NAD Preamp, Amp comparison question

[BartJY]

Howdy,

I currently own a NAD C 162 preamp and a NAD C 272 amp. Both these models are no longer in production as they have been replaced by the newer NAD C 165BEE preamp and NAD 275BEE amp models. My question, would it be worth my while to make the upgrade to the newer units? Is the supposed improvement worth the effort? :scratch2:

Thanks
Bart

 

[cfinchrist]

I have not tried either but I doubt it for the amount of money the new one would cost. I did have a c160 and it was OK but when I did a thorough comparison between it and the preamp in my Sansui 9090 it was blown out of the water. Iused a couple different amp and speaker combos and the Sansui was so much more realistic/natural in the treble end. The NAD was way too forward in the midrange for my taste. This is of course subjective and completely dependent on ones personal taste, but in my opinion there is better sounding stuff out there than NAD.

 

[jrtrent]

I currently own a NAD C 162 preamp and a NAD C 272 amp. Both these models are no longer in production as they have been replaced by the newer NAD C 165BEE preamp and NAD 275BEE amp models. My question, would it be worth my while to make the upgrade to the newer units? Is the supposed improvement worth the effort?

The only way to tell is to do a comparative audition between them and what you have now. Are there any aspects of the sound that you find disappointing, that cause you to want something else? The Absolute Sound review of your pair is quite positive, and the reviewer cites four specific strengths (http://nadelectronics.com/articles/The-Absolute-Sound-C-162-C-272-Review), but maybe you're looking for other sonic attributes, or even better performance in the ones mentioned. The more specific you can be in what you find lacking, the easier it will be for others to offer suggestions for improvement.

Do you have a dealer who can demonstrate the differences, or point you to alternate products that might better suit your goals? The NAD pair you're considering costs $2300. To hear what different approaches might give you, you could consider the Rogue Cronus Magnum integrated tube amplifier. Another flavor to hear at that price point would be the Naim Nait 5i-2 with their StageLine external phono stage.