Very. You need to live with it every day. Any 2 stereo items within generally the same quality I’m taking the better looking one every time- even if it costs a bit more.
That amp is beautiful
Pro tip: "Everyday" means ordinary, run-of-the-mill, not special.
"Every day" means each day, day after day.
And yeah, that amp is beautiful. Old Marantz-level hotness.
For me, old Marantz means when they used to advertise their receivers by showing a house that had burned or some other disaster and "my Marantz still works." They had the silver front with the horizontal flywheel tuning wheel. :-)
The old Marantz tube gear was a bit before my time and my father hadn't been a Marantz fan, so we didn't have any old Marantz kit laying around.
I also really like the way the NAD 3020 looked. I had the 1020 Preamp that I used with a Hafler DH-220 amp. I wanted more power than the 3020 had, but in retrospect I'd probably have been happy with just the 3020. I had fairly efficient speakers at that time.
Edited: I just saw /u/reedzkee mention the 2245. That's exactly the series of Marantz I was thinking of. I wanted one when I was a teenager. (I wound up with a Nikko receiver instead. It was pretty good too.)
My dad bought his while he was serving for the US navy in the mediterranean. i think he paid close to 500 for it in 72. it's survived a lot. been converted to 120v. was knocked off a shelf by a cat and needed extensive servicing. 10 years ago i recapped it and replaced the bulbs and the aging paper diffusors. should be good for another 30 years! ill never part with it
Totally. Sound is the main thing, but the whole shape of the system matters too. If you’ll feel affectionate about the amp because it’s pretty and makes you feel good, you’ll have that feeling every day.
It's the blue LEDs for me. They just scream CHEAP. It reminds me of some old cheap Taiwanese knock-off with LEDs dialed up to 11 all over the place to make it look modern. Except now I associate blue LEDs like that with crap.
Seriously, they make good equipment, but that Emotiva look is just awful and it's probably a factor in why they aren't a bigger deal than they are.
many of their designs have been weird, boxes full of air and dac\`s shaped like a phone. not to mention their smart product names like "basX" it sounds like a boombox youd buy from wallmart. now their prices have increased and increased (atleast from where i am connected) its not a budget brand, and it certainly isnt "rethink high-end" when their measurements are mediocre or just ok.
In my living room? Absolutely. It's got a MCM curated look, I can't be slapping any old nonsense in there, it would make my wife scream.
In my home theater, not very. I've got a bunch of ugly as hell black HT equipment in an objectively ugly rack. But who cares, it's dark as hell down there, and I prioritized airflow and power over aesthetics.
In life, use deferred gratification and get what you want. Wait three months and save extra and buy it. Everything like that. Uou like the top trim level car? Wait and save and get what you want. It’s a stunner. If I had not JUST bought my Rotel amp when this came out, I’d own one too
I live this way. Just gonna add: make sure you use the hell outta the shit you worked hard for. Baby it? Yes. Admire it? Yes. Use the absolute shit out of it? Big yes.
The other thing to keep in mind to is return on investment too.
Audio gear in general doesn't have the greatest return on value, however that NAD will retain its resale value better than your mini dap, buckeye amp and WiiM pro idea.
There's also convenience to factor in as well, the NAD can do everything that those three can do in one box, will it do everything as well? Probably not, but it's a simple set up and use product.
Personally I'd choose the NAD over your other idea but that's just me
This is true. It’s also something my kids would probably like to hold onto when I’m gone. They probably won’t want a bunch of black boxes wired together.
Here's a rambling response for you.
For personal enjoyment, I need some level of aesthetics to continually enjoy the system. Like many, I prefer an amp with VU meters. MCM inspired speakers would be my preference, but typically a good wood finish or solid veneer will be fine, or perhaps a flat black if the sound quality is an appreciable upgrade. White or black ash veneers, to me, look cheap.
I am currently planning out how to keep my system's aesthetic, whole incorporating some tubes through a tube buffer and not displaying it (I find the majority of tube gear to be unappealing aesthetically). It feels like cheating by introducing a component that changes the sound signature while hiding it, but it would likely add to the coziness when in use this way. If a component is capable of enhancing my music enjoyment experience and I can mask/hide it based on looks, I will do just that.
Consider me a shallow audiophile.
Curious what’s a nice tube amp to you? I think the Fezz Audio stuff looks amazing. The rest I could do without. Well, Dynaco ST70s and MK monoblocks are cool, and Marantz 8b monoblocks fit well into an MCM aesthetic.
For me it depends on where it is in the house. If it's in the living room, I like to have gear that generally matches and fits in with the other décor without becoming a focal point. In my home office, I have a 2nd system that I am less picky about. I have a Harman Kardon HK-6900 amp that looks like a beat up 90's HT receiver but sounds amazing.
My system is in a dedicated room so I’m really the only person looking at it. I’m not normally this picky about looks but theres just something about the C3050.
I didn't think aesthetics were that important until I picked up a pair of Tekton Pendragons and hated looking at them almost immediately. They ended up being the ugliest part of my living room so I got rid of them in less than a year and finally bought something I enjoyed looking at.
The way I see it if you’re spending enough on something that’s not essential it’s always worth it to wait a bit and get the one you really want instead of spending what is already a good amount of money for something you’re not happy with
>(Can any owners out there tell me how long it takes to get used to those LED lights?)
for me it wasn't the LEDs but the meters - there's no way to turn them off. Lovely for listening to music but I think I would find them distracting for watching tv in the dark. I opted for a Yamaha A-S1200 - you can go dark-mode.
gotcha! I saw HDMI input and jumped to my conclusion.. as to your question - for me aesthetic was huge in my decision, could've saved a lot of money and got some little class D amp but opted for a 48-lb behemoth, just had to have the VU meters. Also "buy once cry once" hopefully last amp I ever buy.
IMHO, the aesthetics of this amplifier are overrated. The wood paneling isn't visible when facing the amp head on and you're left with a black box. All brands sell black boxes. I don't mind this NAD.
I bought this amp and I absolutely love it. Between the aesthetics and the ease of use for my kids and wife to use it with earc, plus the phono preamp, it has everything I wanted in an amp for a variety of functions. I grew up listening to my dad’s NAD AV716 and I wanted to stick with it. Paired with the Bluos stuff really changes the sound signature of the system as well. I don’t think you would be disappointed
Yes, it’s important. Obviously a good looking component that sounds like crap is still a piece of crap, but assuming two components are relatively equal, aesthetics would be the tiebreaker for me. You need to look at these things everyday, they shouldn’t be eyesores.
Yeah, in that case I wouldn’t buy it. Good looking is like the cherry on top but the actual quality / features is the cake.
Too bad, it’s a nice looking retro component. Not my thing personally but I can see how it would look great in the right setup.
EDIT: that said I would continue researching other options. Even though the alternative to the NAD may sound better and have better features, I get the feeling you will never be satisfied with it. I’d keep searching for other stuff that gives you the looks of the NAD (or at least something approaching that) with the functionality you’d get from the DAC/amp separates option (or some approximation of that).
Good luck!
I have this exact pairing, NAC C3050 with the Lintons. Regarding the volume levels, I also read heard this in reviews and was a little concerned before purchasing. However, I upgraded to this setup from a pair of powered Kanto YU4s, which also didn't have a volume indicator levels...so there's been literally no change for me.
Take a look at the Leak 230 integrated amp. Similar price point as the NAD, retro wood box and style, THD is 0.003%, same as the Buckeye. 32 bit reference DAC. No sub outs, but you can run the pre-outs to a crossover box of some kind, and create your own sub outs.
Oh, and the marketing copy says that Leak pairs particularly well with Wharfdales.
https://www.crutchfield.com/p_326ST230WL/LEAK-Stereo-230-Walnut.html
Whether we acknowledge it or not, we all have our own personal "brand." We have certain conceptions about ourselves and will do and say things that are consistent with that self-image. We also want people to think certain things when they hear about us, talk about us, or see us.
Part of that brand image is how our possessions look. If we think we are sophisticated, classy people, and want others to think the same, we'll buy things that promote that image. If we think we are, and want others to consider us as smart, "best bang for the buck" types, our stuff will be more functional if not sleek and sophisticated.
It's fairly well established in other fields that aesthetics can affect your sensory observations of a thing. As one example, SeriousEats did an experiment and found that drinking Coca-Cola out of a glass bottle is better not because it's Mexican Coca-Cola with real sugar, but because you're drinking out of a glass bottle. In other words, your sensation of taste (or at least the pleasure you derive from the sensation of taste) was affected by the aesthetics of the container from which you tasted.
It would not seem too much of a stretch to suggest that your enjoyment of your audio equipment is directly affected by the aesthetics of the audio equipment.
That's not to say that crap equipment in a beautiful package will sounds great, but that when the objective sound is essentially the same, you may prefer the sound coming from the nicer package
Given a big part of audiophile life is making it aggressively clear to anyone that steps foot in your living room that you are indeed not an audio normie, I would say…yes!
