NAD D3045 Review (Integrated Amplifier)

[crock]

I bought one and think it is fantastic. Sits perfectly on the bench next to the TV upright, and HDMI ARC is a game changer (makes it easier for the wife and kids). Sounds good powering DBR62's.

My only issue though... is the sound input from the Samsung TV when using free to air TV. On the HDMI ARC input it is skipping in sound. I replicate the same issue when using optical input from TV to NAD D3045. I plugged in a Schiit Modi 3 using the TV's optical and the issue resolved; I was still able to control the volume by HDMI ARC but it defeats the purpose of one box neatness.

Funnily enough this issue doesn't exist when using streaming services which account for 99% of watching, and now I just put it on TV speaker when using free to air.

A quick google found the below. My guess is the samsung's output is quite noisy, the Schiit is able to reject it but the NAD not?
https://eu.community.samsung.com/t5/tv/intermittent-audio-cutting-out-with-optical-toslink-the-frame/td-p/1448037/page/10

TV is a 2019 Samsung.

Same here: "My only issue though... is the sound input from the Samsung TV when using free to air TV. On the HDMI ARC input it is skipping in sound. I replicate the same issue when using optical input from TV to NAD D3045."

But for me it's not an "only issue"... it's a big issue. NAD 3045 is incompatible with Samsung (and LG) TV models via toslink/hdmi. Different DAC doesn't have this problem (only ESS), or other manufacturers (arcam, cambridge audio ...) provide some firmware workaround.

 

[Justright]

Same here: "My only issue though... is the sound input from the Samsung TV when using free to air TV. On the HDMI ARC input it is skipping in sound. I replicate the same issue when using optical input from TV to NAD D3045."

But for me it's not an "only issue"... it's a big issue. NAD 3045 is incompatible with Samsung (and LG) TV models via toslink/hdmi. Different DAC doesn't have this problem (only ESS), or other manufacturers (arcam, cambridge audio ...) provide some firmware workaround.

I agree this is a major issue. Is this with the latest available firmware/software installed on amplifier and TV? Have you asked NAD for a response about it?

Background: I found this discussion looking for an upgrade/alternative to the NAD D3020v2 that I am currently using with my LG B9 (optical) (other sources include Technics 1210MK2 and Chromecast Audio). It is doing a great job, but I (or maybe other family members) really miss the convenience of ARC for single remote interface with the TV, and then D3045 (and moving to HDMI from optical) seemed like a perfect upgrade (and I could move the D3020 to other tasks where ARC is not needed). But now it seems not so promising anymore.

 

[TK33]

Either way, my long term experience of both is that the 3045 was the better unit with no noticeable bugs whereas the 7050 had a handful of bugs, even after firmware updates. The bluetooth one being the primary, and then the volume adjusting entirely by itself randomly being the other, and then the crackling issue which was what caused me to try RMAing it and NAD coming back with the previously mentioned ridiculous cost to replace the main board..

Interesting you say this because my NAD D 3045 has always had some issues with the volume increasing by itself. I have had the D 3045 since May 2020 and my current desktop setup is a Bluesound Node 2i (fixed output volume) --> RME ADI-2 DAC (fixed volume) --> NAD D 3045 --> KEF LS50 Meta. I thought it was due to interference from my phone since it only happened when my phone was close to it (sometimes randomly turning on by itself) so I have always kept my phone away from it but it just happened to me while I was sitting across the room and no one was within 10 feet of it. Unfortunately, because I was on the other side of the room, I was not able to get to it before the volume maxed out and the speakers started distorting. This has happened twice now in the last month after not happening for the last year or so and appears to happen randomly (making it diffficult to replicate). With a young infant in the house now, it is now a safety concern so I will probably be getting rid of it unless anhone knows of a solution. Has anyone had this issue with the D 3045? Is there a fix or a setting that I can change? If not, does anyone have any suggestions for a replacement amp?

 

[robbiekhan]

Interesting you say this because my NAD D 3045 has always had some issues with the volume increasing by itself. I have had the D 3045 since May 2020 and my current desktop setup is a Bluesound Node 2i (fixed output volume) --> RME ADI-2 DAC (fixed volume) --> NAD D 3045 --> KEF LS50 Meta. I thought it was due to interference from my phone since it only happened when my phone was close to it (sometimes randomly turning on by itself) so I have always kept my phone away from it but it just happened to me while I was sitting across the room and no one was within 10 feet of it. Unfortunately, because I was on the other side of the room, I was not able to get to it before the volume maxed out and the speakers started distorting. This has happened twice now in the last month after not happening for the last year or so and appears to happen randomly (making it diffficult to replicate). With a young infant in the house now, it is now a safety concern so I will probably be getting rid of it unless anhone knows of a solution. Has anyone had this issue with the D 3045? Is there a fix or a setting that I can change? If not, does anyone have any suggestions for a replacement amp?

How weird, so seems this is a NAD trait then since it's now happened on all of the hybrid D models with the same volume knob, quite bizarre.

I don't have the 3045 any more as not long ago discovered the Topping MX3S which is better feature packed with an actually useful remote as well. Oh also it's considerably cheaper whilst sounding just as good, so a win win really and takes up a lot less desk space. I ended up selling the 3045 for £250 which paid for the Topping with change left over for some new cables etc.

 

[Ruffy]

This has happened on mine. Gets rather loud rather quickly midway through a tv show or something, I initially thought a kid was sitting on a remote but not so. Has done it intermittently since new, maybe 5 or 6 times since I’ve owned it. I also can’t figure out what may be causing it…

Cheers,
Andrew

 

[TK33]

This has happened on mine. Gets rather loud rather quickly midway through a tv show or something, I initially thought a kid was sitting on a remote but not so. Has done it intermittently since new, maybe 5 or 6 times since I’ve owned it. I also can’t figure out what may be causing it…

Cheers,
Andrew

Thanks. Good to know I am not the only one. Guess I will be on the market for a new amp that is not another D 3045. Was really happy with the D 3045 otherwise in terms of footprint, features/connectivity (mostly use USB and coax) and good power.

 

[pablolie]

My D7050 has been totally rock solid, but I installed it for 2 other people and they both died. I think at this stage the ones that still survive are reliable, but they seem sensitive to different usage patterns.
The touch Power button is a super weak point, and the less you do power and off I think the longer the amp will live.
Sound wise, the D series should be pretty good across the board.

 

[Ruffy]

Yeah it is a far from perfect device with the free to air TV audio issues and this intermittent volume change. But it has been good as a simple HDMI ARC solution as it is mostly working now, using TV streaming services and a Wiim Pro on the optical input. More good than bad for me.

Cheers,
Andrew

 

[xSDMx]

Is anyone else using the NAD D 3045 with HDMI ARC and experiencing an issue where after 2-4 hours of playback the entire unit stops emitting audio and needs to be power cycled? I just got a brand new unit and am experiencing this. When it happens there's nothing out of the ordinary shown on the screen (eg no overheat message) and the unit is fully responsive to controls, it just won't emit audio. Power cycling the unit immediately resolves the issue.

 

[Ruffy]

Is anyone else using the NAD D 3045 with HDMI ARC and experiencing an issue where after 2-4 hours of playback the entire unit stops emitting audio and needs to be power cycled? I just got a brand new unit and am experiencing this. When it happens there's nothing out of the ordinary shown on the screen (eg no overheat message) and the unit is fully responsive to controls, it just won't emit audio. Power cycling the unit immediately resolves the issue.

Good Morning,
I have not had this issue, and have used this unit for upwards of four hours most days since ownership.

Are you mounting it horizontal or vertical? I had it vertical, but the wife got a new TV cabinet and it ended up horizontal. It was getting very hot so I put stick on rubber feet on it just to get it up and get a bit of flow. Still gets bloody hot, but no issues yet.

