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NAD 304 - Best SS amp ever?

I'm being silly, of course, but my experience with this integrated amp has been really baffling. I'll give a brief historical outline

I. Bought one in 1994 on the strength of Corey Greenberg's utterly excited "this is real high end audio for $300!" review in Stereophile (btw, this review isn't anywhere online that I can find). After owing it for a few days, the skeptical retailer asked me if it sounded as "glorious" touted? Well, powering my lil' Dahlquist DQ-16s, the answer was YES!

II. In 1995, something went wrong and I needed a repair. That was the old "green circuit board" version. Borrowed a Quad Amp and Preamp...maybe a 405 with matching preamp? Sounded big and warm.

III. Got the NAD 304 back with new Blue circuit board. Sounded way bigger, more dynamic, and clearer than the Quad set-up. Loved it! had to sell it off later that year to help with some debt.

IV. Bought one in 2008 for $175. I'm using it to power Triangle Zerius 202s. I know, not the first combo you'd imagine, right? Sounds very clean and not lacking tonally, but now I'm looking for more dimensionality and palpable presence. I have tried using more powerful NAD amps, a high-powered Adcom, and I'm currently trying a Parasound HCA-750A. Everything sounds...ordinary. To be fair, the Parasound has warmed up and is starting to sound pretty good, but it doesn't exactly blow the 304 away.

Am I going to going to have to look at much more expensive gear? Tubes, maybe? Some of the amps I've tried have been very affordable, but the Quad and the Adcom were kind of ridiculously high-priced IMO, and the 304 was hands-down the winner in those shootouts.

Has anyone else had a similar experience - and if so, what did you finally choose upgrade with?
128x128joelv
joelv's avatar
joelv OP
103 posts
 
An update: My stalwart 304 has developed some problems - flakiness/fuzzyness/intermittent cutting out in the right channel. I understand capacitors and solder joints are usually to blame, so I'm going to have it repaired.

In its stead, I'm using my new Trends TA-10.1, touted as 6 Watts of giant-killing, audiophile magic.

So far, I'm disappointed, but I am waiting for the batteries to discharge and recharge so I can try that option.
joelv's avatar
joelv OP
103 posts
 
OK I just have to update this.

I now feel that the Trends TA10.1 is the best amplifier that I've ever owned. It's in another league, completely, from the NAD. Big sound stage, stable, big images, gobs of detail.

I'm out of town but will likely post a review of this when I'm back. If anyone wants to discuss how awesome the Trends TA 10.1 is, feel free to e-mail. I'm thrilled!
hemihead05
16 posts
 
Hello, Iv had the B&K st120, 140, and the 202. There ok , warm , then can tend to be a tad dark,grainy. I had a b&K st120 and Jolida JD-t5 tube pre and it sounded smeared , dark I just did not like it! I sold them both. Iv bin out of work , so I wanted something cheep, and I had some Nad in the past when I was much younger. SO I pick up a 304 and Ill tell yea hand down, blows them out of the water!! Smooth, musical , with nice light sound with nice punch for it size!
I hate plastic, but it sounds very,very nice! the other system was with MHTZ 33e tube cd player and it did not not sound as good as the NAD 304 with a vintage Sony cd player! The phono stage sounds nice with a Lafayette T-6000 TT. with a vintage ADC cartridge from the same year. 1975.
I also have a Tangent 100 I amp and Myryad Z140, the Z140 is a 1,100.00 amp and the Nad still sounds nicer. The Z140 is very nice build and sounds very good,but a tad sterile and hard. Speakers used Snell K3s and BA cr8s. both sound very nice! Its bin fun!!
meadowlarkpaul3
4 posts
 
Mike
How does the Acurus compare with the Nad? This was written only 10 months ago. I must assume that you purchased the Acurus sometime this year and didn't like it. Very disappointing if someone wants to buy the Acurus.
Un fuerte abrazo,
Paul
zavato's avatar
zavato
1,399 posts
 
No experience with a 304 but I do have experience with another NAD amp. Years back I owned a very costly 2oo+ wpc amp which developed a fault. I sent it to madrigal for repair and while it was being repaired I put in an NAD amp into the system with barely 1/10th the power. I was shocked at how close the NAD was to the broken amp at less than high volume levels. This showed me how good NAD could be within its design limits. The build quality did not seem nearly as robust on the NAD but sonically, it proved to be the real deal.
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