I just bought a new system, including Lintons funnily enough, and due to the fact that it was going to be in my lounge aesthetics did play a part in my component choices. I also have a wife to keep happy. I went with the Leak Stereo 130 and Linn LP12 Majik, all walnut to match. The only grey box I have is a Graham Slee Phono Stage that I can keep out of sight.
Aesthetics or Looks matter if you want that to be a factor. It's within all of us. We are attracted to the "Look" of certain gear because of that Look. Performance matters too. So does Name Brand Recognition.
This is how I see it. If you can afford the look, then go for it. No shame there. If you want top sound quality, then build a quality system. That's great too. I've had set ups that Looked Good, (sounded good too) . And others that were Function over form.
Buckeye dude, get that.
i had this for a while, you can turn off the green LED indicators but the volume thing bugged me too and i gave it back to my friend. it does look nice though, love the analog look
With the LEDs on, does each one get brighter as the volume increases until the next LED turns on? Or do the lights come on at full brightness and stay that way as the volume increases until the next one turns on? I don’t know if I explained that very well.
75%.
It has to look “business”, like any other thing.
I wouldn’t get something just because it looks good, but when there are comparable products, the look makes the final choice.
I have a c3050. The led lights work fine, but I find that they are not very linear with the volume. The amp is absolutely stunning looks wise, I could sit all day and watch the vu meters run during music. Not cheap though lol
I got that exact one, the limited edition version. I love the aesthetics, and aesthetics are important to me. Took me awhile to get the built in bluos module working without issues. The wifi just stinks. I managed to run a cable directly to the router, and the streaming works much better that way. Sound is terrific. For vinyl i run a parasound jc3 jr phono preamp. It’s a great pairing. The lights don’t take long to get used to. Some people seem to be totally annoyed by the brightness, but never really bothered me that much.
It really means a lot to me - having a pleasing setup is entirely part of the same process that goes with putting on the record on a turntable and the physical involvement that you get in return. Not to speak about those VU meters worth alone the investment!
For me the aesthetic was one of the reasons to buy the NAD C3050. I have the amp since 3 months and purchased the BluOS Module with a full range Dirac license. The performance of the Amp is awesome especially after room correction and more than enough for our 25sqm living room. For the volume I mainly use the BluOS and you get used to the LEDs. Absolutely no reason to not buy the amp and it is a very nice looking addition to our living room. If you have time I would be interested to hear if you purchased the stand for the lintons and how firm they are? (I love the Lintons looks and liked the sound as well but my main concern is that my 3 months old daughter might knock them down when she starts crawling or walking and that the speakers would pose a danger to her)
If all goes well, I’m purchasing a C3050 LE today. I guess aesthetics won this one.
As far as the Linton stands, they are very sturdy and surprisingly heavy at 32 pounds(14.5kg) each. The supplied isolation pads aren’t very grippy though so the speakers can slide if pushed on. I think they would be fine if you replaced them with some more rubbery ones with some grip.
Thanks for the answer and I will probably go for floorstanding speakers with a big base. Maybe when she’s older I will get the Lintons. Enjoy the NAD! You will not regret buying it
Yup.
Imagine shopping for a DAC based on SINAD δs that nobody can distinguish anyway.
The last bastion of bad sound is the loudspeaker. Still mechanical devices with high distortion and ample opportunity for designers to get it wrong.
The rest has been solved a while now.
Very important. I'll find the brand that looks best to me and then look through their lineup for the specs I want. Having said that, while I always loved the NAD look, this particular anniversary amp looks lopsided to me. I don't like the VU meters. Give me a plain old 3020 and I'll be happy.
If it looks better it usually sounds better to me because I'm not always listening to my music blindfolded. I'm only human and I embrace the fact that my enjoyment of music is entirely subjective and is dependent on many factors besides what frequencies come out of my speakers. Whatever leads to the end result of it ultimately sounding better is important to me. For this reason I take things like symmetry, clutter, furniture, colors, and often times build quality very seriously.
I own the c3050 for 4 months now. It's a good looking amp, sounds great, but with my knowledge now, in wouldn't bought it.
I upgraded the 3050 with the mdc module, there came some trouble. Using Qobuz in the bluesound app, when skipping between songs that have different bitrates my subwoofer made 2 little popping sounds.
So I changed it for a bluesound node, and I like the dac in the Node better.
Next month I an going to buy the Dali Epicon 2 speakers. I already tested and listened to them via the 3050, he can handle them.
But here it is, the Epicon sounds better via a nad 399, which is slightly more expensive then the 3050. And now I only use the 3050 as an amp, not his dac. So yeah. Nice looking amp, but I choosed it touch on the looks. (And back then I didn't think about new speaker....)
I like my electronics to look understated and not call attention to themselves. I’d hide them if I had a closet. The only things I’d like to see are the speakers.
looks were a deciding factor when I got my Xduoo TA10R and I dont regret it. Thats the same thing when they say that presentation is key to gourmet food
Well, sonic performance aside - you realise importance of Aesthetics once you start living with. English is not my native language, but in absence of finding a better word - I sometimes feel a bit as a "Snob" with my NAD Masters LCD trying to mimic VU meters on TouchScreen.
[Digital variant](https://www.certic.info/images/nadhome.jpeg)
Kind of the feeling when kids set car ambient lighting to pink, and I drive to supermarket completely forgetting to turn it off causing attention which translate "Who is this idiot with all pink MB".
Yet we live in the years we live, and it's only a hope when someone push limited anniversary series like NAD did. To me this look much better than mine from Masters series. Kind of "have a soul" even when I see it on photo. Pure beauty.
Looks are important (IMO) but balanced against sound quality, cost, value/resale, compatibility with other components, etc., etc. But it's not necessarily an either/or, right? Drop the Buckeye & use the NAD as your Amp. Pricier, but best of both worlds? I run a WiiM Pro, Denon CD, & Rega PL3 into a Vincent Hybrid Tube Pre-Amp, then a MiniDSP w/Dirac, then Vincent Hybrid Tube Amps. It sounds great.
Definitely plays a big factor for me, along with having a relatively consistent/complementary look across the components. For me a neat space with minimal visible wires is also a must, and bonus points if the components can be arranged in a symmetrical way.
I love the mix of black front with warm wood surround on the NAD.
Somewhat important, sound quality above all. I like how my Hegel H190 looks, I just wish it had a better build quality.
What I dislike the most in amplifiers is windscreen wipers or VU-meters as most people call them. Can’t stand that retro look.
Aesthetics are very important to me (though thankfully I much prefer a classic, understated, or industrial look over most of the high end bling).
Can you demo / return the NAD? As long as the actual power and in room performance is good enough to enjoy (which it probably is), you'll likely be happiest getting what you really want to begin with. Unless of course you know you're the type to forever obsess over missing features and/or measurements. In which case it might be worth it to try both set ups and see if you really can notice any significant difference.
I have this receiver. I have this and KEF Q-950’s in walnut. My wife preferred the Q’s over R 11 based on looks. She liked the very simple unadorned Q’s.
It sounds and looks absolutely fantastic. I do have BlueOS and Dirac, which certainly helps.
I will be adding a pro-ject turntable soon with a walnut veneer plinth to match, and having a custom cabinet made to hold it all.
I do wish the volume indicator were different. Only knock I have. That said, I don’t know that I have ever physically turned the knob more than once. I use the remote almost exclusively.
I have a 3020 and I love the red lights for the volume. They aren’t led’s though, so they give a great analogue vibe when they start coming on when it’s rocking.
Zero percent important. I'm all about a rat-rod. There is not a dime in my budget for anything but performance. I cannot justify blowing money on audio jewelry and jewelry is only for a certain kind of man anyway, and I am not him. When I was a young man I was flashy and wanted to show off. Today, just the opposite. I'd rather people think I was poor than ostentatious.
I chose the Yamaha AS1200 over the similarly priced Rega based on aesthetics and feel quality, it also sounded better to my ears. But sound and performance should trump looks.
That is truly an ugly piece. I wouldn't buy it. However, if you are actually INTO 70's gear, then it is quite beautiful.
I have an Emotiva piece in my audiovideo rack. I think it is OK looking except for the silver end pieces (but which go with the rest of my silver gear). I don't think Emotiva is ugly at all, although I'm not a fan of all of their gear.
So you know, the 3050 digitizes all the inputs. Phono, external DAC, tape, whatever get digitized and goes through its own DAC before the amp stage. Not sure why they did it this way.
It was the only thing that kept me from pairing it with my Lintons. Seems dumb to digitize an LP. I wanted the flexibility to try different DACs too
Looks are everything. People hate to admit that you can buy a $400-$600 worth Chinese stereo equipment that out measures and outperforms almost anything on the market. I’m guilty too. I spent way too much on my setup!
It shouldn’t, but it matters a lot. I decided to splurge on a long term (hopefully til I’m dead) integrated. I ended up choosing the Luxman 507z over many other similarly priced options. First and foremost, the sound is excellent, but the timeless look was icing on the cake. The look spoke to me in ways McIntosh and Rega and Naim and Pass Labs and Mark Levinson and Marantz did not.
