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Review: NAD 3120 Amplifier

Category: Amplifiers

I guess we could call this my week end story. I had forgotton all about this little gem from NAD. While cleaning out some closets came across this. To say it was dirty is a major understatement. Started to throw away figuring it just wasn't worth the effort. So finished the so called spring cleaning. With some time left over decided to at least take a further look. Removed the top cover and discovered enough dirt and lint to fill a dirt devil vacumn. Oh well, what the hell,have the cover off. Shook out as much dirt as I could. Then use compressed air to get rid of the remainder of the dirt. After about 4 hours worth of work had the NAD looking like new. Cleaned the volume pot and switches as well as the switches and RCAs on the rear apron.

Now to the litmus test,would it still work? Well I needed some speakers to test,so pulled out the DCM Time Windows. Now needed a source had a Sony CD Player that wasn't being used. So connected everything and turned on the NAD power switch. Placed a Disc in the CD player and the little NAD 3120 came to life and played music with astonshing depth and clarity.

Have to admit i was totally surprised by the sonics of this NAD 3120. While only 25 watts rms per channel played much louder and with more authority than I remembered.

The NAD 3120 is on the same chassis as the venerable 3020, but sans the tone controls,balance control,and LEDs. This is more of a purist version of the 3020, with less noise and blacker background. The NAD 3120 has provision for a turntable and can accept MM or MC phono cartridges. As well the amp and pre amp section can be separated by u shaped jumpers. Which means later on you can add a more powerful amplifier in the future. Has NADs soft clipping feature means if overdriven the waveform voltage so that the output devices are never driven into hard clipping.Thus the amplifier can safely be over driven beyond its rated power without harm to the speakers. There is also a switch on the back to set ohm loading at 8 or 4 ohms depending on which speakers you use. Uses 4 RCA high current out put transistors, that are usually associated with most manufacturers 50 or 60 watt amps. Has built in infrasonic and ultrasonic filters so amplifier power is not wasted on outside sources such as turntable rumble,floor vibrations, etc.

The front panel from left to right is power switch with LED,then buttons,for Aux,Tuner,Phone,Tape,Mono,Loudness and dual concentric volume controls for volume and balance. The loudness control is not the usually boost found on the competition models. The loudness on the NAD 3120 is gently contoured to add just enough compensation to be truly useful.

Here is an entry level integrated amp that delivers the promise of high end. With what I have assembled with the Time Windows and Sony CD Player. One could have one killer $500.00 vintage high end system.And that speaks volumes about the components used in this review.

Have redisovered a true gem that is very easy to live with and the sonics are very good indeed.

The NAD 3120 is a true giant killer among integrated amps, do not let the 25 Watts RMS per channel,keep you from trying one of these,should you be able to find one. I can say without question they are truly durable, do to the condition I found this one in. These were produced from 1984 to 1987 and were hard to find. Most folks were put off by the austere looks. But if you are really into music and are on a limited budget, here is the answer.

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ferrari
ferrari OP
617 posts
 
Well low and behold another NAD 3020 came my way. It is a 3020B version. A few minor differences from the original 3020 and 3020A is the improved speaker binding posts. The Mute switch on the original has been replaced with a Mono switch. Appears to have better caps than the original.Also has speaker impedance switch on back to dial in for 4 or 8 ohm speaker loads.

Same great performnce and sonics, that to this day, still rival some of the finest integrated amps ever produced. A timeless classic if there was ever one in audio.
jmadams
2 posts
 
I have had a 3020A since about 1985. I have put that thing through hell. I just can't hurt it. It has had a beer spilled into it- in college 1990ish. Never missed a beat. I recently took it to a technician and had a few minor repairs to the AUX connections. Runs like new. I paid $120 for it way back. If I remember right, it was purchased from Direct Sound mail order. Unbelievable piece of equipment. I just had to chime in, and agree with the other 3020 enthusiasts.
lvr
7 posts
 
I've been an avid 3120 fan since my early childhood. I was privileged enough to be the son of a director of the still current NAD agents for South-Africa and so always had the opportunities to try and test every new model.

Over the years I've been laughed at, played the fool with and sometimes even called names for my fundamentalist belief in this particular amplifier and to a little lesser extent it's more popular sibling, the 3020B.

To my knowledge and preference NAD has not succeeded in making a better amplifier than this model - bar none! Better in my frame of reference would be something more musically truthful and involving. I would agree to some newer models sounding more 'impressive', but this is side-stepping the high-end's quest for producing an accurate reproduction of a musical event, which in real life is filled with emotion and fulfillment - not sonic impact of an exaggerated frequency spectrum.

Since 1985 I've owned various 3120 models and after having sold one after the other I soon found myself in need of its simple, effortless grace irrespective of what other high-end gear I may have had on hand at the time. Not that the 3120 is such a giant killer to put the really big guns to shame, but there is a surety and reassurance that I associate with its sound in the knowledge that if I ever want to enjoy a bit of music without looking for obvious faults, I turn to the little NAD and voila! Music, music, music!

Sure the bass is a bit slow and the mids sometimes a little muffled, but the overall picture is one of involvement and what feels like endless pleasure. I regularly catch myself having played record after record for hours on end...

Now, isn't this what real musical enjoyment is all about?
blkadr
739 posts
 
My first amp was a 3020. It was stolen some 20+ years ago. The thieves carried through the woods my NAD, my Thorens, and my color tv. The bright side was that they lugged that heavy-ass tv away, and it was broken beyond repair! And they decided my Frazier Concertos were too big and heavy!!!
My second amp was a NAD 3120. I used it for many years. With the two NADs, and the Concertos, I played endless hours of music, sometimes lite and sweet, sometimes heavy and with extreme prejudice! My NADs never let me down. Years later my 3120 did some time as a preamp, then sold to a friend. I believe he is still using it.
When I bought the 3020, the most honorable salesman recommended it over the higher powered and priced NAD siblings. Said they were more powerful (and wpc specs were the rage back then) but the 3020 had them all beat when it came to playing music. I'm glad he did.
Now, what brings me to this thread so many years behind? After selling my Concertos to my brother, and then he to his friend, and he getting them back again, they ended up in storage for 12 years. Having bought a T-amp this year, I began thinking about them and asked him about them. For my birthday, he got them out and cleaned them up. Damn if after about 32 years they don't play as just like they used to! And of course, getting all reminiscent, I'm thinking about finding a 3020 or 3120! My 12/22wpc T-amp drives them well, loud levels in a medium sized room and sounds very good. It even makes bass as deep as my Cambridge amp does. But I cant stop thinking about the good old NAD.
Like I used to say all those years ago:
If you want great sound- Go NAD!!!
ferrari OP
617 posts
 
A few years ago I took a 3120 and rebuilt it with all state of the art parts. Probably spent over $500.00 in parts alone. The result was spectacular. However with that being said the outright magic of the 3120 had been lost. Sure the highly modded version corrected the shortcomings of the 3120 and would easily compete with any integrated up to the $2,500.00 price range. But the factory stock unit was not that far off the pace.

I eventually sold the modded unit to a friend of mine and he still has it as an everyday listening unit. Still have the original 3120 and every so often pull it out and give it a spin for a few weeks. Here it is some 30 years later and I still enjoy listening to it. Not many hallmark products that cost so damn little in the beginning, can continue to deliver the promise. Little wonder 3120/3020 have such a loyal following since day one of their existence.
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