Cheers,
Andrew

 

[xSDMx]

Good Morning,
I have not had this issue, and have used this unit for upwards of four hours most days since ownership.

Are you mounting it horizontal or vertical? I had it vertical, but the wife got a new TV cabinet and it ended up horizontal. It was getting very hot so I put stick on rubber feet on it just to get it up and get a bit of flow. Still gets bloody hot, but no issues yet.

Cheers,
Andrew

Horizontal, but didn't get any overheating messages on the screen.

 

[pablolie]

Unrelated question but please educate me: What's about ARC you don't get with simply linking the TV to your amp via optical Toslink? That's how I feed TV sound into my 2:1 rig. Thanks! I feel I am a bit behind on the ARC topic.

 

[Ruffy]

Unrelated question but please educate me: What's about ARC you don't get with simply linking the TV to your amp via optical Toslink? That's how I feed TV sound into my 2:1 rig. Thanks! I feel I am a bit behind on the ARC topic.

The Hifi is controllable from the TV remote with ARC. I actually don’t know where the NAD remote is…. The Nad turns on with the TV, the TV automatically routes audio to the NAD and mutes TV volume, and volume changes with the TV remote adjust the NAD volume.

One remote simplicity which makes my wife’s (and mine) life easier!

Cheers,
Andrew

 

[Ruffy]

Horizontal, but didn't get any overheating messages on the screen.

Have you checked the firmware? Can update them from the NAD website with a USB stick.

Cheers,
Andrew

 

[pablolie]

The Hifi is controllable from the TV remote with ARC. I actually don’t know where the NAD remote is…. The Nad turns on with the TV, the TV automatically routes audio to the NAD and mutes TV volume, and volume changes with the TV remote adjust the NAD volume.

One remote simplicity which makes my wife’s (and mine) life easier!

Cheers,
Andrew

I see the appeal. My GF hates dealing with my setup, but I tell her it's a good intellectual challenge and by now she's learned (mostly). :-D Sometimes she's able to navigate my system into a morass that momentarily challenges even me... :-D

 

[pablolie]

Have you checked the firmware? Can update them from the NAD website with a USB stick.

Cheers,
Andrew

That is good advice the "D" series. Upgrade process is a bit unsettling though. Zero feedback until suddenly it's there and works. Advice: when you do it, follow instructions and just trust it'll complete eventually.

 

[xSDMx]

Confirmed NAD D 3045 is running latest firmware. I also tried doing a reset to no avail. It looks like I figured out the exact repro case: at exactly 3 hours of active playback from HDMI ARC all audio stops from the amp, but the amp is still responsive to controls, and there isn't any message on the screen indicating overheating etc. Power cycling the amp immediately resolves the issue. I also tried running the amp at very low volume to rule out overheating and it still has the exact same issue at exactly 3 hours. I tested a different HDMI ARC device, the Arylic B50, and while it has its own issues it doesn't exhibit this behavior. It actually looks like other folks have reported this same issue on the Amazon store listing. Bummer.

 

[eversteegt]

Unfortunately, I have to report similar issues on my NAD D 3045... :-(

I have my unit for a little over 2 years (just outside 'regular' warranty period) and, in general, I am very happy with it. For it's small footprint and low energy usage, it drives a pair of Wharfedale Diamond 225's in a really detailed and (when asked for) powerful way.

The only gripe I had with it so far, is the terrible 'touch' power button, and the almost unusable output to bluetooth headphones (output volume is so low, you have to turn the volume up pretty high. But then, when you disconnect the bluetooth headphone, the volume is so high it will instantly wake up everyone in the house).

But the biggest problem: I have had it connected a Sony TV from 2009, via the optical 1 input (TV didn't have HDMI ARC ). Recently, I have had some new TV's in the house (Philips and Sony), and with both of them, HDMI ARC works. Sony even shows a "volume level" when changing the volume through HDMI-CEC.

