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NAD D3045 Review (Integrated Amplifier)

Rate this amplifier:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 12 4.0%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 64 21.3%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 183 61.0%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 41 13.7%

  • Total voters
    300

Ruffy

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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.
 

crock

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  • Audiophonics TPA-S100
  • Loxjie A30
  • Original Audio OPA-Q2.1
  • Keces E40
  • SMSL VMV A2
  • miniDSP SHD Power
  • Primare I15
Which of them does have auto signal sensing function? I think none...
I used to have a d3045 but I returned it. Now I regret it. I tried so many other amps (denon ceol n10, powernode, denon 800h) but I'm planning to get a D3045 again just because of the signal sense function. It can be woken up both via analog AND optical input. I used this function a lot. I just click on spotify on my mobile (chromecast audio is attached to the optical input) and it turns on automatically. Which other amp/dac in similar price range can do this?
Moreover, it's compact size. I would like topping MX 5 also, but it has no sub out, which is necessary for me (2.1).

I disliked 2 "features" of it:
1. no mono sub out (I have to connect it with 2xRCA)
2. no tone (treble) adjustment possibility....
But even with these 2 issues I haven't found better option.
 

pablolie

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Which of them does have auto signal sensing function? I think none...
I used to have a d3045 but I returned it. Now I regret it. I tried so many other amps (denon ceol n10, powernode, denon 800h) but I'm planning to get a D3045 again just because of the signal sense function. It can be woken up both via analog AND optical input. I used this function a lot. I just click on spotify on my mobile (chromecast audio is attached to the optical input) and it turns on automatically. Which other amp/dac in similar price range can do this?
Moreover, it's compact size. I would like topping MX 5 also, but it has no sub out, which is necessary for me (2.1).

I disliked 2 "features" of it:
1. no mono sub out (I have to connect it with 2xRCA)
2. no tone (treble) adjustment possibility....
But even with these 2 issues I haven't found better option.
I'd also encourage you to look into a used NAD D7050 - provided you don't need analog inputs. I love its minimalist approach and wish there were *any* other choices when it comes to that. :-(
 

JoetheLion

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Which of them does have auto signal sensing function? I think none...
I used to have a d3045 but I returned it. Now I regret it. I tried so many other amps (denon ceol n10, powernode, denon 800h) but I'm planning to get a D3045 again just because of the signal sense function. It can be woken up both via analog AND optical input. I used this function a lot. I just click on spotify on my mobile (chromecast audio is attached to the optical input) and it turns on automatically. Which other amp/dac in similar price range can do this?
Moreover, it's compact size. I would like topping MX 5 also, but it has no sub out, which is necessary for me (2.1).

I disliked 2 "features" of it:
1. no mono sub out (I have to connect it with 2xRCA)
2. no tone (treble) adjustment possibility....
But even with these 2 issues I haven't found better option.
For example, you can buy a used (= climate friendly) Sabaj A3 or Loxjie A30 (if you want sub out and tone adjustment) for $100 or less and leave it on all the time. Power consumption in normal operation is about 2.1W to 2.2W, so you pay a few dollars for say ten years of electricity. If you then donate another $100 to a climate project, that might be a good solution. Definitely better than buying a new unit for 200 dollars or more.
 

crock

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Let's forget that Loxije A30 is weaker.
Ok, I would leave it always on, set source on optical input? But e.g. my TV is connected via analog RCA. Then??? I have to switch the source with either with remote or on the panel. In case of D3045 this switching is fully automatic. You may say it's not a big deal. But for me it is. Powernode has this functionality but only for optical input, not for aux/analog.
Topping MX5 would be my choice if it had sub out...
 

pablolie

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Let's forget that Loxije A30 is weaker.
Ok, I would leave it always on, set source on optical input? But e.g. my TV is connected via analog RCA. Then??? I have to switch the source with either with remote or on the panel. In case of D3045 this switching is fully automatic. You may say it's not a big deal. But for me it is. Powernode has this functionality but only for optical input, not for aux/analog.
Topping MX5 would be my choice if it had sub out...
Many class D amps have quite low power consumption at idle even without auto-detect enabled. Some equipment is more susceptible to mid-term failures than others with the daily on and off auto-detect forces upon it. I never turn my smartphone off. Nor are my power saving settings on computers aggressive. I just get power efficient stuff to begin with these days - just let the power saving to click in without turning stuff off unless I am gone for a week or more.
 

ROOSKIE

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So does anyone know the Slope of the High Pass?? NAD has not published and I will ask them but if anyone has tested them and knows...

This is checking a lot of boxes for me for 2nd/3rd testing unit.
  • Numerical Volume display
  • 2 subwoofer outputs in stereo
  • Decent DAC
  • Very decent over-all test results for the category
  • portable size
  • Best of all a built in High Pass (40hrz,80,120 selectable)which will help greatly in some situations.
 