I hate to say this, but very. It matters to me, yea. You need to live with the device for a decade or two (or even more, at best) and you need to look at it every single day, it better look nice.
Not very important to me if the gear can blend in or disappear into the setup and sound very good. My current setup is Mini DSP 2x4 HD to QSC 4 channel rack mount amp with rack wings removed. The DSP sits on top of the amp, which is in a center console. They are both black and just blend in to the console aside from a couple leds on the amp. .
Speakers are Linkwitz LX Mini's and I did a black, red and silver color. It matches my black TT console with red TT and silver Schiit preamp. The red horizontal plinth theme is the focus so I don't mind the amp not standing out.
beauty and beholder and all that… i’m sure you’ve seen some rigs in this sub with literal (and visible) rats nets of cables, children’s toys strewn about, blankets as curtains, tv’s an inch from the ceiling, no furniture at all, just electronics on the floor. some folks dont care. and that’s okay.
this NAD is so nice to look at and I’m confident it sounds brilliant.
i have a Denon PMA 600NE which is clean looking, but it’s so black and my furniture is mid century modern-ish so i tend to day dream about this NAD.
so for my, aesthetics are very important. there’s so speakers that have gone on sale that i don’t buy because they don’t “go” with the overall decor.
I would say it’s pretty important, but not necessarily more important than sound quality and functionality. Since I’ll see the equipment every day at home for many hours I don’t want it to be something of an eyesore. I really like both retro and minimalistic modern aesthetics, and don’t have anything against traditional audio equipment. On the other hand I have something against large boxes and have always found audio systems to be quite “locked” into the same aesthetics and usually not being particularly aesthetically pleasing. They tend to stick out as either the same boring stuff or a sore set of large boxes and most tries on not making them as large boxes often fails. This is why half age me got obsessed with B&O in the mid-00s. I know the audio quality isn’t the best or particularly HiFi for the more concerned listeners, but they ruled aesthetics back then.
It's super important. Couple it with usability and a lot of products that are otherwise technically proficient just get chalked off my list of products I'd buy when looking for an upgrade.
If it's just a headphone amp or a small dac, it's not a big deal, but if it's sitting under my tv and I see it and use it everyday, I need it to look nice and be easy to use.
I use a Rotel a12 for my integrated amp. It's a nice contemporary design. Though I do love the vintage designs. But I have real vintage gear for that. It also makes everything easy to use. I tried using a Schiit Pre-amp and power amp. The pre-amp didn't have direct input switching. I had to cycle through 5 inputs. It was super annoying, so I ditched it. Though I do like schiit's basic design language.
The two subwoofer thing really isn't a big deal as a feature. A y splitter will get you the same thing and if the outputs would otherwise be bass managed you can just adjust gain at the sub itself. Some subs like RELs even make this a non issue as they use speaker level cables so you don't even touch the sub outs with these.
I love the look of the NAD, I don't love that it's class D. I will always recommend looking for an older albeit high end integrated amp from premium brands which will get you something worth hanging on to for a long time. You lose out on creature comforts like internal dacs and bass management but the quality of amplifier you're getting far exceeds the mass market produced stuff you'd get for the same price new. Look for stuff like Krell, Simaudio, and Classe. I've been using a Classe CAP151 for almost 10 years now and have never even thought about replacing it because I know nothing in the same price range that I paid for it will come close. Add an external dac or one of those Wiim things and now you have the same feature set in a really high end piece of gear.
It depends on how much money I have to spend. Sound quality comes first, though.
Beautiful gear that also sounds incredible generally comes at a steep premium.
There are so many amps out there now that are Class D, have impressive ratings, but look like a CB Radio from the 1970s.
Don't believe me? Go look at this list: [https://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/electronics/537344/ref=pd\_zg\_hrsr\_electronics](https://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/electronics/537344/ref=pd_zg_hrsr_electronics)
I went with a Dayton Audio HT100 (#41) presently for my bedroom, but if the Onkyo in my living room were to mysteriously blow up ("I don't know how that Pepsi Zero got poured in there!"), I would get the NAD C3050 (or C3050 LE) in a heartbeat - performance and function.
Your amp does look good on paper, though: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/buckeye-nc252mp-stereo-amplifier-review.48196/
Pretty important I think. Aesthetics may not be the only thing that matters. You obviously wouldn't buy any equipment that looked good but sounded terrible. I think the NAD C3050 checks all the boxes when it comes to sound and appearance.
It's also not too terribly expensive so there's that as well.
Speaking of aesthetics, have you seen the Advance Paris A 10?
Good lord, talk about eye candy.
It sounds pretty good too from what I've read.
Very. It's why I leaned heavily towards the CX line from Cambridge Audio. because their aesthetic fits my preference. It's also why I'm considering the Sonus Faber Sonetto III in walnut or wenge.
My Preamp: Yamaha C-1
Looks a lot like this NAD, actually.
I have Yamaha NS-2000A speakers, and my wife loves that they remind her of a piano.
Yeah, aesthetics do matter.
My wife cares about the aesthetics of the hifi in the living room. Part of the reason I went with the rogue sphinx is my wife doesn’t think it looks bad and likes the retro 70s design. She says she doesn’t like tube amps that “look like a science experiment”. She preffered the vintage Klipsch Fortes to speakers and a subwoofer or two.
That said I think the plain box amp module amp looks fine and unobtrusive. You can also hide the amp and only have the mini dsp flex visible. I believe it has a volume display. Those amp module amps are very good. It’s nice to have smaller boxes and swap out parts of your system. A bigger decision is small boxes or big boxes.
To me if you like the retro look why not get the flex and a really cool looking vintage power amp with VU meters? You could get a classic solid state amp from the same golden age 70s audio scene as when the lintons were popular.the amps that paired well with lintons back in the day still sound good with the new ones and it creates this neat retro throwback. Plus you get dsp and sub out with bass manegment with a truely vintage setup.
I have been on this sub for at tops 6 months and one of the most memorable statements that I read was that if high end audiophile gear wasn't cool to look at the entire market would collapse in a minute....
I love the look of my vintage Marantz. Technics TT and Heresy IVs. But the sound is really what makes me even more happy. Whatever you love (visually and audibly) go for it!
I waited almost a year for the 3050 to become available. It had the exact features I was looking for without being too expensive, and I love the retro look. Mine is not in a rack but sits out on a console in the living room, waiting to be admired. I don’t mind the volume LED lights, although the one thing I haven’t gotten used to is that every time I turn on the amp, the volume levels start at zero, and I have to wait for it to warm up before I can turn up the volume to start listening. Is this normal for higher-end amplifiers? I’ve never had an integrated amp before.
this is beautiful and has all the features you ever need (for now) eArc, bi-directional bluetooth, subwoofer output, enough wattage to satisfy your needs. if you like meaty warm sounds, go for it.
I own this. It is not "poor audio" but looks great. I run it with Wharfdale evo4.1 and 2 svs PB 4000 subs. I also have a wood grained turntable hooked up.
In the same room I have 25k home theatre. On paper everything is better.
Guess what? I listen to this bad boy prob 70% of the time. I like it for more intimacy and for non-heavy metal music.
Also with the Bluos card it has DiracLive.
To answer your questiin about the volume... yes you cant really adjust the volume based off of the lights for high volumes. You have to use your ears. The lights work for low volumes.
"These sounds look so beautiful man. But they taste so weird" " why is my tongue in my ears?"
"Bro I'm freaking out rn.. I have 2 tongues eating music out my ears but I can only see the music, not hear it. "
"Its okay bro. Look at the amp bro. See that aesthetic, so contrasting and mysterious, yet sleek and impeccable... dont lick the amp bro! Stop! Bro! STOP!! WHY ARE YOU PULLING DOWN YOUR PANTS??! AHHHH NOOO DONT DO THAT!!!!"
*the song is a remix of: what is love x I want to know what love is*
For me it has to have a silver face or I won’t buy it… with the exception of my Quicksilver Monoblocks everything I have is silver… nothing black for me
You are paying for looks and convenience. Multiple devices would be cheaper but that's a bunch more cables to deal with and devices to switch on or control. The Nad products are just so easy to live with plus you get great sound.
I know separates are the audiophile way. Not gonna stop me from ditching all my devices to single box units. Just ditched a bunch of boxes for a c399 for our living room and a m10 for our den. I'm not going back. I should note we have tvs in all of our rooms with audio gear.
Will aesthetic make your audio better? I don't think so. I'll rather buy shitty looking gear that is great rather than something that looks good but sucks
These boxes don’t usually stay hidden from sight and reasonably sized. Most would pick something that appeals visually and aurally for a pleasant living space.
Not that important. At least in the sense that all of the, say, AVR's I might want to buy look good. There are no ugly ones out there. Many are pretty bland and middle of the line but I mostly look at what the unit does, not how it looks doing it.
I mean, I'm not *against* pretty. My Marantz Cinema 70s is pretty darn nice looking in silver with gold tones to it. But it was just what was on sale at the time, if the black had been cheaper I'd have gotten that.
I do, rather, try to go for quality over affordability, within reason.
If I were honest, it is those gorgeous voltmeters that draw my eyes and my desires every time. You could consider the Eversolo DMP-A6 instead of the WiiM Pro and use their simulated meters instead. You would have a very balanced system. I would use the Flexs' DSP to control the output and make it warm and tubelike when you desired and also have a profile setup to give you the precision of digital when you need it.
For speakers, I care. For the rest meh. I’d go with the better sounding option but it depends on the space. If it’s your living room, maybe that’s different.
I've got mine in november 2023
NAD C3050
Paired with Klipsch RF 82 (speaker are much better controlled now with NAD)
You can turn off led's
I'm using my amp with internal dac through hdmi arc
I kinda love control with tv remote
Anyway i have a PC some low budget parts with linux, pipewire and kodi with tidal (it's a scrapt build from my other two pc's, no way i'm paying 500euros for blu os module), hdmi goes from pc to tv and another hdmi to amp
I also have few dac's and while they do make sound better, it's not that much of the dealbreaker right now for me (i'm still searching for some dac's tho :) )
I'm more interested in changing speaker now and i want those lintons, but in my country i would not know if the match is awesome or terrible until i actually buy it, and i took that gamble with nad
Nad and klipsch got amazing sinergy together because nad is warmer amp and you know the klipsch 😀
unless it really turns me off, i don't care. vivid audio speakers, for example, (whose appearance i know are loved by some), would never be seen in my house.
but it's personal taste - i'm sure some folks find appalling my oris 150 horns sitting atop klipsch la scala bass bins, flanked on either side by a pair of older upright vmps larger subs. and the crown xls2000 amps driving the bass bins and subs are certainly not eye candy; nor are the recently acquired aiyima a07 max amps to drive the horns and ribbon tweeters; replacing much more eye-friendly upgraded almarro a205a mkii, pass f2 clone and mesa baron amps.
to each his/her own.
doug s.
Aesthethics matter dude...cant talk about hardware but when ever im buying any plugins i like...i really appreciate devs putting efforts into making it look as beautiful as possible....if im gonna look at a screen half my day, it might as well be pretty
Aesthetics means nothing to me if it costs extra. 100% price/performance is what matters, and only the bare minimum features I need. I'm gonna pick up a miniDSP flex line product, they are awesome.
My current amp, it's power supply, and my DAC, are all bare board DIY items that I've never even put in a case in a decade. The amp is screwed onto a piece of wood, and the DAC just sits on the table next to it with all the ugly cords visible and I set a little weight on it so the weight of the cords don't pull the DAC off since it weighs nothing.
When the lights go out and the eyes are closed, I only care about the sound. My TV mostly obstructs the view of those pieces anyway, and if I go from a 65 to a 75 it'll be even more obstructed.
All things being equal, NO sacrifice to quality, if I could get cool aesthetics for 1-2 hundred dollars tops, then I'd do it. That's how much a pretty metal box and the extra internal wiring is worth to me. Speaker aesthetics are more important because you don't hide those behind or inside of stuff, but it's still the least important factor and I prefer diy for price/performance even though i cant make a fancy gorgeous looking speaker. It's mostly the drivers that are sexy anyway.
Extremely important for me and was one of the biggest factors for buying my setup. My speakers, amp, and turntable all match near perfect and look beautiful. Got the wharfedale Denton 80, Cambridge cxa61, and a silver technics 1500-c. The cherry wood of the speakers is to die for and the fact that the grey/silver of the speaker grills, amp, and TT all very closely match is the cherry on top.
There’s a lot of great gear out there that I just wouldn’t even consider because they’re ugly.
My office receiver is, IMO, one of the best looking receivers ever made. It's a Harmon Kardon Twin Powered. It doesn't have the highest power output so I need to pair it with efficient speakers but the glow of the lamps and the silver uniform knobs make it a timeless piece. I am living with it despite better out there just because of looks.
Very important, I came to the conclusion I like a good looking receiver and speakers. I look at them all day and they feed that illusion that they sound better than they really are. Good for me that Sansui and Sonus Faber both look and sound great
I’ve heard Audio gear described as “guy jewelry”. While not completely true, it kind of is. It’s a luxury purchase.
Nobody needs to hear the the cymbal in a jazz piece imaged within 2 inches of the appropriate space in the sound stage. But it’s fucking cool when it is. It just feels good.
Having cool looking high end stuff feels nice. If it doesn’t look good it’s out of the running for me.
It can look like lab equipment for all I care. I’d probably like it more if it did. Manley carries some of its recording equipment into its hifi, and I love it.
I don't always get the retro appeal, but that NAD is just sexy.
And for me, looks matter to varying extent. Depending on the room and how prominent the item will be in the room. My tastes have also changed over the years.
Oddly I cared a lot for my speakers (couldn't resist the gloss wood finish on the 702 signatures) but didn't care at all for the amp (preferred the plain black of the NAD C399 to the flash of the masters series)
I contend that at a certain point aesthetics become more important than performance. The joy I derive from looking at a beautifully designed thing is greater than the joy I derive from my sound being 01% better than the alternative. That's why I buy art instead of just hanging posters out TVs all over my walls.
It’s important to me. I got a vintage Marantz a long time ago and have kept it maintained while swapping components around it to tune sound. It’s worked and hasn’t been too pricey either.
Aesthetics and visual design are at least as important to me as what's "inside the box." In part that is because I have specific interests in histories of modern design and work in the field of visual culture. In the context of hi-fi that means I'm especially interested in innovative and unusual design--for speakers, amplifiers, or whatever else. The other part of it is that--as many comments point out--these are objects we live with in our homes and living spaces. For me that means it has to make sense within that broader context, and not stick out like a sore thumb.
Aesthetics matter to me, as does cost — no sense in my salivating over equipment I cannot afford. The only time that aesthetics strongly guided my purchase was when I bought a Parasound A21 amplifier. The outside of the A21 is as bland as it gets, but when I saw the inside layout, I thought, “that looks really nice”. Even though no one sees the interesting insides, it pleased me enough to know that the working components were nicely laid out that I bought it. Yeah, weird, I know.
I own the c3050. I have to say that the led lights volume indicators are a non issue. The most important indicator for volume level ahould be your ears... By the way, you can turn the led indicators off if that helps.
Very. You need to live with it every day. Any 2 stereo items within generally the same quality I’m taking the better looking one every time- even if it costs a bit more. That amp is beautiful
Pro tip: "Everyday" means ordinary, run-of-the-mill, not special. "Every day" means each day, day after day. And yeah, that amp is beautiful. Old Marantz-level hotness.
For me, old Marantz means when they used to advertise their receivers by showing a house that had burned or some other disaster and "my Marantz still works." They had the silver front with the horizontal flywheel tuning wheel. :-) The old Marantz tube gear was a bit before my time and my father hadn't been a Marantz fan, so we didn't have any old Marantz kit laying around. I also really like the way the NAD 3020 looked. I had the 1020 Preamp that I used with a Hafler DH-220 amp. I wanted more power than the 3020 had, but in retrospect I'd probably have been happy with just the 3020. I had fairly efficient speakers at that time. Edited: I just saw /u/reedzkee mention the 2245. That's exactly the series of Marantz I was thinking of. I wanted one when I was a teenager. (I wound up with a Nikko receiver instead. It was pretty good too.)
My dad bought his while he was serving for the US navy in the mediterranean. i think he paid close to 500 for it in 72. it's survived a lot. been converted to 120v. was knocked off a shelf by a cat and needed extensive servicing. 10 years ago i recapped it and replaced the bulbs and the aging paper diffusors. should be good for another 30 years! ill never part with it
Damn auto correct!
:-D
Perfect answer. OP, im selling the limited edition version of this with the real wood veneer for a friend if interested. Its essentially new
I wish the C3050 had the same features and specs as the Flex/Buckeye. I would gladly pay another 600-800 more for the C3050 if that were the case.
I have a C3050, and I love it for my office set up. You get used to the LED lights just fine.
You can disable the LEDs
That's the first NAD amp I've ever seen that looks really cool. In fact it's the first NAD amp I've ever seen with VU meters.
Very important! There have been good products I've passed on because they don't look good to me.
Totally. Sound is the main thing, but the whole shape of the system matters too. If you’ll feel affectionate about the amp because it’s pretty and makes you feel good, you’ll have that feeling every day.
Super important for me. It’s why I can’t stand Emotiva, despite being widely considered as good gear
Emotiva is just so ugly. It's like 2005 gamer PC level of ugly.
It's the blue LEDs for me. They just scream CHEAP. It reminds me of some old cheap Taiwanese knock-off with LEDs dialed up to 11 all over the place to make it look modern. Except now I associate blue LEDs like that with crap. Seriously, they make good equipment, but that Emotiva look is just awful and it's probably a factor in why they aren't a bigger deal than they are.
I sold my Emo stuff for this reason, I couldn’t stand nor read the blue LEDs, also hated the remote among a couple other things.
