NAD 3020

The NAD 3020 integrated amplifier

The NAD 3020 is an iconic integrated amplifier by NAD Electronics, considered to be one of the most important components in the history of hi-fi.^[1] Launched in around 1978, this highly affordable product delivered good quality sound, acquired a reputation as an audiophile amplifier of exceptional value, and became the most well-known and best-selling amplifier in history.^[2]

History

Launched in around 1978–79^[2] in an era where the principal preoccupation of hi-fi manufacturers was power output, the sub-£80 low-powered solid state amplifier created and marketed by a little-known manufacturer^[3] very rapidly acquired a reputation for excellent sound quality and exceptional value.^[2] Stereophile called the NAD 3020 "ridiculously inexpensive".^[4] It was the first integrated amplifier built with strong ability to drive difficult loudspeakers, and a sound quality that exceeded by far that obtainable at its modest price point at the time.^[2]

In an era when the power output of the NAD 3020 of 20 watts per channel continuous into 8 ohms was considered anaemic,^[3] the manufacturer claimed it could deliver much stronger power output into lower impedances under dynamic conditions.^[5][6] The amplifier's main appeal was its inherent musicality, and its ability to drive difficult speaker loads, or to allow extremely expensive source components to shine.^[2][3] At its London launch, the choice was made to demonstrate it driving the very challenging Linn Isobariks.^[7] Its sound is described in Hi-Fi Choice as "dark, warm [and a] paragon of natural-sounding musicality".^[3] It was the most well-known and best-selling amplifier in the history of hi-fi.^[2]

Philosophy

Björn Erik Edvardsen, NAD's director of advanced development,^[1] set out to create an "inexpensive amplifier ... easily capable of driving the very best loudspeakers".^[6] NAD eschewed the laboratory test equipment thinking prevalent at the time, and instead aimed to make their amplifiers capable of properly driving "real loudspeakers" under realistic conditions. The resultant paradigm shift gave rise to an amplifier that cost less and sounded better.^[8] NAD was able to achieve a low cost base by foreign manufacture. The company designed the product in Europe and delocalised production to factories in Taiwan – one of the first manufacturers to do so.^[9]

Signature innovations incorporated into the design, and models following it, include "soft-clipping circuit" that protects against overdriven signals, connections that allow splitting of the power amplifier section from the preamplifier, a button to bypass tone controls, and Full Disclosure Power ratings measuring output power under demanding real-world loads.^[10]

Design principles

Audio circuitry

The NAD 3020 has four inputs that can be switched from the front panel – Aux, Tuner, Phono, Tape. The manufacturer claims the phono input, that can also be used with high-output moving coil cartridges, contains a 6-transistor circuit "engineered for extremely low noise and nearly distortion-free performance". Reviewers note the pre-amplifier's "decent moving-magnet phono stage".^[2][9] The amplifier also has infrasonic and ultrasonic filters to reduce the effects of non-musical signals such as acoustic feedback, disc warps and electromagnetic interference on the musical signals,^[6] and as such, reviewers observed noticeable rolling off at frequency extremes that may be undesirable in the context of some, more neutral-sounding, systems.^[2]

The amplifier has bass and treble tone controls which, according to the manufacturer, are "tailored for musically effective response in the high and low frequencies without altering the critical mid-range tonal balance". A Loudness switch – de rigueur in that era – boosts upper and lower frequencies; a "mute" switch reduces volume by 20 dB for low-level listening.^[6] There is also a headphone socket mounted onto the front panel.

According to the manufacturer, the NAD 3020 is a high voltage design that uses the same large powerful output transistors that "other manufacturers employ in their '60-watt' amplifiers", enabling the amplifier to deliver power headroom for musical transients.^[6] NAD's "Soft Clipping" circuitry that limits the voltage so that the output transistors do not distort through hard clipping when driven beyond its rated power.^[6] However, Lucio Cadeddu of TNT considers this protection and the tone-shaping features are to be avoided.^[2]

The innovative split of pre- and power-amplifier sections allows the use of the pre-amp stage to drive multiple power amplifiers in parallel, or use long signal cables to connect to remote power amplifiers or powered speakers.^[11] This facility became hugely popular with audiophiles, who would seek to isolate this "remarkably fine-sounding preamp section", to use with one or more power amplifiers.^[9]

Power source

The amplifier has what the manufacturer calls a "dual-mode power supply", where the output stage is only loosely regulated, so it is free to supply the high voltages needed for musical transients and the large currents at lower voltages needed for driving low-impedance loads in the power amplifier circuitry. The design also incorporates a separate regulated power supply circuit, fed from secondary winding on the transformer, dedicated to the pre-amplifier and tone control stages. It is thus claimed that intermodulation distortion and blurring of the stereo image due to power supply functioning cannot occur.^[6]

Styling

The styling of the NAD 3020 resembled that of other budget amplifiers, and it was available in charcoal grey or silver. Stereophile commented that is was "inexpensive and looked it".^[9] Although Cadeddu criticised the amplifier was "ugly, cheap and with a poor level of finishing", he said that "the components used were fair but, clearly, the man behind its design knew what he was doing pretty well".^[2]

Popularity and accolades

The highly popular NAD 3020 is considered one of the most important hi-fi components in the history of home audio.^[1] The amplifier was a hot seller,^[1][5] and the NAD 3020 alone achieved a record 1.1 million units in its lifetime. The figure would be much higher if not inconsiderable sales of those derived directly from its design are included.^[12] The quality made possible at a £79 price tag opened up the market for budget quality amplifiers, and spawned similarly low-priced competitors such as Arcam Alpha, Rotel 840, Mission Cyrus I, Pioneer A400, Denon PMA 350 and Marantz PM40 SE.^[7] In 2002 it ranked No. 19 in list of "The Hot 100 Products" by Stereophile.^[1][4] In 2011, The Absolute Sound declared it No. 9 in their list of "The Ten Most Significant Amplifiers of All Time".^[12] Journals remarked that this "iconic gem could embarrass amplifiers costing 10 times more with its big, warm and detailed sound and best of all, its affordable price made it available to a wider audience."^[3][8]

The newly launched NAD D 3020 hybrid digital amplifier in shop in 2013

Spin-offs and legacy

Variants included NAD 3020A, NAD 3020B, NAD 3020E. An "almost identical" audiophile version dubbed NAD 3120, stripped of tone controls and with higher quality loudspeaker binding posts, was released.^[7][13] The NAD 3020i is an "improved" version of the NAD 3020^[14] that retailed at ₤149 in 1991.^[11] The NAD 7020 was a receiver (tuner-amplifier) that included the amplification circuitry of the NAD 3020.

Following its release, and upon realisation that the product was much sought after for its pre-amplifier section, a preamp version of the NAD 3020 was released under the name NAD 1020.^[3][5]

In 2013, the fortieth year of the company, NAD launched a range of digital products, including a digital amplifier bearing the name NAD D 3020.^[8]

References

External links

• NAD 3020 Product page, NAD Electronics