NAD Receivers -- opinions?

dolphyisgod

dolphyisgod

Active Member
I'm on the lookout for a receiver that I can use for reference checks, so good quality, good phono stage, but can't break the bank. I've seen some NAD 7020s around for very nice prices. If it at all compares to NAD integrated's or separates, could be a bargain. Does anyone have experience with this model? Thoughts on NAD receivers in general?
 
I have an NAD 7020. It's a great-sounding receiver with a particularly good phono section. It combines the circuitry of the 3020 integrated amp, which is something of a sonic legend, with a very good FM stereo/AM tuner. The 7020 is one of my favorite low-powered receivers. Power switch failures are reportedly somewhat common on these receivers; mine is still working, so I can't tell you how easy or difficult a job it would be to replace the part. My 7020 did blow a power amp channel several years ago, which was disconcerting, but I found that service data and parts were easy to come by and the repair job was straightforward.
 
I have a NAD 7080, this is a pretty rare receiver, only built in 1978. It's sound is fantastic and I like this darling more than my Tandberg TR2080 (same size, same WPC etc).
 
NAD receivers are usually just NAD amps with a tuner added on. As such, they are very nice sounding, and reasonably well made.
 
I have 2 3020 amps (3020e and 3020i) - very nice, seem more powerful than specs say and very good sounding indeed. And as a bonus: also simple enough so they are easy to rebuild.

They don't have emitter resistors so if they no longer have the original output transistors they might be prone to thermal runaway which can kill the output transistors in one channel if you are unlucky. I would not consider that a deal breaker though, quite an easy fix.
 
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IMO, the 7150 is the best of the gray NAD's. It has dual transformers, which was a rare extravagance.
 
ToniCH said:
I have 2 3020 amps (3020e and 3020i) - very nice, seem more powerful than specs say and very good sounding indeed. And as a bonus: also simple enough so they are easy to rebuild.

They don't have emitter resistors so if they no longer have the original output transistors they might be prone to thermal runaway which can kill the output transistors in one channel if you are unlucky. I would not consider that a deal breaker though, quite an easy fix.
Click to expand...

I don't know about the e and i variants of the 3020, but I can tell you that the 7020 receiver has a thermally-tracking bias supply for the driver and output stages. If the circuit is working properly and the driver and output devices aren't electrically leaky, thermal runaway should not be an issue despite the lack of emitter load resistors.
 
Dr Tinear said:
I don't know about the e and i variants of the 3020, but I can tell you that the 7020 receiver has a thermally-tracking bias supply for the driver and output stages. If the circuit is working properly and the driver and output devices aren't electrically leaky, thermal runaway should not be an issue despite the lack of emitter load resistors.
Click to expand...

Ok, good to know.

so if they no longer have the original output transistors they might be prone to thermal runaway
Click to expand...

But like I said this was not a problem with the original transistors, the problem commonly appeared when 3020 original hometaxial output transistors were changed to epitaxial types (with same type number) which didn't have internal resistance. This was a change which happened because transistor manufacturing process changed during 80's. So, newer transistors of same designation were internally different and thus the amps became prone for thermal runaway after they were worked on by techs.
 
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No 7020 here but, I do have a 7220!

I also own both the 3140 and 314 Integrated Amps.

While I enjoy them all; I prefer the 7220's sound to either amp. YMMV
 
It's pretty good stuff. Build quality isn't up there with the TOTL mass-market Japanese gear at its finest (Sony ES, Pioneer Elite, higher end Denon, etc.) but still pretty good.

I have heard of people complaining that the gray color is inconsistent, which makes putting together a matching stack difficult.
 
ToniCH said:
... But like I said this was not a problem with the original transistors, the problem commonly appeared when 3020 original hometaxial output transistors were changed to epitaxial types (with same type number) which didn't have internal resistance. This was a change which happened because transistor manufacturing process changed during 80's. So, newer transistors of same designation were internally different and thus the amps became prone for thermal runaway after they were worked on by techs.
Click to expand...

If Wikipedia is right about the production dates for the 2N3055 hometaxial transistor and the NAD 3020 and 7020, the NAD amps and receivers would all have been built with epitaxial output transistors (2N3055 NPN, MJ2955 PNP). Wikipedia claims that the hometaxial 2N3055, which RCA started producing in the early 1960s, had been replaced with the epitaxial version by the mid-1970s. Production of the NAD 3020 and 7020 started in 1978 or 1979.

For what it's worth, the output stage that blew up in my 7020 had never been worked on by a tech, so it had all factory-original transistors. When the smoke cleared, both outputs, both drivers, the driver emitter load, the bias transistor, and one of the resistors in the bias network were toast. I suspect that a driver or output device went leaky and triggered the failure. I repaired it with modern devices and have had no problems since.
 
I have the NAD 7140...great sounding gear. I see they are becoming very popular here on AK....personally I think we should a forum dedicated to NAD....Everything NAD. In a couple of weeks I think I might move up to the 7150 or 7250. People laught at it when they see it, plus it's sitting next to a Sansui 4000. I had it next to my Marantz 2325 about a mont ago, and believe it or not I haven't listened to my Marantz since. Then again my hearing might be a little screwed up.

Mike47
 
I have a NAD 7140 also. No issues since I bought it, except the combination volume/balance control became noisy. Relatively easy fix, though not as accessible as other equipment I've cleaned up.

WickedWillie
 
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NADs' are better sounding than 80% of available audio gear.
No news there.
These are a 1st world design, built in 2nd or 3rd world facilities... to a price point.
Result is, not unexpectedly, often spotty build qualities and/or longevity.
When they eventually break, IMO it's cost effective to fix them, as a similar sound quality replacement unit, Will be pricey.
Ain't no free lunches, unfortunately
 
I couldn't put it any better myself. Sold the stuff in the eighties. They are hot rods but if you are reasonable with them, they are usually fine. We would always have a few bad ones that were repeat service offenders. Not specific models, but individual units of different models. I had a 7155 like that. And another that was perfect.
 
I had a 7020 for many years, and loved the sound of it. Since it had pre-out/main-in jacks, I could use it as a tuner-preamp with a Hafler DH-200 as a power amp, and then use the internal 20 watt amp (wiht 3 dB of headroom) to bi-amp my speakers.
 
I have a 7020 and love it. It's brilliant for what it is, a relatively cheap low power receiver, as someone put it, it sounds way better than it has a right to. Martin Borish (founder of NAD) said it was his favorite NAD product.

I also have a much earlier NAD Model 160, which is a completely different animal, a big, heavy, beautifully (and expensively) built, great looking and sounding receiver. In no way inferior to NAD Model 60 amplifier from the same line, which I also had.
 
I had a couple of 3080 NAD integrated amps going back to the late seventies and they sounded super.
 
Every time I take my NAD 7040 out of my main sytem set-up, it goes right back in a couple of hours later. That's after listening to my Sansui's and Marantz 2325. I don't know, it's just something about the sound that I just love. The receiver itself is ugly as hell...but the sound is just wonderful. And it does my heart some good to see more and more NAD users on the AK forum.

Mike47
 
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