Hi Colin44ct357,
Many years ago I went to my local stereo store (remember those) and told the salesman I wanted to upgrade my preamp. I had an amp I was very happy with, a Bryston 100 watt per channel stereo amp. We got it down to two different models, one was an Audion that sold for around $3000.00 and the salesman suggested that I listen to the Nad 3020A, I forgot how much it was but it was much less than the Audion. I told the salesman that I wasn't interested in an integrated amp, just a preamp.
I asked him if I could please listen to the Audion as they had the same Bryston amp in the store that I had at home. He played the Audion and I liked what I heard. It was very open sounding with good clarity and great bass. He then said to me, as long as you're here just take a listen to the Nad 3020A. I agreed. He switched the Audion and put the Nad in the system and he played the same cut.... my jaw dropped. It was noticeably better. We were using the preamp output on the Nad into the Bryston amp and I have to admit, not because of the price but because of the sound quality I walked out of the store that day with the Nad 3020A. That little integrated amp had the widest soundstage I'd ever heard. The bass was more controlled with better extension and the soundstage just blew the Audion away. I didn't realize it at the time but I had just bought a piece of audio that turned out to later became a legend.
Many years later it developed a loud buzzing noise in one of the channels. An older gentleman I worked with at the time was getting out of vinyl and I was just getting into it and had just bought a nice turntable and cartridge. He offered to trade the Nad pre (with the buzzing right channel) for his entire classical lp collection (over 300 albums all in pristine condition so I traded him. To this very day I still regret that trade. What a great piece of gear at a reasonable price.
Many years ago I went to my local stereo store (remember those) and told the salesman I wanted to upgrade my preamp. I had an amp I was very happy with, a Bryston 100 watt per channel stereo amp. We got it down to two different models, one was an Audion that sold for around $3000.00 and the salesman suggested that I listen to the Nad 3020A, I forgot how much it was but it was much less than the Audion. I told the salesman that I wasn't interested in an integrated amp, just a preamp.
I asked him if I could please listen to the Audion as they had the same Bryston amp in the store that I had at home. He played the Audion and I liked what I heard. It was very open sounding with good clarity and great bass. He then said to me, as long as you're here just take a listen to the Nad 3020A. I agreed. He switched the Audion and put the Nad in the system and he played the same cut.... my jaw dropped. It was noticeably better. We were using the preamp output on the Nad into the Bryston amp and I have to admit, not because of the price but because of the sound quality I walked out of the store that day with the Nad 3020A. That little integrated amp had the widest soundstage I'd ever heard. The bass was more controlled with better extension and the soundstage just blew the Audion away. I didn't realize it at the time but I had just bought a piece of audio that turned out to later became a legend.
Many years later it developed a loud buzzing noise in one of the channels. An older gentleman I worked with at the time was getting out of vinyl and I was just getting into it and had just bought a nice turntable and cartridge. He offered to trade the Nad pre (with the buzzing right channel) for his entire classical lp collection (over 300 albums all in pristine condition so I traded him. To this very day I still regret that trade. What a great piece of gear at a reasonable price.