2. amps-preamps
  3. 1309813489

New NAD 326 BEE Owner -Disappointed Help

I've browsed the used gear for sale at the Audiogon site, but never posted a new topic. I'll be brief.

I bought an NAD 326 BEE in late 2009 from an authorized dealer. I just got around to hooking it up, since the controls on my NAD 3140 need cleaning. Problem is...I hate it!

I LIKE the sound of the 3140. Sure, the sound is a bit muddy, but I like warmth, so I've put up with it's shortcomings. But the 326 BEE is wimpy. I've got the bass set at about "7" on a 0-10 scale. At this setting, it's comparable to around a "3-4" setting on the 3140. The bass range on the 326 BEE is really disappointing.

Here's my very humble set-up:

-NAD 315 BEE CD player
-Technics SL 1200 turntable w/Shure M97 XE cart
-B & W 602 S3
-NAD 326BEE w/NAD PP2 phono preamp, (sure the Jolida JD 9A would be nice. But it won't solve the amp problem).

So, my question to the forum is, should I keep the 326 and try a pre-amp, or just ditch it for something else? Maybe a Parasound amp? I like really warm, tubey sound, but I want to stick with an integrated amp.

Thanks, John
shinealight
digepix's avatar
digepix
121 posts
 
I'm sure it's not a power thing, the 3140 is a 40W per channel amp, the 300 watt spec is max. draw from the ac line. There may have been a problem with the 326 BEE out of the box that went undetected since it sat around untried. The early NAD stuff had that sonic signature you describe and the newer BEE stuff does not but I don't believe that can account for this problem.
philjolet's avatar
philjolet
2,306 posts
 
I use a 326 BEE with Sound Dynamics 300ti speakers and am very happy with the bass. The overall balance is a bit full and I agree there is a bit of 'murkiness' but the sound is dynamic and vibrant. Also the 300ti's go fairly low and the NAD seems to serve them well.

I am not familiar with the 3140 so can not comment on the difference...
shinealight OP
2 posts
 
Thanks for the replies so far!

I'm hoping that it's a break-in time issue. The sales guy at Spearit Sound spent a lot of time on the phone with me, assuring me that the 326 would marry-up nicely with the B&W 602s. I don't doubt him, but I just wonder how much this amp can warm up over time. I'm thinking it's destined for a listing on eBay, then I could use the funds to buy a Jolida amp.

Digepix, you are correct. The 3140 is 40w per "side". I bought the 3140 from a friend, who was the original owner. I love that the 3140 has a decent onboard phono pre-amp!
darkkeys
99 posts
 
I switched from an old NAD 2200/1130 amp and pre-amp to the NAD C372 after close to 25 years with the former. I felt about the same as you. The older gear had far greater dynamics than the new and for that reason I felt disappointed initially.

The NAD C372 had a far more articulate and expanded sound stage. The dynamics were there. Just not what I was used to. After a time I came to fully appreciate the C372 and no longer miss the older gear.

My guess would be, give the new amp time.
cmalak
681 posts
 
John...how many hours of playtime do you have on the 326BEE? What is the suggested break-in period by the manufacturer and/or Spearit Sound? The B&W DM602 S3's are an 8ohmn nominal (4ohm minimum probably in the bass region) and 90dB sensitivity speakers, so your NAD 326BEE should drive them ok. I would wait for full break-in period to see if the sound fills out in the bottom end. If not, you can always explore adding a sub for the lower frequencies. I believe your 602 S3's frequency range are 52Hz-20KHz at +/- 3dB on axis, which is typical for monitors but clearly they are not full range speakers. It could be that the 3140 was rolled off in the highs and now that you hear the full spectrum the speaker is capable of delivering, the tonal balance seems tipped up to what you are used to.
More to discover