|   NAD or Cambridge? | audionovice
Apr 11, 2003 8:51 PM | | Hey fellow audio enthusiasts... I am going to drop about $2000 Canadian funds on a stereo system ($1250 US), and I have the following systems lined up:
-NAD C350 Stereo Amp
-NAD T532 DVD Player
-NAD Tuner
-Wharfedale 8.4 Diamond Floorstanding speakers
-$200 dollars worth of interconnectors and cables.
OR:
-Cambridge A-500 Stereo Amp
-Cambridge DVD 300
-Cambridge Tuner
-Same speakers and cables
The price is the same, but I would like to know if anyone has had much experience pairing the Cambridge to a set of Wharfedales. Can anyone lend me some advice on which way to lean? I listen to music like Dave Matthews, Matthew Good Band, and quite a bit of Classical. Any feedback would be great... Thanks |
| re: NAD or Cambridge? | Haoleb
Apr 12, 2003 9:58 AM | | i have a nad c-370 and a cambridge audio d300 cdp. i really like both units. but if i were going to get a whole system i think i would get the NAD. Have you thought of different speakers? |
| re: NAD or Cambridge? | RGA
Apr 12, 2003 6:15 PM | | Frankly they're both good systems but take a Zero OFF of your budget for cables.
I would also skip both DVD players for the suimple reason that both companies outsource them to companies like Sanyo, Teac or Sony and then charge more for them. In other words...buy a cheaper Sony, Pioneer or Toshiba DVD player because they're cheaper and no worse. In fact the Toshiba models may be better for Video anyway.
Before you buy the Wharfedales you should hear them. Buying speakers unheard IMO is insane. Now, I have older Wharfedales and have generally found their lines to be quite good(except the Modus). The new Wharfedales are under Quad and have had some great reviews.
But plenty of garbage gets great reviews...like 40-60% of what's in Stereophile. Dregs.
I have not heard the new Diamonds, but i understand they are a good value...and presuming you have heard the competitors...then hey you did your homework on them.
As for matching...The old Diomonds, at least, were comfortable with most amps. I run a Sugden integrated with my Wharfedales and it's terrific...with a Cambridge CD6 cd player. I also have an Arcam integrated and the sound was great too(not as good as the Sugden).
Frankly, for the same money as the amps you're looking at you could probably get a used Sugden or Arcam, which, depending on the model, are leagues better than what NAD and Cambridge has produced.
Amps are one of the safest used buys you can make, some dealers will even give you a gaurantee on them. If you do buy new...then I would look at Tube amps from Antique Sound Labs as the Wharfedales are pretty easy to drive. http://www.divertech.com/antiquesl.html#INTEGRATED
Nothing wrong with NAD or Cambridge if you simply MUST have new and you don't want tubes. They are good budget gear which would be in my short list. But you can do SO MUCH better for the same money used. I got my Sugden A48B(1992-1997) for $425.00CDN ~$250.00US...it retailed for 2k. It has such a wonderous sense of depth and space, it is hand built, runs in class A, has no frequency limiting circuitry, a mono switch, a high grade volume pot and connectors instead of the plastic on the Cambridge, Nad and even my $1400.00 Arcam, also has a high grade transformer.
I also liked it better than the ASL tubes(the AQ1003DT and below) I just mentioned above. The Sugden has the beautiful musical midrange of the ASL but bass slam reminiscent of Krell.
Since you seem to like the British sound...why not try to get true British gear. The hand made high end built in Britain Sugden or the Mass market built in the far east Nad and Cambridge with off the shelf parts and and plastic everything?
My amp is the higher power version of the A21a. The A21a was made at the same time my A48B was made. The A21 is $1500.00 new...it is more popular and because it's still being made(13 years still running, still being sold, and still beating brand NEW amps in reviews). A Great design, class A...beats all the mass market stuff out there for the same money. For instance the Arcam Alpha 10 and Creek 5330Se pale in comparison. All the Sugden's come in the same style case...So the A48B looks identicle to the A21a but with a different number, and parts. Any Sugden of the last 15 years will do well for you...I would bet they last longer than the new NAD or Cambridge as well - simply because of the high grade parts. http://www.jesugden.co.uk/newpage1.htm
Reviews http://www.audiosynergy.co.uk/a21arev.htm
http://www.jesugden.co.uk/a21rev.htm
http://www.hifichoice.co.uk/review_list.asp?category=AMP&subcategory=INTGR
It's taken me a LONG time to find a company that makes music over fancy boxes with blinking lights or advertising touting 100watts etc. MUSIC...Sugden has been around since the 1960s...pick up any review of any of their gear and it's a glowing one...they don't advertise, yet they keep selling, why...because they |
| cont | RGA
Apr 12, 2003 6:16 PM | | best everything in their price range and then some. Note the A21a many like better than the A48b(the A21 has a more modern sound while the A48B has a more tubey sound)...both have run my Wharfedales superbly. Used Arcam or Roksan are good too. |
| low sensitivity....check out the amp first | hertz
Apr 13, 2003 10:40 PM | | Hi,
I own the diamond 8.4's.They sound terrific for the price you.But they are rated at 86 db sensitivity.So you would need at least 100 watts of high current power if you want to extract the best out of it.The c 350 is rated at 60 watts (but nad is known for rating rather conservatively).You should check out the speakers with the amp before buying them.I was running them with a 60 watt pioneer and the amp clipped when pushed too hard.I bought a c 370 and very happy. |
| low sensitivity....check out the amp first | RGA
Apr 13, 2003 11:06 PM | | The reason you are happy has more to do with the fact that NAD makes a GOOD amp and the Pioneer sucks donkey balls. The difference in Watts is marginal on a volume level. 3db difference in loudness which is barely noticable between the Pioneer and NAD. The difference is QUALITY. A 30 watt quality amp willdrive 86db speakers just fine. A good quality 50 watt amp is MORE than enough to drive virtually ANY speaker going at deafening levels.
The NAD C370 is better than C350. But the reason is not the watts. Though it has a partial role because the power supply is a lot better. For example the C370 is able to put out a kilowatt in peaks. |
| Go with NAD..... | cone
Apr 15, 2003 11:32 AM | | as their amps have been there "bread n butter" for years...I have the c350...and couldnt be more content...it will drive virtually any speaker...including planars...it has tremendous reserve power...and is very nuetral...not to mention...throws a huge soundstage...a NAD trademark...
Ditto the 24/96 DAC on any digital source... |
| re: NAD or Cambridge? | Mash
Apr 14, 2003 7:43 PM | | Why don't you spend $25 on Radio Shack Gold interconnects plus 12 Ga zip from Home Depot or Lowes for speaker wire and spend the remaining $175 of your "cable & interconnects" budget on better speakers?
NAD or Cambridge sounds like a toss-up.
I bet a Tosh DVD with 192 MHz 24 bit audio chip will do as well as the NAD Or Cambridge. |
| NAD or Cambridge is a LATERAL move..go w/ cheapest nt | cone
Apr 15, 2003 7:24 PM | | |
| |
