NAD 3020

Outstanding thread. ??????!

My first amp way way back from the 1980s. Recommendation from a friend at university - loved it. Lasted a good decade before the pots got a little crackly and needed cleaning. Soft clipping and tone controls too. Unlike some of the newer NADs (and others - yes you Creek!) you could turn up the volume control to way past 12.

Now in 2019 I'm seriously wondering whether any of my subsequent 'upgrades' Naim, Magnum, and currently Creek were actually any better... 

@CD..............I have a chance to get one for $250.00 CDN.......

I think it would be interesting to hear....

Thanks for the reply!

@don.........Sorry I didnt get your reply....

I owned several of them throughout my years. Should have kept at least one. What amazed me most about the design ( everything actually ), a single power transformer was used ( obviously a price decision ), and it still sounded spectacular !

I bought a 3020A more than 20 years ago to drive external speakers with my TV.  With the right speakers (many options I'm sure) it can still offer surprisingly musical performance.  Mine is stock other than replacing the speaker spring clips with miniature 5-way binding posts.

I had two of them back in ’78 - ’79. Cost $219 each. Used them as mono amps (one channel per speaker) with a pair of Time Windows. Sold them (and the TW’s) when I bought Quads and a Bedini 25/25 (and a little later, a Futterman OTL). But the two 3020’s driving the TW’s single-channel sure sounded good!

Great sounding cheap amps (made in Taiwan)! And if you like the NAD's, don't over look the Proton gear (same designers, same Taiwanese factory)!

Lest we forget, The Audio Critic gave it top billing on the front cover: "Sounds better than many $2000 separates". After reading that, I just had to have one! In fact, I bought two! They sounded as good as Peter Aczel claimed!

That's when Aczel "thought" amps sounded different from one another ;-) .

The NAD formula was high value and good quality with modular design. Need it to be a pre-amp only? - just pull the jumpers on the rear panel. Same thing if you want it to be a power amp only, or any combination when bi-amping. The 3020 and it’s related models (integrated amps, receivers, amps, preamps and tuners) and descendants are all part of this architecture mindset. They didn’t believe in reinventing the wheel in those days.

NAD today is on an entirely different path - digital digital digital. Not for me.

To the OP, if you can get a 3020i in good condition for C$250, you are doing well. They are well worth it.

@sleep...........Its  a 3020    not 3020i

And seller is throwing in a NAD tuner as well...

Loved my 3020 bought new the year they were released (1979?). In my main system for 20 years.