No experience with a 304 but I do have experience with another NAD amp. Years back I owned a very costly 2oo+ wpc amp which developed a fault. I sent it to madrigal for repair and while it was being repaired I put in an NAD amp into the system with barely 1/10th the power. I was shocked at how close the NAD was to the broken amp at less than high volume levels. This showed me how good NAD could be within its design limits. The build quality did not seem nearly as robust on the NAD but sonically, it proved to be the real deal.
NAD 304 - Best SS amp ever?
I'm being silly, of course, but my experience with this integrated amp has been really baffling. I'll give a brief historical outline
I. Bought one in 1994 on the strength of Corey Greenberg's utterly excited "this is real high end audio for $300!" review in Stereophile (btw, this review isn't anywhere online that I can find). After owing it for a few days, the skeptical retailer asked me if it sounded as "glorious" touted? Well, powering my lil' Dahlquist DQ-16s, the answer was YES!
II. In 1995, something went wrong and I needed a repair. That was the old "green circuit board" version. Borrowed a Quad Amp and Preamp...maybe a 405 with matching preamp? Sounded big and warm.
III. Got the NAD 304 back with new Blue circuit board. Sounded way bigger, more dynamic, and clearer than the Quad set-up. Loved it! had to sell it off later that year to help with some debt.
IV. Bought one in 2008 for $175. I'm using it to power Triangle Zerius 202s. I know, not the first combo you'd imagine, right? Sounds very clean and not lacking tonally, but now I'm looking for more dimensionality and palpable presence. I have tried using more powerful NAD amps, a high-powered Adcom, and I'm currently trying a Parasound HCA-750A. Everything sounds...ordinary. To be fair, the Parasound has warmed up and is starting to sound pretty good, but it doesn't exactly blow the 304 away.
Am I going to going to have to look at much more expensive gear? Tubes, maybe? Some of the amps I've tried have been very affordable, but the Quad and the Adcom were kind of ridiculously high-priced IMO, and the 304 was hands-down the winner in those shootouts.
Has anyone else had a similar experience - and if so, what did you finally choose upgrade with?
I. Bought one in 1994 on the strength of Corey Greenberg's utterly excited "this is real high end audio for $300!" review in Stereophile (btw, this review isn't anywhere online that I can find). After owing it for a few days, the skeptical retailer asked me if it sounded as "glorious" touted? Well, powering my lil' Dahlquist DQ-16s, the answer was YES!
II. In 1995, something went wrong and I needed a repair. That was the old "green circuit board" version. Borrowed a Quad Amp and Preamp...maybe a 405 with matching preamp? Sounded big and warm.
III. Got the NAD 304 back with new Blue circuit board. Sounded way bigger, more dynamic, and clearer than the Quad set-up. Loved it! had to sell it off later that year to help with some debt.
IV. Bought one in 2008 for $175. I'm using it to power Triangle Zerius 202s. I know, not the first combo you'd imagine, right? Sounds very clean and not lacking tonally, but now I'm looking for more dimensionality and palpable presence. I have tried using more powerful NAD amps, a high-powered Adcom, and I'm currently trying a Parasound HCA-750A. Everything sounds...ordinary. To be fair, the Parasound has warmed up and is starting to sound pretty good, but it doesn't exactly blow the 304 away.
Am I going to going to have to look at much more expensive gear? Tubes, maybe? Some of the amps I've tried have been very affordable, but the Quad and the Adcom were kind of ridiculously high-priced IMO, and the 304 was hands-down the winner in those shootouts.
Has anyone else had a similar experience - and if so, what did you finally choose upgrade with?