C.A vs NAD For Clare?????
HI Clare I would like to start by saying I love the Mag and i Value you opinions as im sure you guys have more experience and ability to try new products but after reading many comments on this site i feel when asked about Nad products you always advise Cambridge audio even when the person with the question has not mentioned the C.A. products.....Does this mean you rate them as better than the NAD in which case thats fine but i just weanted to point out before i purchased My nad C352 and C521bee i listened to the C.A gear and i prefered the nad its all down to preference i guess.... My point is Not all Rate the C.A. product as you Do....I fell the nad has what some descride a NAd sound and some may like this.... Many thanks Rob. x x
I've not heard any NAD gear for ages but I tried version 2 540A, 540C, 640A, 640C and 540R products from CA at home a few months back and found them very disappointing. Build quality and physical presentation is excellent but I found the sound very unbalanced and lacking in overall cohesion. The 640 range was markedly better than the 540 one, but I could still not be convinced to part with cash for them.
Thus proving there's a lot of personal opinion in this stuff. I have to say I can see virtues in both company's presentations and packages - which is not a fudge, but an honest opinion. Given the choice at this level? I'd find a used Marantz CD-63MkII KI-Sig and PM-66KI-Sig and be very happy...
But that's just IMHO, of course.
If you prefer the NAD sound, fantastic - that's the most important thing. Its products have won Awards in the past, and the last few products we've reviewed from NAD have gained strong four-star ratings and typical remarks like "you should audition", or "a must-hear".
The reason some Cambridge Audio kit (and by no means all - we haven't been impressed with the more premium models, for example) gets recommended so often is the sheer value it offers in the budget market.
Having said that, CA didn't win a single CD player or amp Award from us this year - Marantz and Rotel took those prizes - as the V2 640 Azur range is starting to show its age. With NAD and others releasing new budget ranges - and V3 Cambridge Audio on their way in 2008 - it could be a bumper time ahead for great-priced hi-fi.
thanks for your feedback guys Andrew i agree i still have my cd 63ki marantz its a gem...and Again it has a sound of its own dare a say a marantz sound i guess its all done to each of us to check it out for our selfes using your reviews as guide lines
THANKS again
Going back to the title of this thread, as I have just said in another post, current NAD gear is good for jazz and rock, but to the detriment of other types of music. Good for that range, but not such a good all rounder.
Obviously, its all down to what kind of sound you like, and what you listen through, but thats my 2 pence worth.
Raymond i would like to add my 2p. 20 some years ago i bought my first Nad amp. it needed replacing this year. My musical tastes have changed alot but what i wanted from my system has not.
I found the CA stuff ot to my likeing all those years ago and suprise i still dont.
I must say that the qualities of the Nad amps i have do go well with the speakers.
just waiting for my new turntable. (Not nad ;)0
All about preference, we don't all want a JBL subwoofer in the back garden, I prefer detail and warmth in the mid range blah
I guess it's just that the WHFSV reviewers do rate the Cambridge Audio stuff more highly. FWIW I reckon both brands offer very similar levels of performance, though as you say each does have a distinctive 'house sound'.
Consulting Editor, What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision/whathifi.com Audio Editor, Gramophone