NAD and Rotel have traditionally been transitional companies… bridging consumer and mid-fi products. They typically have offered low priced components, but designed to sound good for high consumer product prices. Over the last couple decades they have stretched with their upper product lines into through Mid-Fi and into the High-Fi tier.
Typically the division between consumer, mid-fi, hi-fi, and audiophile are based on sound quality (something that has changed over time as the latter three have improved), the number of features and functions (the more the closer to consumer), and construction, with emphasis on the former. Price / features / functions are what are most easily determined by survey of the literature, and therefore are commonly used as proxy for Sound quality. The actual sound quality typically varies within each group.
Classifications like these are often hotly debated because folks that can’t afford upper echelon equipment are prone to deny the categories are valid. They want to think of their purchases as smart, not limited by their financial circumstances. Folks that can afford higher level equipment want to reinforce the classifications as it shows them in a favorable light.
Regardless of the cost of your system, if you love the sound… I have since I bought a Marantz 2040 (?) integrated amp in 1972 for $250. You should enjoy it.
The NAD C 375BEE integrated amp Is in the mid-fi range. This is coming from someone who owns mid-tier audiophile equipment, but cannot afford upper tier audiophile equipment.