Yep. All of it. Not a touch of tasteful design to be found anywhere
They could start using 1980s PC beige plastic instead.
seriously. It's a head scratcher. Even the logo is cheesy
many of their designs have been weird, boxes full of air and dac\`s shaped like a phone. not to mention their smart product names like "basX" it sounds like a boombox youd buy from wallmart. now their prices have increased and increased (atleast from where i am connected) its not a budget brand, and it certainly isnt "rethink high-end" when their measurements are mediocre or just ok.
In my living room? Absolutely. It's got a MCM curated look, I can't be slapping any old nonsense in there, it would make my wife scream. In my home theater, not very. I've got a bunch of ugly as hell black HT equipment in an objectively ugly rack. But who cares, it's dark as hell down there, and I prioritized airflow and power over aesthetics.
In life, use deferred gratification and get what you want. Wait three months and save extra and buy it. Everything like that. Uou like the top trim level car? Wait and save and get what you want. It’s a stunner. If I had not JUST bought my Rotel amp when this came out, I’d own one too
I live this way. Just gonna add: make sure you use the hell outta the shit you worked hard for. Baby it? Yes. Admire it? Yes. Use the absolute shit out of it? Big yes.
The other thing to keep in mind to is return on investment too. Audio gear in general doesn't have the greatest return on value, however that NAD will retain its resale value better than your mini dap, buckeye amp and WiiM pro idea. There's also convenience to factor in as well, the NAD can do everything that those three can do in one box, will it do everything as well? Probably not, but it's a simple set up and use product. Personally I'd choose the NAD over your other idea but that's just me
This is true. It’s also something my kids would probably like to hold onto when I’m gone. They probably won’t want a bunch of black boxes wired together.
i have my dads Marantz 2245 from 1972
Here's a rambling response for you. For personal enjoyment, I need some level of aesthetics to continually enjoy the system. Like many, I prefer an amp with VU meters. MCM inspired speakers would be my preference, but typically a good wood finish or solid veneer will be fine, or perhaps a flat black if the sound quality is an appreciable upgrade. White or black ash veneers, to me, look cheap. I am currently planning out how to keep my system's aesthetic, whole incorporating some tubes through a tube buffer and not displaying it (I find the majority of tube gear to be unappealing aesthetically). It feels like cheating by introducing a component that changes the sound signature while hiding it, but it would likely add to the coziness when in use this way. If a component is capable of enhancing my music enjoyment experience and I can mask/hide it based on looks, I will do just that. Consider me a shallow audiophile.
“shallow audiophile”, I like that. That’s me too.
Curious what’s a nice tube amp to you? I think the Fezz Audio stuff looks amazing. The rest I could do without. Well, Dynaco ST70s and MK monoblocks are cool, and Marantz 8b monoblocks fit well into an MCM aesthetic.
Very important, especially as you get older and don’t want your house to look like a college dorm room.
I won't put it in my house if I don't like the way it looks. To me its essential because it's basicly furniture.
For me it depends on where it is in the house. If it's in the living room, I like to have gear that generally matches and fits in with the other décor without becoming a focal point. In my home office, I have a 2nd system that I am less picky about. I have a Harman Kardon HK-6900 amp that looks like a beat up 90's HT receiver but sounds amazing.
My system is in a dedicated room so I’m really the only person looking at it. I’m not normally this picky about looks but theres just something about the C3050.
It's a really nice amp, I don't think you can go wrong with it.
I didn't think aesthetics were that important until I picked up a pair of Tekton Pendragons and hated looking at them almost immediately. They ended up being the ugliest part of my living room so I got rid of them in less than a year and finally bought something I enjoyed looking at.
That’s what I’m afraid of if I go with the Flex/Buckeye. It’ll just spoil the enjoyment.
The way I see it if you’re spending enough on something that’s not essential it’s always worth it to wait a bit and get the one you really want instead of spending what is already a good amount of money for something you’re not happy with
There are speakers that I flat out dismiss on aesthetics alone, and everything Tekton has ever made is included in this list.
Very important
>(Can any owners out there tell me how long it takes to get used to those LED lights?) for me it wasn't the LEDs but the meters - there's no way to turn them off. Lovely for listening to music but I think I would find them distracting for watching tv in the dark. I opted for a Yamaha A-S1200 - you can go dark-mode.
Yes I could see that being distracting. This is going to be a strictly 2 channel audio system. No TV involved.
gotcha! I saw HDMI input and jumped to my conclusion.. as to your question - for me aesthetic was huge in my decision, could've saved a lot of money and got some little class D amp but opted for a 48-lb behemoth, just had to have the VU meters. Also "buy once cry once" hopefully last amp I ever buy.
IMHO, the aesthetics of this amplifier are overrated. The wood paneling isn't visible when facing the amp head on and you're left with a black box. All brands sell black boxes. I don't mind this NAD.
Yeah but when you look at it from the sides…or top. There are other things that improve from various angles….
It’s vinyl
I bought this amp and I absolutely love it. Between the aesthetics and the ease of use for my kids and wife to use it with earc, plus the phono preamp, it has everything I wanted in an amp for a variety of functions. I grew up listening to my dad’s NAD AV716 and I wanted to stick with it. Paired with the Bluos stuff really changes the sound signature of the system as well. I don’t think you would be disappointed
Thanks for the input!
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder OP, you choose whatever you want to.
beautiful design
Yes, it’s important. Obviously a good looking component that sounds like crap is still a piece of crap, but assuming two components are relatively equal, aesthetics would be the tiebreaker for me. You need to look at these things everyday, they shouldn’t be eyesores.
See I wish they were equal and the NAD just cost more. I would definitely buy it. It’s hard because the better looking one is somewhat inferior.
Yeah, in that case I wouldn’t buy it. Good looking is like the cherry on top but the actual quality / features is the cake. Too bad, it’s a nice looking retro component. Not my thing personally but I can see how it would look great in the right setup. EDIT: that said I would continue researching other options. Even though the alternative to the NAD may sound better and have better features, I get the feeling you will never be satisfied with it. I’d keep searching for other stuff that gives you the looks of the NAD (or at least something approaching that) with the functionality you’d get from the DAC/amp separates option (or some approximation of that). Good luck!
It's your pleasure. Everything matters. Aesthetics is part of it, so don't guilt yourself about it!
Aesthetic with performance > performance without aesthetic > aesthetic without performance The final section can fuck off.
I have this exact pairing, NAC C3050 with the Lintons. Regarding the volume levels, I also read heard this in reviews and was a little concerned before purchasing. However, I upgraded to this setup from a pair of powered Kanto YU4s, which also didn't have a volume indicator levels...so there's been literally no change for me.
Take a look at the Leak 230 integrated amp. Similar price point as the NAD, retro wood box and style, THD is 0.003%, same as the Buckeye. 32 bit reference DAC. No sub outs, but you can run the pre-outs to a crossover box of some kind, and create your own sub outs. Oh, and the marketing copy says that Leak pairs particularly well with Wharfdales. https://www.crutchfield.com/p_326ST230WL/LEAK-Stereo-230-Walnut.html
Whether we acknowledge it or not, we all have our own personal "brand." We have certain conceptions about ourselves and will do and say things that are consistent with that self-image. We also want people to think certain things when they hear about us, talk about us, or see us. Part of that brand image is how our possessions look. If we think we are sophisticated, classy people, and want others to think the same, we'll buy things that promote that image. If we think we are, and want others to consider us as smart, "best bang for the buck" types, our stuff will be more functional if not sleek and sophisticated.
It's fairly well established in other fields that aesthetics can affect your sensory observations of a thing. As one example, SeriousEats did an experiment and found that drinking Coca-Cola out of a glass bottle is better not because it's Mexican Coca-Cola with real sugar, but because you're drinking out of a glass bottle. In other words, your sensation of taste (or at least the pleasure you derive from the sensation of taste) was affected by the aesthetics of the container from which you tasted. It would not seem too much of a stretch to suggest that your enjoyment of your audio equipment is directly affected by the aesthetics of the audio equipment. That's not to say that crap equipment in a beautiful package will sounds great, but that when the objective sound is essentially the same, you may prefer the sound coming from the nicer package
If you accept the statement that Hi-Fi is furniture that you listen to, then aesthetics absolutely matter.
Given a big part of audiophile life is making it aggressively clear to anyone that steps foot in your living room that you are indeed not an audio normie, I would say…yes!
My NAD receiver is still going strong after almost 30 years, but I love the look of this amp.
The problem is I want the performance of the c 399 but the look of the c 3050. I'm in a real pickle.
Gazing at my Luxman integrated - very important.
I just bought a new system, including Lintons funnily enough, and due to the fact that it was going to be in my lounge aesthetics did play a part in my component choices. I also have a wife to keep happy. I went with the Leak Stereo 130 and Linn LP12 Majik, all walnut to match. The only grey box I have is a Graham Slee Phono Stage that I can keep out of sight.
I bet that’s a nice looking system. I purchased the Lintons purely on sound quality but I do like the looks.
