NAD D 3020 V2 Hybrid Digital Integrated Amplifier – 24-Bit/192kHz DAC, Phono Input, Bluetooth aptX, & Subwoofer Out

The NAD 3020 v2 Hybrid Digital is a great little amplifier and DAC. Like all NAD gear, it offers good value for the money spent. With an honest 30 Watts RMS per channel and an oversized power supply it easily drives bookshelf loudspeakers to room filling volume levels. I've owned quite a few NAD stereo components over the years, including the original NAD 3020 produced back in the late 1970's, and the latest NAD Digital Hybrid amplifier is worthy of the NAD name. I purchased this amplifier for exclusive use with a SuperMicro PC running Windows 7 Pro and JRiver Media Center software. My Windows PC has an optical S/PDIF output on-board so I used that interface instead of the noisy electrical USB or RCA outputs. The optical S/PDIF interface effectively isolates the noisy PC chassis from the sound system entirely. My NAD 3020 v2 Hybrid drives a pair of ELAC B6 Debut Series loudspeakers and the amplifier's subwoofer output is connected to an ELAC Debut S10 200 Watt Powered Subwoofer. Sound quality is good, with no noise or any of the jitter normally associated with a USB connection. The amplifier's on-board DAC handles 24bit 192KHz Hi-Resolution FLAC files with no problem. The NAD 3020 v2 Hybrid replaces an older NAD C160 Preamplifier, NAD 912 Stereo Power Amplifier and Cambridge Audio DAC Magic 100 I had been using. Everything needed for stereo sound reproduction is now handled by this one small component instead of a whole stack of components and interconnects. I use my PC for ripping audio CDs in FLAC format that are then uploaded to a networked music server for use with an audiophile quality Hi-Fi system in my living room. The NAD is a great way to monitor CDs while they are being ripped and for general listening in my office while I work. The optional 6dB Bass boost at 80Hz is perfect for smaller bookshelf loudspeakers that normally roll off at the low end, but if your system employs a sub-woofer you'll definitely want to leave it turned off. If you're considering purchasing this amp make sure you get the newer v2 model, it trades the noise-prone USB connection for a Moving Magnet (MM) phono preamplifier and RIAA equalization circuit. The v2 model also has preamplifier outputs that allow you to connect a more powerful amplifier if you ever want to drive larger more demanding power-hungry loudspeakers. The NAD 3020 v2 Hybrid uses a Class D power amplifier circuit. Class D power amps have taken a beating in the audiophile press over the years, but the newest Class D amplifier designs have none of the sonic issues associated with earlier iterations of Class D circuitry. While Class D amplifiers used to be relegated to subwoofers only, they can now be used to power full range speakers without any sonic shortcomings. The NAD is rather unique at the $399.99 price point. There are other amplifiers costing the same, but they don't include all of the features the NAD offers. The 30 Watt per Channel amplifier, on-board DAC, MM Phono Preamp, Headphone amplifier, remote control, preamplifier outputs, Bluetooth aptX interface and multiple analog and digital inputs make this little integrated amplifier a bargain. It makes a great starter system for music lovers. It can serve as the hub for a dorm-room Hi-Fi, home office system, or computer sound or gaming system. The only caveat I have is the Auto-Standby power feature gets a bit tedious, but it can be defeated if you don't want the amplifier to constantly shut off when you use your computer for things other than music and only need to hear the occasional warning beep or error tone. There's a good equipment review of the NAD 3020 Hybrid Digital Amplifier in Stereophile Magazine. Google "Stereophile NAD 3020" to read the entire review online.

if you really care about sound, you will love the NAD D3020. I am an audiophile. I sold all my equipments because I had to move between countries but I used to have a stereo system that was around 20K. I have had solid state amplifiers, solid state ones, DHT, triodes, etc. I have had horn speakers, open baffle speakers, etc. I know my audio. Nowadays, I had a 120watt solid state asian amplifier Qinpu that I bought new for 1.2K but it died a week ago. So, I needed a new amplifier for my living room. I did not wanted to spend much money because I do not have the space for a real audiophile stereo system but I needed good sound. My speakers are NHT bookshelves, 6 ohms, 86 db sensitivity, so it was not easy to find a proper amplifier for them in the 300-400$ range. First, I tried the Onkyo TX-8220 2 Channel Stereo, the sound was not bad but it was a tiny sound, like the sound you would expect from a bad car stereo (in audiophile terms, the soundstage was really small). Also, the instruments did not have any clear separation. The tone of the instruments, which I am very sensitive to, was wrong, it did not sound real. The next amplifier was the Yamaha R-N303BL Stereo Receiver. The Yamaha produced much better sound, a fuller sound. Also, the soundstage was not small. The problem tough was it sounded really muddy, I noticed this mostly with voices. Somehow, the sound seemed to have a veiled. I tried to fix this with the bass and treble controls but it did not work. So, I returned it. Both the Onkyo and the Yamaha are around 50-70 watts per channel in 6 ohms. The problem is that while the THD (total harmonic distortion) in 8 ohms is pretty low for these two amplifiers, in 6 ohm (for my speakers) it gets really high, like 8 or 10 times higher. I knew I needed at least a 40 wattt amplifier to properly drive my speakers. I saw this NAD (the V2 version because I want to add a turntable) and decided to try it. The V2 is the same as the normal version with the difference that the V2 has phono input and the V1 not. In any case, this is a 30 Watt amplifier that keeps the same power, and most importantly, the same THD (very low) from 4 ohm to 8 ohm. I tried it and I was really impressed!!! The soundstage is big enough, the instrument separation is very good, and it has a full sound. There is no way to compare this amp with the Onkyo or the Yamaha in terms of sound quality, the NAD is simply in a different league. More importantly, the 30 watts were more than enough to drive my 86db speakers to loud levels. This is solid evidence of what a well built power supply does for sound, small amp with good power supply will outperform an amplifier with more watts power but a bad or cheap power supply. Bluetooth works like a charm. As for heat, it gets warm but not hot. This is a small amplifier with a lot of power and a great sound, even for a real audiophile!! So, if you need good sound for a small living room stereo, this NAD D 3020 (normal or V2) is a real good option!!!

