NAD 50 Anniversary C 3050

[killdozzer]

I will say this, JBL has an amp that resembles this one (I guess it's a given if 70' aesthetic is your goal), but with all due respect and my admiration for JBL, NAD did a better job. I find this "first 20watts in A-Class" to be pampering to the wrong crowd.

 

[Aquanuata]

Hi there. Got my own 3050 LE this week and are still doubting to keep it or not. Kind of love it tho...
The balance knob on my C3050 LE does not appear to completely mute one side. With the knob turned all the way to the right speaker, there continues to be quite a bit of sound coming from the left speaker.
Has anyone experienced the same issue? Could someone test and see if thats normal?

Thanks

 

[fcracer]

Hi there. Got my own 3050 LE this week and are still doubting to keep it or not. Kind of love it tho...
The balance knob on my C3050 LE does not appear to completely mute one side. With the knob turned all the way to the right speaker, there continues to be quite a bit of sound coming from the left speaker.
Has anyone experienced the same issue? Could someone test and see if thats normal?

Thanks

It’s normal and has been reported to NAD. Thus far they have not fixed it and it could be a design choice to provide greater precision to balance sound. Typically, balance adjustment required is a few db and not muting the whole channel, so perhaps it was an engineering decision and intentional.

The other issue you’ll discover eventually is that the VU meters are off by quite a bit.

Input Signal	VU Meter Actual Reading
0 db	+3 db
-3 db	+1.5 db
-6 db	0 db
-9 db	-1.5 db

I’ve reported this bug to NAD and I’m waiting to hear back from them if this is specific to my amplifier or if it’s something broader that can be addressed in a firmware fix.

 

[Aquanuata]

It’s normal and has been reported to NAD. Thus far they have not fixed it and it could be a design choice to provide greater precision to balance sound. Typically, balance adjustment required is a few db and not muting the whole channel, so perhaps it was an engineering decision and intentional.

The other issue you’ll discover eventually is that the VU meters are off by quite a bit.

Input Signal	VU Meter Actual Reading
0 db	+3 db
-3 db	+1.5 db
-6 db	0 db
-9 db	-1.5 db

I’ve reported this bug to NAD and I’m waiting to hear back from them if this is specific to my amplifier or if it’s something broader that can be addressed in a firmware fix.

Thanks for the reply!!
I´m still trying to get used to the sound, not sure if its me not being used to a specific NAD sound or if its just all in all a more plain sound then my old Pioneer SA-608,
who has by far a more punchy sound. Using some JBL 4312 speaker. I thought it could be a phase issue do to the balance "bug" that created this thinner sound.
Also in my case, my right UV meter is slightly higher then the left one, anyone can relate to the same appreciations/issues ? or is it just me being paranoid?

Cheers

 

[fcracer]

Thanks for the reply!!
I´m still trying to get used to the sound, not sure if its me not being used to a specific NAD sound or if its just all in all a more plain sound then my old Pioneer SA-608,
who has by far a more punchy sound. Using some JBL 4312 speaker. I thought it could be a phase issue do to the balance "bug" that created this thinner sound.
Also in my case, my right UV meter is slightly higher then the left one, anyone can relate to the same appreciations/issues ? or is it just me being paranoid?

Cheers

For the most part, amplifier sound should be the same across any modern amplifier. What typically happens is we have an inherent bias towards or against one amplifier, and that impacts our perception of the sound.

I’ve owned amplifiers from a number of companies using various technologies from class A, class A/B, class G and now mostly class D and I have been unable to measure any difference that a human would be able to discern.

if it helps your decision making, I also have the expensive M33 and I can’t tell a difference between that and the C3050LE (below clipping of course) so you can think that you have a much more expensive amplifier in the C3050LE.

 

[Zanollo]

Just came across the 3050. There is no line-out that would allow me to connect a second small speaker pair in other room (with a second amp)?

 

[restorer-john]

Just came across the 3050. There is no line-out that would allow me to connect a second small speaker pair in other room (with a second amp)?

You've got two pairs of speakers and a pre-out.

 

[Zanollo]

View attachment 343209

You've got two pairs of speakers and a pre-out.

yes. I am bit wary using both a an b together. Not sure how it impacts sound. I have to admit I have never done it. So, it could be the solution. I might need a speaker volume control on it.

Regarding the pre-out. The manual states:

"In normal use, this should be connected to the MAIN IN sockets
with the links supplied. To connect your C 3050 LE to an external
processor or amplifier, remove first these links"

image with links:

https://skyfiaudio.com/cdn/shop/files/nad-c-3050-integrated-amplifier-retro-look-new-in-open-box-492.jpg?v=1692989326&width=1600

Could I use a Y splitter from preout to main-in and second amp?

 

[dougi]

yes. I am bit wary using both a an b together. Not sure how it impacts sound. I have to admit I have never done it. So, it could be the solution. I might need a speaker volume control on it.

Regarding the pre-out. The manual states:

"In normal use, this should be connected to the MAIN IN sockets
with the links supplied. To connect your C 3050 LE to an external
processor or amplifier, remove first these links"

image with links:

https://skyfiaudio.com/cdn/shop/files/nad-c-3050-integrated-amplifier-retro-look-new-in-open-box-492.jpg?v=1692989326&width=1600

Could I use a Y splitter from preout to main-in and second amp?

Yes you could do that. Probably better that the second amp has a fairly high input impedance so the pre-out isn't taxed wrt current too much. Preout output impedance is 439 ohms so it won't be an issue re any response variation or voltage drop. (i.e. even if both amps had a 10k input impedance, in parallel still > 10 x preout output impedance)

 

[mr-audio]

Thank you so much for chronicling your early impressions! Definitely looks awesome in your environment. Would love to see it go head-to-head against the classic 3045 (which by the way was my dream amp so, so long ago! :-D).

Finally got round to this. Comparing the C3050 LE to my 45yo NAD 3045. Incredibly, they sound very very close. I’d say I could not distinguish the two hardly at all. I can tell a difference running a couple different Marantz amps (a newer NR-1200 and a vintage 2218)

So I guess NAD can claim some amazing consistency in sound from the old classic models (3020 and 3045 of the late 70’s) and todays latest versions like the 3050, M10, C700 etc.

 

[mr-audio]

Just a confirmation that the 'balance' controls are, to me, really poorly implemented.
- Yes there is the reported behavior (confirmed by NAD) that the balance controls only attenuate by 7db on either channel. It barely makes any difference practically speaking. Apparently this is true on the NAD M10 too (maybe all BluOS controlled NAD gear???). Seems ridiculous to me.
- Also note the 3050 cannot have balance adjusted by the BluOS app, only physically by turning the tone controls. Other amps allow a software controlled tone change as well as via the physical knobs.

For example the Marantz NR-1200 has a nice design that supports changing tone and balance controls via software (HEOS or Marantz AV app) or via physical knobs.