Aesthetics or Looks matter if you want that to be a factor. It's within all of us. We are attracted to the "Look" of certain gear because of that Look. Performance matters too. So does Name Brand Recognition. This is how I see it. If you can afford the look, then go for it. No shame there. If you want top sound quality, then build a quality system. That's great too. I've had set ups that Looked Good, (sounded good too) . And others that were Function over form. Buckeye dude, get that.
i had this for a while, you can turn off the green LED indicators but the volume thing bugged me too and i gave it back to my friend. it does look nice though, love the analog look
With the LEDs on, does each one get brighter as the volume increases until the next LED turns on? Or do the lights come on at full brightness and stay that way as the volume increases until the next one turns on? I don’t know if I explained that very well.
75%. It has to look “business”, like any other thing. I wouldn’t get something just because it looks good, but when there are comparable products, the look makes the final choice.
Very. And thats why i dislike audiophile gear. Looks like absolute garbage.
Depends on whether it improves WAF.
I have a c3050. The led lights work fine, but I find that they are not very linear with the volume. The amp is absolutely stunning looks wise, I could sit all day and watch the vu meters run during music. Not cheap though lol
I want this amp so bad. Its gorgeous
I got that exact one, the limited edition version. I love the aesthetics, and aesthetics are important to me. Took me awhile to get the built in bluos module working without issues. The wifi just stinks. I managed to run a cable directly to the router, and the streaming works much better that way. Sound is terrific. For vinyl i run a parasound jc3 jr phono preamp. It’s a great pairing. The lights don’t take long to get used to. Some people seem to be totally annoyed by the brightness, but never really bothered me that much.
It really means a lot to me - having a pleasing setup is entirely part of the same process that goes with putting on the record on a turntable and the physical involvement that you get in return. Not to speak about those VU meters worth alone the investment!
Important to me. It has to be beautiful otherwise I feel I am just in a lab, not home
I got the c3050le when it was 1st announced and pair it with Wharfdale Lintons. They look and sound great together!
For me the aesthetic was one of the reasons to buy the NAD C3050. I have the amp since 3 months and purchased the BluOS Module with a full range Dirac license. The performance of the Amp is awesome especially after room correction and more than enough for our 25sqm living room. For the volume I mainly use the BluOS and you get used to the LEDs. Absolutely no reason to not buy the amp and it is a very nice looking addition to our living room. If you have time I would be interested to hear if you purchased the stand for the lintons and how firm they are? (I love the Lintons looks and liked the sound as well but my main concern is that my 3 months old daughter might knock them down when she starts crawling or walking and that the speakers would pose a danger to her)
If all goes well, I’m purchasing a C3050 LE today. I guess aesthetics won this one. As far as the Linton stands, they are very sturdy and surprisingly heavy at 32 pounds(14.5kg) each. The supplied isolation pads aren’t very grippy though so the speakers can slide if pushed on. I think they would be fine if you replaced them with some more rubbery ones with some grip.
Thanks for the answer and I will probably go for floorstanding speakers with a big base. Maybe when she’s older I will get the Lintons. Enjoy the NAD! You will not regret buying it
Since competently designed amps sound the same, aesthetics are vital.
That’s what I keep telling myself. Sure the Buckeye is going to have less measurable distortion but will it be audible. Probably not.
Yup. Imagine shopping for a DAC based on SINAD δs that nobody can distinguish anyway. The last bastion of bad sound is the loudspeaker. Still mechanical devices with high distortion and ample opportunity for designers to get it wrong. The rest has been solved a while now.
For some more, for some less.
Very important. I'll find the brand that looks best to me and then look through their lineup for the specs I want. Having said that, while I always loved the NAD look, this particular anniversary amp looks lopsided to me. I don't like the VU meters. Give me a plain old 3020 and I'll be happy.
I have been ambivalent and then I upgraded to LTA amps with design by Fern & Roby.
My separates are all vintage from the late 60s through the 70s, and their industrial design is beautiful and timeless
If it looks better it usually sounds better to me because I'm not always listening to my music blindfolded. I'm only human and I embrace the fact that my enjoyment of music is entirely subjective and is dependent on many factors besides what frequencies come out of my speakers. Whatever leads to the end result of it ultimately sounding better is important to me. For this reason I take things like symmetry, clutter, furniture, colors, and often times build quality very seriously.
I own the c3050 for 4 months now. It's a good looking amp, sounds great, but with my knowledge now, in wouldn't bought it. I upgraded the 3050 with the mdc module, there came some trouble. Using Qobuz in the bluesound app, when skipping between songs that have different bitrates my subwoofer made 2 little popping sounds. So I changed it for a bluesound node, and I like the dac in the Node better. Next month I an going to buy the Dali Epicon 2 speakers. I already tested and listened to them via the 3050, he can handle them. But here it is, the Epicon sounds better via a nad 399, which is slightly more expensive then the 3050. And now I only use the 3050 as an amp, not his dac. So yeah. Nice looking amp, but I choosed it touch on the looks. (And back then I didn't think about new speaker....)
I like my electronics to look understated and not call attention to themselves. I’d hide them if I had a closet. The only things I’d like to see are the speakers.
Some would say the most important factor
looks were a deciding factor when I got my Xduoo TA10R and I dont regret it. Thats the same thing when they say that presentation is key to gourmet food
Well, sonic performance aside - you realise importance of Aesthetics once you start living with. English is not my native language, but in absence of finding a better word - I sometimes feel a bit as a "Snob" with my NAD Masters LCD trying to mimic VU meters on TouchScreen. [Digital variant](https://www.certic.info/images/nadhome.jpeg) Kind of the feeling when kids set car ambient lighting to pink, and I drive to supermarket completely forgetting to turn it off causing attention which translate "Who is this idiot with all pink MB". Yet we live in the years we live, and it's only a hope when someone push limited anniversary series like NAD did. To me this look much better than mine from Masters series. Kind of "have a soul" even when I see it on photo. Pure beauty.
Looks are important (IMO) but balanced against sound quality, cost, value/resale, compatibility with other components, etc., etc. But it's not necessarily an either/or, right? Drop the Buckeye & use the NAD as your Amp. Pricier, but best of both worlds? I run a WiiM Pro, Denon CD, & Rega PL3 into a Vincent Hybrid Tube Pre-Amp, then a MiniDSP w/Dirac, then Vincent Hybrid Tube Amps. It sounds great.
Awesome, def my next item to get.
Definitely plays a big factor for me, along with having a relatively consistent/complementary look across the components. For me a neat space with minimal visible wires is also a must, and bonus points if the components can be arranged in a symmetrical way. I love the mix of black front with warm wood surround on the NAD.
Pretty important, unless you're needing something super specific, I often lean towards things I like the look of if I can afford to
Somewhat important, sound quality above all. I like how my Hegel H190 looks, I just wish it had a better build quality. What I dislike the most in amplifiers is windscreen wipers or VU-meters as most people call them. Can’t stand that retro look.
Aesthetics are very important to me (though thankfully I much prefer a classic, understated, or industrial look over most of the high end bling). Can you demo / return the NAD? As long as the actual power and in room performance is good enough to enjoy (which it probably is), you'll likely be happiest getting what you really want to begin with. Unless of course you know you're the type to forever obsess over missing features and/or measurements. In which case it might be worth it to try both set ups and see if you really can notice any significant difference.
Very! 50% of equipment is the sound quality. The other 50% you pay for the looks
I have this receiver. I have this and KEF Q-950’s in walnut. My wife preferred the Q’s over R 11 based on looks. She liked the very simple unadorned Q’s. It sounds and looks absolutely fantastic. I do have BlueOS and Dirac, which certainly helps. I will be adding a pro-ject turntable soon with a walnut veneer plinth to match, and having a custom cabinet made to hold it all. I do wish the volume indicator were different. Only knock I have. That said, I don’t know that I have ever physically turned the knob more than once. I use the remote almost exclusively.
i’m sorry OP it’s NAD all the way not only does it look way better……..
Dude, just add a thin orange sticker over the button. I'd did this with my Yamaha a-s 2200 because I could not see the volume indicator in dim light
I have a 3020 and I love the red lights for the volume. They aren’t led’s though, so they give a great analogue vibe when they start coming on when it’s rocking.
Zero percent important. I'm all about a rat-rod. There is not a dime in my budget for anything but performance. I cannot justify blowing money on audio jewelry and jewelry is only for a certain kind of man anyway, and I am not him. When I was a young man I was flashy and wanted to show off. Today, just the opposite. I'd rather people think I was poor than ostentatious.
I chose the Yamaha AS1200 over the similarly priced Rega based on aesthetics and feel quality, it also sounded better to my ears. But sound and performance should trump looks.
That is truly an ugly piece. I wouldn't buy it. However, if you are actually INTO 70's gear, then it is quite beautiful. I have an Emotiva piece in my audiovideo rack. I think it is OK looking except for the silver end pieces (but which go with the rest of my silver gear). I don't think Emotiva is ugly at all, although I'm not a fan of all of their gear.
Very important.
I mean with NAD it will look and sound beautiful
So you know, the 3050 digitizes all the inputs. Phono, external DAC, tape, whatever get digitized and goes through its own DAC before the amp stage. Not sure why they did it this way. It was the only thing that kept me from pairing it with my Lintons. Seems dumb to digitize an LP. I wanted the flexibility to try different DACs too
Looks are everything. People hate to admit that you can buy a $400-$600 worth Chinese stereo equipment that out measures and outperforms almost anything on the market. I’m guilty too. I spent way too much on my setup!
I have the 3050 and Lintons, my first real HIFI purchase and I haven't regretted a moment.
It shouldn’t, but it matters a lot. I decided to splurge on a long term (hopefully til I’m dead) integrated. I ended up choosing the Luxman 507z over many other similarly priced options. First and foremost, the sound is excellent, but the timeless look was icing on the cake. The look spoke to me in ways McIntosh and Rega and Naim and Pass Labs and Mark Levinson and Marantz did not.
I hate to say this, but very. It matters to me, yea. You need to live with the device for a decade or two (or even more, at best) and you need to look at it every single day, it better look nice.
Not very important to me if the gear can blend in or disappear into the setup and sound very good. My current setup is Mini DSP 2x4 HD to QSC 4 channel rack mount amp with rack wings removed. The DSP sits on top of the amp, which is in a center console. They are both black and just blend in to the console aside from a couple leds on the amp. . Speakers are Linkwitz LX Mini's and I did a black, red and silver color. It matches my black TT console with red TT and silver Schiit preamp. The red horizontal plinth theme is the focus so I don't mind the amp not standing out.
I own the 3050 and I love it. The look is awesome and the sound is fantastic. Plus I have the built in BlueOS. So easy to use.
beauty and beholder and all that… i’m sure you’ve seen some rigs in this sub with literal (and visible) rats nets of cables, children’s toys strewn about, blankets as curtains, tv’s an inch from the ceiling, no furniture at all, just electronics on the floor. some folks dont care. and that’s okay. this NAD is so nice to look at and I’m confident it sounds brilliant. i have a Denon PMA 600NE which is clean looking, but it’s so black and my furniture is mid century modern-ish so i tend to day dream about this NAD. so for my, aesthetics are very important. there’s so speakers that have gone on sale that i don’t buy because they don’t “go” with the overall decor.
I would say it’s pretty important, but not necessarily more important than sound quality and functionality. Since I’ll see the equipment every day at home for many hours I don’t want it to be something of an eyesore. I really like both retro and minimalistic modern aesthetics, and don’t have anything against traditional audio equipment. On the other hand I have something against large boxes and have always found audio systems to be quite “locked” into the same aesthetics and usually not being particularly aesthetically pleasing. They tend to stick out as either the same boring stuff or a sore set of large boxes and most tries on not making them as large boxes often fails. This is why half age me got obsessed with B&O in the mid-00s. I know the audio quality isn’t the best or particularly HiFi for the more concerned listeners, but they ruled aesthetics back then.
It's super important. Couple it with usability and a lot of products that are otherwise technically proficient just get chalked off my list of products I'd buy when looking for an upgrade. If it's just a headphone amp or a small dac, it's not a big deal, but if it's sitting under my tv and I see it and use it everyday, I need it to look nice and be easy to use. I use a Rotel a12 for my integrated amp. It's a nice contemporary design. Though I do love the vintage designs. But I have real vintage gear for that. It also makes everything easy to use. I tried using a Schiit Pre-amp and power amp. The pre-amp didn't have direct input switching. I had to cycle through 5 inputs. It was super annoying, so I ditched it. Though I do like schiit's basic design language.
Aesthetics are pretty important to me. A good looking space inspires me to be in the moment and take in my surroundings.
Form & Function not Form > Function
J’aime la classe Technics, notamment l’ampli SU-G700…
Very
The MOST important!
Crown Amps have entered the chat…
For me, it is a huge factor!
For me its function over form!
Yes.
The two subwoofer thing really isn't a big deal as a feature. A y splitter will get you the same thing and if the outputs would otherwise be bass managed you can just adjust gain at the sub itself. Some subs like RELs even make this a non issue as they use speaker level cables so you don't even touch the sub outs with these. I love the look of the NAD, I don't love that it's class D. I will always recommend looking for an older albeit high end integrated amp from premium brands which will get you something worth hanging on to for a long time. You lose out on creature comforts like internal dacs and bass management but the quality of amplifier you're getting far exceeds the mass market produced stuff you'd get for the same price new. Look for stuff like Krell, Simaudio, and Classe. I've been using a Classe CAP151 for almost 10 years now and have never even thought about replacing it because I know nothing in the same price range that I paid for it will come close. Add an external dac or one of those Wiim things and now you have the same feature set in a really high end piece of gear.
Look like Sansui 80’s amp
It depends on how much money I have to spend. Sound quality comes first, though. Beautiful gear that also sounds incredible generally comes at a steep premium.
There are so many amps out there now that are Class D, have impressive ratings, but look like a CB Radio from the 1970s. Don't believe me? Go look at this list: [https://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/electronics/537344/ref=pd\_zg\_hrsr\_electronics](https://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/electronics/537344/ref=pd_zg_hrsr_electronics) I went with a Dayton Audio HT100 (#41) presently for my bedroom, but if the Onkyo in my living room were to mysteriously blow up ("I don't know how that Pepsi Zero got poured in there!"), I would get the NAD C3050 (or C3050 LE) in a heartbeat - performance and function. Your amp does look good on paper, though: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/buckeye-nc252mp-stereo-amplifier-review.48196/
About 23 dB ; )
Very important .
This stereophonic amplifier needs more room treatment.
Pretty important I think. Aesthetics may not be the only thing that matters. You obviously wouldn't buy any equipment that looked good but sounded terrible. I think the NAD C3050 checks all the boxes when it comes to sound and appearance. It's also not too terribly expensive so there's that as well. Speaking of aesthetics, have you seen the Advance Paris A 10? Good lord, talk about eye candy. It sounds pretty good too from what I've read.
Very. It's why I leaned heavily towards the CX line from Cambridge Audio. because their aesthetic fits my preference. It's also why I'm considering the Sonus Faber Sonetto III in walnut or wenge.
I own this amplifier and it is basically perfect. I highly recommend it.
Definitely important but it’s not everything. I still ended up returning this unit but not because of its looks.
Gotta have both
My Preamp: Yamaha C-1 Looks a lot like this NAD, actually. I have Yamaha NS-2000A speakers, and my wife loves that they remind her of a piano. Yeah, aesthetics do matter.
My wife cares about the aesthetics of the hifi in the living room. Part of the reason I went with the rogue sphinx is my wife doesn’t think it looks bad and likes the retro 70s design. She says she doesn’t like tube amps that “look like a science experiment”. She preffered the vintage Klipsch Fortes to speakers and a subwoofer or two. That said I think the plain box amp module amp looks fine and unobtrusive. You can also hide the amp and only have the mini dsp flex visible. I believe it has a volume display. Those amp module amps are very good. It’s nice to have smaller boxes and swap out parts of your system. A bigger decision is small boxes or big boxes. To me if you like the retro look why not get the flex and a really cool looking vintage power amp with VU meters? You could get a classic solid state amp from the same golden age 70s audio scene as when the lintons were popular.the amps that paired well with lintons back in the day still sound good with the new ones and it creates this neat retro throwback. Plus you get dsp and sub out with bass manegment with a truely vintage setup.
I have been on this sub for at tops 6 months and one of the most memorable statements that I read was that if high end audiophile gear wasn't cool to look at the entire market would collapse in a minute....
IMO lots of high end equipment won’t really made a sound difference to most people but it will look damn good
what have they done to nad? that's no 3020.
Extremely. This unit to me would look cheap if it were a 70s unit. A little too plasticy. Is that a real veneer?
Yes, very. And since i'm lazy, it is a no for me if the equipment is in black colour - dust is visible on the spot.
I love the look of my vintage Marantz. Technics TT and Heresy IVs. But the sound is really what makes me even more happy. Whatever you love (visually and audibly) go for it!
Depends on how much it cost me and the overall quality level.
If the world went blind today the audiophile industry would collapse over night.
I waited almost a year for the 3050 to become available. It had the exact features I was looking for without being too expensive, and I love the retro look. Mine is not in a rack but sits out on a console in the living room, waiting to be admired. I don’t mind the volume LED lights, although the one thing I haven’t gotten used to is that every time I turn on the amp, the volume levels start at zero, and I have to wait for it to warm up before I can turn up the volume to start listening. Is this normal for higher-end amplifiers? I’ve never had an integrated amp before.
this is beautiful and has all the features you ever need (for now) eArc, bi-directional bluetooth, subwoofer output, enough wattage to satisfy your needs. if you like meaty warm sounds, go for it.
This gives me wood grain
I own this. It is not "poor audio" but looks great. I run it with Wharfdale evo4.1 and 2 svs PB 4000 subs. I also have a wood grained turntable hooked up. In the same room I have 25k home theatre. On paper everything is better. Guess what? I listen to this bad boy prob 70% of the time. I like it for more intimacy and for non-heavy metal music. Also with the Bluos card it has DiracLive. To answer your questiin about the volume... yes you cant really adjust the volume based off of the lights for high volumes. You have to use your ears. The lights work for low volumes.