I have been listening to vinyl again for more than the past decade. I have all my old albums and buy lots of new ones. I have been driving a pair of Klipsch Reference 50M speakers through an Aiyima T9PRO with upgraded GE5654W tubes. It sounds really great for a $160.00 amplifier. I use an audo-techna turntable run through a Pro-Jet Phono Box which does a very nice job. Anyway, space is a real concern for me as my actual set up is on a small book shelf. I've always been looking for a small audiophile integrated amp to see how that would sound. After lots of study I decided on the NAD 3020 vr. Easy to set up . I plugged my turntable into to the MM input...and was disappointed. I can't say it sounded any better, or even as good as my little tube Aiyima T9. I thought about returning it, but I remembered some of the reviews of the NAD saying that its phono stage was lacking. So I plugged my turntable back into the Pro-Jet and plugged that into the aux input. What a difference!! The clarity, separation, and punch improved 100%. It sounds great. I am going to keep it. A word to the wise. If you want to use this amp for vinyl get a decent phono pre-amp[the Pro-Jet does a great job]and use the aux channel You will be glad you did. I would give this product 5 stars for its sound, but only 4 because its phono stage is lacking. For $599.00 I don't think you should have to use a separate pre-amp for it to sound its best. But, it sounds great with this set up. By the way...The KlipschR 50Ms are highly recommended as good speakers for this amp in the reviews and questions I posed. Very easy to drive. There ya go. Saddle up your vinyl.

Un pequeño amplificador con un gran sonido. He recibido la versión v2 (phono), perfectamente embalada. Relación calidad-precio excelente.

I inherited a classic NAD 3020i amplifier nearly twenty years ago and it's been the centre of my HiFi system ever since. Warm and lively with a generous bass response it was hard to fault. But time moves on and I thought it was time to replace the old girl with something a bit more up to date. The technological differences between the old NAD and the new couldn't be more stark, but the musical qualities the original 3020 were known for are preserved in the new digital hybrid version, despite the move from class AB to class D amplification. The new amp is clearer and more detailed with a firm and well extended bass but it's still lively and musical to listen to. Here are a few general thoughts: - I tried operating the amplifier on its side, but it got a bit too hot for my taste, even though I'd inserted spacers underneath it to allow ventilation. I think it really should be used in the upright position. The display makes more sense that way. - It has two digital and two analogue inputs, which are just enough for me to plug in my TV, CD player, record player and cassette deck. There is a preamp out which could, at a pinch, be used for recording and a sub-woofer output. Be aware that the main speaker output remains full-range even when the sub is plugged in. You'll need to tune your sub-woofer settings carefully to integrate it correctly with your main speakers. There's a bass boost control for use with very small speakers, but that's the only tone control available. - Bluetooth works well and is fine for late-night listening, but I found that sometimes the Bluetooth source would take over when I was listening to something else. I think it's best to break the connection (but not the pairing) when not using BT. - I tried several times to set it up to turn itself on and switch to optical input when I used my TV's remote, but this feature wouldn't work properly for me. No disaster - it's easy enough to operate the TV and the amp separately and you don't necessarily want full-blown sound when you're only watching the news. - It was only by accident that I found that the seller had inserted a UK mains cable under the packing tray. I was all set to rewire the euro cable that came in the accessory box. It wouldn't have hurt to have put a slip in the packaging telling me where to look. - You can't tune the loading for the phono input. - The volume display on the front panel reaches max when the actual volume is 50% or less. A firmware fix for this would be nice. - It has the world's most easily lost remote. However, it works well enough. - You only get a "getting started" sheet in the box. The actual manual is an online PDF, but you're only likely to need it if you want to change the auto power-off and input sensing settings. For a small-to-medium-sized listening room and reasonably efficient speakers this amp is hard to beat. I'm very happy with mine.

En la foto aparece como el equipo V2 (con entrada Phono) pero en realidad llegó el sistema anterior. Lo devolví y compré en otro lugar. A nivel de sonido es espectacular.

This amplifier filled all my expectations, with one reservation which I’ll come to shortly. I wanted a compact but quality amplifier to play my turntable through since I’ve gone full circle back to my vinyl collection. It ticks all the boxes for sound quality, sonic performance, ease of use, remote control and great design. At the time of purchase it was also some 25% less than when I first investigated it, making it great value for money. There’s several connection options for other items such as CD player, but apart from the Phono input, I am happy to utilise the Bluetooth too. My only reservation - and this has been mentioned in another review - is that the amp seems to lack a ‘full’ sound and a lack of bass unless left to ‘warm up’ for a couple of minutes. It’s obviously not a valve amp so I’m not sure what the reason for this is. However, it’s hardly going to impact my life so I’ll be happy to live with it. Maybe a software fix could be available at some point?

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