Hey Folks. Interesting discussion to me as I've had the NAD M2 (not Dad's NAD 3020... $6K) for several years, now. My "flavor" of sound is the sound of vocals and un-amplified instruments in an actual space, my having grown up around lots of live music. I am an "ANTI-RESONANCE" disciple since the mid 1990's, using the Marigo Audio Labs tuning dots expertly applied by Rick Taylor on all serious gear, internally and externally. Out of the box, there was some dryness and coldness that I do not favor.
The M2's cabinet is horribly resonant and needed addressing.
The tuning dots on the cabinet and exposed electronics brought things much closer to my liking. My "perfect world amp" would be the best of modern tubes and solid state merged. The beauty of modifying a single box approach like the M2 is that everything improves, pre/dac/amp. Upgrading the isolation feet and the power cord on the M2 came next, followed by Synergistic "blue" fuse. To begin to approach "world class" my DSP expert and I went to work on my small dedicated studio. Well done Class D begins from a very silent noise floor and terrific capability for high resolution with great sources. We can make 1/10th of a decibel adjustments and add a "taste" of tube harmonic sweetness. For hard core "purists"...lets not forget this is all "illusion." Again, not Dad's slider EQ at work here.
As a 72 year old, passionate music lover of all genres, with knowledgeable friends using NCore amps, great sound is available using Class D...with a little work and great cost effectiveness. Good power, dedicated lines, upgraded outlet(s) good wire can approach world class outcomes. Cheers, Norm
As a 72 year old, passionate music lover of all genres, with knowledgeable friends using NCore amps, great sound is available using Class D...with a little work and great cost effectiveness. Good power, dedicated lines, upgraded outlet(s) good wire can approach world class outcomes. Cheers, Norm