Nordfors
Member
Novice question here.
Are NAD PE units class G?
A very knowlegable fellow in my neck of the woods commented on my ongoing quest for synergy leading to best soundstage. The topic was initially a NAD 7240 PE and its rather flat, almost painted on the back wall soundstage. His comment was as follows, roughly:
"The downside of this PE tech was that it messed up the midrange a little bit. Because of that technology, the midrange does not have sharp clarity; it's a bit hazy and a bit veiled. NADs of that era were also somewhat rolled off in the highs. So, their presentation is a little 'homogenized' by comparison to competition of that time period. The NADs of that era were bold and warm sounding (which can be very nice in certain circumstances and with certain speakers), but didn't have the most distinct imaging or depth."
Interesting.
To be more informed in my persuit of mixing and matching gear on this quest of sorts, I've been reading the incredible backlog of "Stereo Review" from the 70's and beyond. I noticed that if I kept a score card, one point for every add by consumer grade manufacturer, the end tally would nearly directly correlate with todays prices for the same used gear; ie. 10 points = $1,000, 2 points = $200. Just a numerical example. Now I know there's more to it, but I think at this point we all understand the power of advertising and how it forms brand loyalty, opinion, and even perception. No doubt, some manufacturers were better than others, in general. Quantifiably so. However, in my searches and rescues of old gear I keep coming accross pieces that I take on out of pitty, but by the time I get them home, start looking uder the hood and fixing them up, they really suprise me. Build and sonics. Some of the older Kenwoods and Hitachi's stand out to me, and I'm interested in these "sleepers" or less popular units, because, maybe, they just weren't marketed as well in North America.......
I like my NAD 7240 PE for the application it's in. No ones in the "Sweet Spot" ever, so imaging doesn't matter much and it fills the room with great sound. I've been interested in the Hitachi Class G gear lately, but if its basically the same engineering as the NAD and going to lack soundstage, well, I already have one of those. Is class G just not for me?
So, is NAD PE gear Class G? Any verification from this endlessly knowledgable group would be wonderful. Have a great day!
Are NAD PE units class G?
A very knowlegable fellow in my neck of the woods commented on my ongoing quest for synergy leading to best soundstage. The topic was initially a NAD 7240 PE and its rather flat, almost painted on the back wall soundstage. His comment was as follows, roughly:
"The downside of this PE tech was that it messed up the midrange a little bit. Because of that technology, the midrange does not have sharp clarity; it's a bit hazy and a bit veiled. NADs of that era were also somewhat rolled off in the highs. So, their presentation is a little 'homogenized' by comparison to competition of that time period. The NADs of that era were bold and warm sounding (which can be very nice in certain circumstances and with certain speakers), but didn't have the most distinct imaging or depth."
Interesting.
To be more informed in my persuit of mixing and matching gear on this quest of sorts, I've been reading the incredible backlog of "Stereo Review" from the 70's and beyond. I noticed that if I kept a score card, one point for every add by consumer grade manufacturer, the end tally would nearly directly correlate with todays prices for the same used gear; ie. 10 points = $1,000, 2 points = $200. Just a numerical example. Now I know there's more to it, but I think at this point we all understand the power of advertising and how it forms brand loyalty, opinion, and even perception. No doubt, some manufacturers were better than others, in general. Quantifiably so. However, in my searches and rescues of old gear I keep coming accross pieces that I take on out of pitty, but by the time I get them home, start looking uder the hood and fixing them up, they really suprise me. Build and sonics. Some of the older Kenwoods and Hitachi's stand out to me, and I'm interested in these "sleepers" or less popular units, because, maybe, they just weren't marketed as well in North America.......
I like my NAD 7240 PE for the application it's in. No ones in the "Sweet Spot" ever, so imaging doesn't matter much and it fills the room with great sound. I've been interested in the Hitachi Class G gear lately, but if its basically the same engineering as the NAD and going to lack soundstage, well, I already have one of those. Is class G just not for me?
So, is NAD PE gear Class G? Any verification from this endlessly knowledgable group would be wonderful. Have a great day!
Last edited:
