C326BEE.

They're both very nice budget amps, and I don't think you could go wrong with either.

The packaging and chassis on the Cambridge look nicer, but the NAD has slightly higher quality parts inside (bigger power supply caps, relays instead of IC switching, etc).

I think the audible differences between the two are overstated and are mostly a result of the one real difference I did notice, namely, that the volume controls track quite differently. In other words, put them both at the 9 o'clock position, and the NAD was much louder than the Cambridge. By the 12 o'clock position, they were closer in loudness. I think this alone explains a lot of the sonic differences being attributed to them, ie, people are hearing level differences more than actual sonic differences.
Fair enough Tobias. I didn't mean to call out anybody personally; I was merely stating that the two amps seem to me more similar than different - at least with the speakers I listened to them on. Now, to a large extent, the differences may only be apparent with certain speakers that are either very revealing or difficult loads to drive. Also, I only compared at moderate levels; the differences at high levels would likely be greater than what I heard.