NAD 314 vs. C320BEE

is the Rotel RA-02 a good idea, I have a deal on it for $320 shipped, excellent condition.

thanks, please let me know soon,

regards,

Perhaps you could up your budget a bit. Spearit sound has the c352 refurbed for $449. The 352 has won many awards and has more oomph than the 320 bee..

Thanks Kotta and Tobias a lot. I will do go with the integrated amp. I can spend $350 - $400 for the amp, would you show me which one I can get the most oout of my money? thanks

regards,

Quangle, I agree with Kotta that the Rotel 855 is an excellent player for the money. Mine was not as smooth in the midrange as my Cambridge CD4 but it had cleaner highs and more bass.

Both these players should cost around $100 used. They are both getting pretty old, though. Unless you can find one that has seen little use, you may be doubling your cost with a laser replacement quite soon. Given that, you might prefer to look for a used Music Hall CD-25, a Shanling CD-S100 or an Onix XCD-88. These are all the same player! It is made by Shanling in China. I used to own one as well and it is way ahead of the Rotel or Cambridge mentioned above--in fact, IMHO it would be impossible to find a better player at its price point new or used.

Is your $250 budget now leaning, first to a new amp, then to a new CD player, like the donkey in the story who couldn't decide between two piles of hay and nearly starved? Welcome to the club, and FWIW, here is my guideline: source first. As long as your amp and speakers are not actually toxic to the music, an upgrade at the source will send its benefits all the way down the chain.

Let us know what you decide, if you get the chance.

The Rotel RCD-855 is an excellent CDP. They use a great Phillips DAC. I own two of these players and for the money they are well worth it. If you buy one, try to see if the transport screws are included. (I had no problems w/one of the CDP's I bought which was shipped across the country w/o the transport screws.) Happy New Year to all. Bill

I would second Rich's response. I too have the c320bee in a second system and the MF a3.2 in my main system. The difference is profound. The MF is well worth the difference in price you would pay for a used one.

I just went about this in another thread here . If you can pick up a Music Hall MMF CD 25 cd player, you will be very pleased. You can find the Music Hall 25 for about $500 new, but obviously less used.

Regards, Rich

thank you very much for all ! i really appreciate all your recommendations, this place - AudioGon is like a audio family that I really love, thanks again Kotta, Tobias, Muzicat, Rar1, I wish you all the best upon on the coming New year!

I have one more questions. I just purchase a Denon DVD-910, it has really good picture quality (Fajouda chip), but in the cd quality sound, I don't satisfy much, and I am thinking about the Rotel RCD-855 or something like that. Any advise from anyone would be a big pleasure for me. My budget is $250 or less, thanks again !

I used the NAD C320BEE in a secondary system for two years and was very satisfied with it. The NAD saw almost daily use for that time. I wrote a review of the NAD here in Audiogon . I felt that the best part of the NAD's sound was that it was very musical and warm sounding ... a nice amp.

To Tobias' remarks ... as good as the NAD was, I still knew that the Musical Fidelity A3 integrated amp that I was using at the time in my main system was better ... more refined sounding and also cleaner and clearer sounding at all frequencies. Since I was using the same speakers in both systems, I was pretty confident in saying that the MF was at least a step or two better than the NAD. Now price wise, there was no comparison ... $400 list for a NAD C320BEE versus $1600 list for the MF A3. I paid $875 new for the MF (it was being discontinued) ... so for double the price, I got three times the amp ... a good deal.

The NAD C320BEE is a bargain though and you will be looking at amps that list at the grand level to better its performance. Once you get past the grand level, tube integrated amps come into play as well. So to Tobias' list, I would add the following integrated amps ... Musical Fidelity A3.2 (discontinued and you may be able to get a good deal); Prima Luna Prologue One tube integrated; Music Hall Mambo (Audio Advisor has this $1500 integrated for $790 new); and Creek A50 or 5350.

Regards, Rich

I am going to suggest you go for the 320BEE. This suggestion is dependent on how much you want to spend. I have had both amps and the BEE is superior to the 314. It has better bass and cleaner sound. Also, and this is a big plus IMO, remote control.

The used price for a 314 is ~$150. You should be able to get a used 320BEE <$300. That is not a significant amount.

If however you have much more to spend, say up to about $600 you can do better. In that case I would concur with the other guys.
Good Luck!

Move up in class means that you may have to spend money, unfortunately. NAD gear is in a class which is built to a certain price level. This is not bad; it is a challenge to a designer and sometimes the solution is very elegant indeed, but the limitations are there all the same. If the designer's budget were doubled or tripled, what would be the result? A unit in a different class.

Since upgrading is expensive, it makes sense to take the biggest step you possibly can. If you can look up from your NAD, as far as to a Bryston, SimAudio or YBA integrated, or perhaps a Portal Panache (which I haven't heard but is said to be good value at its price), these would represent a big step up in class.

Look around here and see what is selling for three or four times the price of a C320BEE. If you have a dealer, ask him for a recommendation. Avoid mass-market gear as a general rule. Have fun hunting!

thanks Kotta and Tobias so much, I will keep it definitely. But I don't understand "move up in class"? would you two explan to me clearer, and in that case, what equipment should I use? thanks a lot, take care ! "-).......

We have 320BEEs as bedroom amps. They are a good deal and sound nice when warmed up but they do not have the resolution of a better solid-state unit. You'll use your money more wisely if you follow Kotta's advice and move up in class when you want a change. The move you are thinking of now is pretty much a sidegrade.

Keep your 314 and if you decide on a replacement move up in class. (I owned the 314 at one time and I replaced it rather quickly. Sounded too bright in my system.) But, if it works for you, fantastic! Get these thoughts out of your head and enjoy what you have or you'll end up chasing your tail.