Canada-based hi-fi manufacturer NAD has announced a new stereo amplifier with high-res Audio Streaming Capability and an HDMI eARC port for hooking up to a 4K TV. The announcement arrives in advance of next week’s High End Munich show, an audiophile’s paradise that draws hi-fi fanatics from all over the world.
NAD’s C 3050 is a follow up to a limited edition version of the same amp the company released back in late 2022. Produced in a run of 1,972 numbered units to commemorate NAD’s 50-year anniversary, that model seemed like a sort of trial balloon to see how hi-fi fans would respond to the amp’s retro design.
The test run was clearly a success, because owners of the best stereo speakers quickly bought up the limited edition C 3050. Now, NAD’s amp is being made widely available, and is priced at a not-outrageous $1,399 (around £1,125 / AU$2,100).
The C 3050’s return is good news, mainly because with its chunky buttons and control knobs, glowing VU meters, and wood-finish casing, it’s literally the best looking integrated stereo amp we know of. When it comes to hi-fi, retro design is a winning proposition, and the C 3050 hearkens back to the glory days of the ‘60s and ‘70s when brands like Marantz, Yamaha, and JBL made similarly cool-looking gear.
Looking past its retro exterior, the C 3050 is a fully loaded modern integrated stereo amp rated to deliver 100 Watts per channel into 8/4 ohms. It has both analog and coaxial and optical digital inputs, along with the aforementioned HDMI eARC port. A moving magnet phono stage lets you connect one of the best turntables, and there are dedicated subwoofer and headphone outputs plus a proprietary MDC2 slot to accommodate NAD’s MDC2 BluOS-D module ($599).
While the MDC2 BluOS-D module is an optional add-on, listeners will want to scoop that up as well in order to take advantage of the multiroom wireless high-res audio streaming capability it brings to the C 3050. This feature is controlled using the excellent BluOS app, and the MDC2 BluOS-D further supports Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, and AirPlay 2, along with two-way aptX HD Bluetooth, which lets you stream audio to the amp and also use a set of the best wireless headphones for listening.
Another feature the MDC2 BluOS-D module brings to the table is Dirac Live. Dirac Live processing provides both time- and frequency-based room correction, and it covers not just bass but your speakers’ full frequency range.
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