3sand7s

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Using the D3045 with a Rega 2 (2022), Kimber PBJs, Dali Oberon 7s, and family of five's iphones/pixels. Streaming or vinyl, plenty of consistent, clean power and great detail in reproduction; (agree with the review, the DAC is very good).

My first unit was an open box at a reduced price and lost its BT connectivity (firmware update did not help). The retailer sent a new sealed unit, I updated the firmware, and no drama whatsoever two months in. It is really nice to have a versatile, powerful, and detailed under 1k that pretty much does it all, especially for a family engaging in music.
 

robbiekhan

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I've had mine for a while, I had the D 7050 before it, and the D 3020 before that. The 3045 only came about because the 7050 gained a faulty main board outside of warranty (owned since new) and NAD wanted nearly as much as a new 7050 to repair it so I got a £100 discount at the AV store I bought it and used that toward the 3045.

I will say the 3045 sounds better for both headphones and speakers than the 7050, even though the 7050 has a higher RRP and on paper you'd think the 7050 is the better model, not so in practice. The 3045 just sounds and feels like the more higher power amplifier. I am powering KEF Q300s and Sennheiser HD650. Connected to my PC via USB. Power is a total non issue, I cannot max out the volume because my ears would be affected, it's that loud without any distortion. Typically I have the volume at -26 with headphones as a maximum, and -35 to -40 if on speakers and playing a game or music etc. The Q300s on this are so good that I don't even need or desire a sub, the bass is nearly perfect for gaming, music and even the odd movie at the desktop (got a 34" OLED monitor so media consumption is a nice experience).

The sound is presentation, soundstage etc is on par with the previous models though which is exactly how I like it, smooth, warm, spatial. It's very similar to how I remember the sound from my analogue NAD Bee amps from back in the day, which is why I keep going back to NAD.

If I was buying fresh now then I'd check the Topping MX5 out first, it looks amazing and has some features that no other amp has even at over double the price of the 3045/7050 etc, and the MX5 is only £300 or so. I'd need to test out the soundstage and see if it presents audio similar to a NAD amp.

The 7050 also had the horrible rubbery plastic side panels that go sticky over the years as the heat fatigues it, whereas the 3045 has a smooth all plastic panel which is much better. The power LED on all of them fade to the point of not being visible after a couple of years, so if that is important, this is not for you. I don't care about that though so all fine here.
 

robbiekhan

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I've had mine for a while, I had the D 7050 before it, and the D 3020 before that. The 3045 only came about because the 7050 gained a faulty main board outside of warranty (owned since new) and NAD wanted nearly as much as a new 7050 to repair it so I got a £100 discount at the AV store I bought it and used that toward the 3045.

I will say the 3045 sounds better for both headphones and speakers than the 7050, even though the 7050 has a higher RRP and on paper you'd think the 7050 is the better model, not so in practice. The 3045 just sounds and feels like the more higher power amplifier. I am powering KEF Q300s and Sennheiser HD650. Connected to my PC via USB. Power is a total non issue, I cannot max out the volume because my ears would be affected, it's that loud without any distortion. Typically I have the volume at -26 with headphones as a maximum, and -35 to -40 if on speakers and playing a game or music etc.

The sound is presentation, soundstage etc is on par with the previous models though which is exactly how I like it, smooth, warm, spatial. It's very similar to how I remember the sound from my analogue NAD Bee amps from back in the day, which is why I keep going back to NAD.

If I was buying fresh now then I'd check the Topping MX5 out first, it looks amazing and has some features that no other amp has even at over double the price of the 3045/7050 etc, and the MX5 is only £300 or so. I'd need to test out the soundstage and see if it presents audio similar to a NAD amp.

The 7050 also had the horrible rubbery plastic side panels that go sticky over the years as the heat fatigues it, whereas the 3045 has a smooth all plastic panel which is much better. The power LED on all of them fade to the point of not being visible after a couple of years, so if that is important, this is not for you. I don't care about that though so all fine here.

Oh btw, I had the LS50 Meta for a short while too and hated them. The sound just didn't feel as meaty and detailed low down as the Q300s do so I returned them. it's clear the smaller cones on the LS50 meta and the non forward firing reflex ports require a subwoofer to get the best out of them. The Q300 has punch and detail all in one so will probably have them forever as my PC audio setup or get a pair of R3 down the line if I moved house and set up the workstation in a much bigger room. My setup is midfield too.
 
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pablolie

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I will say the 3045 sounds better for both headphones and speakers than the 7050, even though the 7050 has a higher RRP and on paper you'd think the 7050 is the better model, not so in practice. ...

That's a purely subjective view that's hard to support data in hand. The amp section of the 7050 measures better, The 3045 also wastes $ on a mediocre phono section. I have no use for it - and if I did, I'd respect my vinyl collection enough to get a good dedicated phono preamp and not the low cost stuff they integrated into amps (and makes them compromise the rest of the stuff in order to meet a price point).

I agree the 7050 has reliability and durability issues, and that NAD support is abysmal (even for their M series).
 

robbiekhan

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Subjective it may be, but I know my speakers and headphones back to front having had them so long and I don't need to run measurements to be 100% sure that there is a distinctive difference in power between the 3045 and 7050 using the same connected components. Also the fact that the 7050 needed more volume on the dial in speaker and headphones modes to get the same loudness proves that as well.

Cannot speak for the phono part, analogue outputs have been history to me for many years now, optical/USB only for all audio equipment.
 

pablolie

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Subjective it may be, but I know my speakers and headphones back to front having had them so long and I don't need to run measurements to be 100% sure that there is a distinctive difference in power between the 3045 and 7050 using the same connected components. Also the fact that the 7050 needed more volume in speaker and headphones modes to get the same loudness proves that as well.
Which means you were just listening to louder, not finer.
 

robbiekhan

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better volume output at a lower volume value = Better sound, that was what I was getting at in this context. The 3045 is better than the 7050 for this and many other reasons (;et's not even start on the remote control) to the point I wish i just kept the 3020 longer and just got the 3045 and skipped the 7050 entirely.
 

robbiekhan

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That makes no sense. Never trust the volume dial. Measure the output.
It was late in the early hours so I was half asleep and conked out not long after hence getting back to this now! But yes I had a think about this and you're right, it's entirely probable that NAD changed the volume behaviour on the 3045 vs the 7050 - although for this kind of situation you'd expect a volume display to be in % rather than dB which you'd expect to be fixed to a set level per dB value on the display.

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.

As an overall package, the 3045 was half the cost of the 7050 respective of when I bought each, with none of the issues of the 7050.

It's entirely possible the Topping MX5 is as good if not better than the 3045, have read and watched all the reviews, and at £300 it's £150 cheaper than what i paid for the 3045, but until I've listened to one, for me the 3045 seems to offer an unbeatable price to performance ratio, especially for those that like the "NAD sound" that's remained the same since the analogue days, which for me was exactly what I wanted coming from the C320 Bee and C325 Bee of old.
 

MinimumFaze

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I'm on the fence about purchasing a used 3045 to replace my SMSL AD18 which is running an pair of old NHT bookshelves and Jamo Subwoofer for my living room TV (primary HT setup is in a different room). The main draw is simplifying with HDMI-ARC and dropping the separate remote control for the SMSL, for ~$450. Any audible gains would be great but i'm not expecting any.

Any issues with reliability or UI glitches on the 3045? The SMSL has been rock solid going on 5 years, but the toslink input doesn't play nicely when watching OTA channels (audio drops for 0.5s every 15 seconds or so).
 

Ruffy

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I'm on the fence about purchasing a used 3045 to replace my SMSL AD18 which is running an pair of old NHT bookshelves and Jamo Subwoofer for my living room TV (primary HT setup is in a different room). The main draw is simplifying with HDMI-ARC and dropping the separate remote control for the SMSL, for ~$450. Any audible gains would be great but i'm not expecting any.

Any issues with reliability or UI glitches on the 3045? The SMSL has been rock solid going on 5 years, but the toslink input doesn't play nicely when watching OTA channels (audio drops for 0.5s every 15 seconds or so).
See my post above. I get a stuttering type sound (little short dropouts) using OTA channels on my D3045. This is on both HDMI ARC and toslink from the TV. Works fine in every other instance, eg TV streaming apps through digital, WIIM mini to digital.

The issue doesn’t occur when using a schiit modi on the same tv, leading me to think it’s the D3045.

Otherwise very happy with mine, easy one box solution with ARC and a high pass on the mains if you want to add a sub.

Andrew
 

panther

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I'm on the fence about purchasing a used 3045 to replace my SMSL AD18 which is running an pair of old NHT bookshelves and Jamo Subwoofer for my living room TV (primary HT setup is in a different room). The main draw is simplifying with HDMI-ARC and dropping the separate remote control for the SMSL, for ~$450. Any audible gains would be great but i'm not expecting any.

Any issues with reliability or UI glitches on the 3045? The SMSL has been rock solid going on 5 years, but the toslink input doesn't play nicely when watching OTA channels (audio drops for 0.5s every 15 seconds or so).
I had one new that would change inputs on its own from usb to optical so I sent it back. I got a used one a while ago and it worked well but I could hear pops and crackles on the usb input if I went above 24 bit 92khz for playback on my computer.
 

MinimumFaze

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Appreciate the replies. Ruffy, my SMSL is also connected to a samsung TV and after some searching around it seems to be TV incompatibility with many DACs when sending OTA channel audio.
 
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