But here comes the catch: For me, HDMI ARC/CEC keeps on disconnecting as well. It happens with Sony as well as Philips, and I have to power-cycle the D3045 to get sound back.

Now here, the thing is: The old TV with no HDMI ARC had brief signal dropouts on optical 1, too. Sometimes multiple times during an evening, sometimes once 1 week. But of course with optical, signal automatically returns. Now, with optical 1 connected to a DAB+/Internet Radio tuner, the dropouts are still occurring frequently. So the old Sony TV wasn't the only one this was happening to.

I am starting to wonder if the 'digital input' part of the D3045, as a whole, may be unstable in my unit? With the software controlling the HDMI part not being able to establish a HDMI-CEC/ARC connection on it's own......

I am considering sending my D3045 in for repair to the retailer where I bought it. But I am afraid the repair service will not find anything and will attribute it to anything except problems in the unit itself. If I had to decide on an entirely new amplifier by this time (early 2024), I would probably have gone for a Denon CEOL N12 DAB by the way, because of it's built in DAB radio, addition of HDMI ARC and buiilt in CD player (it would at least save 3 peripherals I currently have connected to the NAD).

But, well, decommissioning the NAD after barely 2 years seems like a terrible waste.

 

[xSDMx]

Unfortunately, I have to report similar issues on my NAD D 3045... :-(

I have my unit for a little over 2 years (just outside 'regular' warranty period) and, in general, I am very happy with it. For it's small footprint and low energy usage, it drives a pair of Wharfedale Diamond 225's in a really detailed and (when asked for) powerful way.

The only gripe I had with it so far, is the terrible 'touch' power button, and the almost unusable output to bluetooth headphones (output volume is so low, you have to turn the volume up pretty high. But then, when you disconnect the bluetooth headphone, the volume is so high it will instantly wake up everyone in the house).

But the biggest problem: I have had it connected a Sony TV from 2009, via the optical 1 input (TV didn't have HDMI ARC ). Recently, I have had some new TV's in the house (Philips and Sony), and with both of them, HDMI ARC works. Sony even shows a "volume level" when changing the volume through HDMI-CEC.

But here comes the catch: For me, HDMI ARC/CEC keeps on disconnecting as well. It happens with Sony as well as Philips, and I have to power-cycle the D3045 to get sound back.

Now here, the thing is: The old TV with no HDMI ARC had brief signal dropouts on optical 1, too. Sometimes multiple times during an evening, sometimes once 1 week. But of course with optical, signal automatically returns. Now, with optical 1 connected to a DAB+/Internet Radio tuner, the dropouts are still occurring frequently. So the old Sony TV wasn't the only one this was happening to.

I am starting to wonder if the 'digital input' part of the D3045, as a whole, may be unstable in my unit? With the software controlling the HDMI part not being able to establish a HDMI-CEC/ARC connection on it's own......

I am considering sending my D3045 in for repair to the retailer where I bought it. But I am afraid the repair service will not find anything and will attribute it to anything except problems in the unit itself. If I had to decide on an entirely new amplifier by this time (early 2024), I would probably have gone for a Denon CEOL N12 DAB by the way, because of it's built in DAB radio, addition of HDMI ARC and buiilt in CD player (it would at least save 3 peripherals I currently have connected to the NAD).

But, well, decommissioning the NAD after barely 2 years seems like a terrible waste.

I experienced digital output instability with two different brand new units and multiple other people have complained about this same issue elsewhere. I think the NAD D 3045 has a faulty design. Furthermore, NAD customer support was totally unhelpful, unprofessional, and ultimately blew me off. After a ton of back and forth they stopped responding to me for over a month. Really embarrassing for such a premium brand. I returned my units and got the new WiiM Amp which is working flawlessly for me. For less than half the price of the NAD, the WiiM does everything better and then some.