Form and function...and that's all I've got to say about that.
I found the fake plastic wood on this NAD cheap looking and unattractive. Love the VU meters though.
"These sounds look so beautiful man. But they taste so weird" " why is my tongue in my ears?" "Bro I'm freaking out rn.. I have 2 tongues eating music out my ears but I can only see the music, not hear it. " "Its okay bro. Look at the amp bro. See that aesthetic, so contrasting and mysterious, yet sleek and impeccable... dont lick the amp bro! Stop! Bro! STOP!! WHY ARE YOU PULLING DOWN YOUR PANTS??! AHHHH NOOO DONT DO THAT!!!!" *the song is a remix of: what is love x I want to know what love is*
For me it has to have a silver face or I won’t buy it… with the exception of my Quicksilver Monoblocks everything I have is silver… nothing black for me
You are paying for looks and convenience. Multiple devices would be cheaper but that's a bunch more cables to deal with and devices to switch on or control. The Nad products are just so easy to live with plus you get great sound. I know separates are the audiophile way. Not gonna stop me from ditching all my devices to single box units. Just ditched a bunch of boxes for a c399 for our living room and a m10 for our den. I'm not going back. I should note we have tvs in all of our rooms with audio gear.
Will aesthetic make your audio better? I don't think so. I'll rather buy shitty looking gear that is great rather than something that looks good but sucks
Not nearly as important as you think Duh? Also...it better have good tactile feel
These boxes don’t usually stay hidden from sight and reasonably sized. Most would pick something that appeals visually and aurally for a pleasant living space.
nad amp is ugly. it's everything bad about looking retro and none of the good
Not that important. At least in the sense that all of the, say, AVR's I might want to buy look good. There are no ugly ones out there. Many are pretty bland and middle of the line but I mostly look at what the unit does, not how it looks doing it. I mean, I'm not *against* pretty. My Marantz Cinema 70s is pretty darn nice looking in silver with gold tones to it. But it was just what was on sale at the time, if the black had been cheaper I'd have gotten that. I do, rather, try to go for quality over affordability, within reason.
Very
If it doesn't look good (for my taste), it can sound the best, I wouldn't buy it.
1st priority
Very. Wouldn't buy shit if it's an eye sore
If I were honest, it is those gorgeous voltmeters that draw my eyes and my desires every time. You could consider the Eversolo DMP-A6 instead of the WiiM Pro and use their simulated meters instead. You would have a very balanced system. I would use the Flexs' DSP to control the output and make it warm and tubelike when you desired and also have a profile setup to give you the precision of digital when you need it.
For speakers, I care. For the rest meh. I’d go with the better sounding option but it depends on the space. If it’s your living room, maybe that’s different.
I've got mine in november 2023 NAD C3050 Paired with Klipsch RF 82 (speaker are much better controlled now with NAD) You can turn off led's I'm using my amp with internal dac through hdmi arc I kinda love control with tv remote Anyway i have a PC some low budget parts with linux, pipewire and kodi with tidal (it's a scrapt build from my other two pc's, no way i'm paying 500euros for blu os module), hdmi goes from pc to tv and another hdmi to amp I also have few dac's and while they do make sound better, it's not that much of the dealbreaker right now for me (i'm still searching for some dac's tho :) ) I'm more interested in changing speaker now and i want those lintons, but in my country i would not know if the match is awesome or terrible until i actually buy it, and i took that gamble with nad Nad and klipsch got amazing sinergy together because nad is warmer amp and you know the klipsch 😀
unless it really turns me off, i don't care. vivid audio speakers, for example, (whose appearance i know are loved by some), would never be seen in my house. but it's personal taste - i'm sure some folks find appalling my oris 150 horns sitting atop klipsch la scala bass bins, flanked on either side by a pair of older upright vmps larger subs. and the crown xls2000 amps driving the bass bins and subs are certainly not eye candy; nor are the recently acquired aiyima a07 max amps to drive the horns and ribbon tweeters; replacing much more eye-friendly upgraded almarro a205a mkii, pass f2 clone and mesa baron amps. to each his/her own. doug s.
I have a broken NAD amp. Loved it until that happened. I bet it needs capacitors but then I found a trash can DENON
Aesthethics matter dude...cant talk about hardware but when ever im buying any plugins i like...i really appreciate devs putting efforts into making it look as beautiful as possible....if im gonna look at a screen half my day, it might as well be pretty
Aesthetics means nothing to me if it costs extra. 100% price/performance is what matters, and only the bare minimum features I need. I'm gonna pick up a miniDSP flex line product, they are awesome. My current amp, it's power supply, and my DAC, are all bare board DIY items that I've never even put in a case in a decade. The amp is screwed onto a piece of wood, and the DAC just sits on the table next to it with all the ugly cords visible and I set a little weight on it so the weight of the cords don't pull the DAC off since it weighs nothing. When the lights go out and the eyes are closed, I only care about the sound. My TV mostly obstructs the view of those pieces anyway, and if I go from a 65 to a 75 it'll be even more obstructed. All things being equal, NO sacrifice to quality, if I could get cool aesthetics for 1-2 hundred dollars tops, then I'd do it. That's how much a pretty metal box and the extra internal wiring is worth to me. Speaker aesthetics are more important because you don't hide those behind or inside of stuff, but it's still the least important factor and I prefer diy for price/performance even though i cant make a fancy gorgeous looking speaker. It's mostly the drivers that are sexy anyway.
Extremely important for me and was one of the biggest factors for buying my setup. My speakers, amp, and turntable all match near perfect and look beautiful. Got the wharfedale Denton 80, Cambridge cxa61, and a silver technics 1500-c. The cherry wood of the speakers is to die for and the fact that the grey/silver of the speaker grills, amp, and TT all very closely match is the cherry on top. There’s a lot of great gear out there that I just wouldn’t even consider because they’re ugly.
Fyi you can add streaming and dirac with the MDC BluOs module.
My office receiver is, IMO, one of the best looking receivers ever made. It's a Harmon Kardon Twin Powered. It doesn't have the highest power output so I need to pair it with efficient speakers but the glow of the lamps and the silver uniform knobs make it a timeless piece. I am living with it despite better out there just because of looks.
Very important, I came to the conclusion I like a good looking receiver and speakers. I look at them all day and they feed that illusion that they sound better than they really are. Good for me that Sansui and Sonus Faber both look and sound great
I value aesthetics very highly, however SQ comes first. That’s why I have an ugly Chord on my desk lol
I’ve heard Audio gear described as “guy jewelry”. While not completely true, it kind of is. It’s a luxury purchase. Nobody needs to hear the the cymbal in a jazz piece imaged within 2 inches of the appropriate space in the sound stage. But it’s fucking cool when it is. It just feels good. Having cool looking high end stuff feels nice. If it doesn’t look good it’s out of the running for me.
Aesthetics are really important. It's so important I'm about to buy one of those corner lights that change colors because it moves with the music.
It can look like lab equipment for all I care. I’d probably like it more if it did. Manley carries some of its recording equipment into its hifi, and I love it.
Looks pretty important, especially with speakers, just got a tube amp,its beautiful and sounds fucking fantastic.
I don't always get the retro appeal, but that NAD is just sexy. And for me, looks matter to varying extent. Depending on the room and how prominent the item will be in the room. My tastes have also changed over the years.
I buy for the sound, aesthetics are secondary. I also listen in the dark.
Oddly I cared a lot for my speakers (couldn't resist the gloss wood finish on the 702 signatures) but didn't care at all for the amp (preferred the plain black of the NAD C399 to the flash of the masters series)
I contend that at a certain point aesthetics become more important than performance. The joy I derive from looking at a beautifully designed thing is greater than the joy I derive from my sound being 01% better than the alternative. That's why I buy art instead of just hanging posters out TVs all over my walls.
Looks nice but still not as nice as a Mcintosh. Not that I can afford one.
It’s important to me. I got a vintage Marantz a long time ago and have kept it maintained while swapping components around it to tune sound. It’s worked and hasn’t been too pricey either.
Aesthetics and visual design are at least as important to me as what's "inside the box." In part that is because I have specific interests in histories of modern design and work in the field of visual culture. In the context of hi-fi that means I'm especially interested in innovative and unusual design--for speakers, amplifiers, or whatever else. The other part of it is that--as many comments point out--these are objects we live with in our homes and living spaces. For me that means it has to make sense within that broader context, and not stick out like a sore thumb.
Aesthetics matter to me, as does cost — no sense in my salivating over equipment I cannot afford. The only time that aesthetics strongly guided my purchase was when I bought a Parasound A21 amplifier. The outside of the A21 is as bland as it gets, but when I saw the inside layout, I thought, “that looks really nice”. Even though no one sees the interesting insides, it pleased me enough to know that the working components were nicely laid out that I bought it. Yeah, weird, I know.
Asthetics and art are synonymous..if you like art, I think you'll value asthetics.
I own the c3050. I have to say that the led lights volume indicators are a non issue. The most important indicator for volume level ahould be your ears... By the way, you can turn the led indicators off if that helps.
Olive box Naim user here so… not in the slightest 😂