NAD Goes Retro With Its New C 3050 Stereophonic Amplifier

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(May 11, 2023) Dual VU meters, push-button input selectors, a walnut-finished vinyl-clad cabinet, and a dark grey front panel displaying the original New Acoustic Dimension logo are all features on the new C 3050 Stereophonic Amp ($1,399) that ooze retro appeal. But it's what you can't see that makes this amp modern to its core.

Employing NAD’s HybridDigital UcD amplifier technology, the C 3050 delivers 100 Watts per channel of continuous power and 135 Watts per channel of instantaneous peak power for confident reproduction of musical transients. NAD says noise and distortion are virtually unmeasurable throughout the entire audio-band, which lends to what's described as a neutral, distortion-free sound irrespective of load.

The amp's high-tech take on amplification is flanked by a Texas Instruments’ PCM5242 high-resolution differential DAC. A design known for its excellent dynamic performance and immunity to clock jitter, this DAC is included to keep accuracy and clarity on point. With the addition of the optional MDC2 BluOS-D, owners can take advantage of Dirac Room Correction and a fine-tuned playback experience.

Connectivity-wise, the C 3050 offers an ultra-low-noise MM phono input for turntable connection, HDMI eARC, coaxial, optical digital, and a pair of line-level analog inputs. Owners can connect two pairs of speakers with Speaker A/B switching, as well as a subwoofer. The C 3050 also has a dedicated headphone amplifier, and pre-out/main-in jacks to connect to a more powerful amplifier, or the option to be used as a preamp only. Other features include an IR remote control, a 12V trigger, and an IR input.

“The C 3050 may look like a throwback to the 70’s, and deliberately so, of course.” said Cas Oostvogel, Product Manager, NAD Electronics. “Yet at the same time it eclipses many of today's amplifiers in upgradability, performance and forward-looking features.”

The following are noteworthy features and details:
  • Retro design elements include front-panel VU meters, push-button input controls, 1970s cursive branding, walnut-finished vinyl-clad cabinet, and dark grey front panel
  • HybridDigital UcD Amplifier
  • Continuous Power: 100 Watts per channel into 8/4 ohms
  • Instantaneous Power: 135 Watts per channel
  • Vanishingly low harmonic and intermodulation distortion
  • MDC2 port for expanded functionality
  • Optional MDC2 BluOS-D module adds BluOS high-resolution multi-room music streaming and Dirac Live* room correction
  • High-performance TI PCM5242 differential DAC
  • Ultra-low noise MM phono stage with infrasonic filtering circuitry
  • One optical, one coaxial digital input
  • Pre-amp out/Main-in connections
  • HDMI-eARC input
  • One set of line-level analogue inputs with low-noise buffer amplifiers
  • Speaker A/Speaker B outputs
  • Subwoofer output
  • Dedicated headphone amplifier
  • IR remote control
  • CI-friendly –12V Trigger out, IR in
  • * 500Hz limited version of Dirac Live included. Full bandwidth license can be purchased from Dirac.com

The C 3050 Stereophonic Amplifier will make a working appearance at the High End Munich show in Germany. Demo sessions in Room D108 in Atrium 3.


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JStewart

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Did I miss the MSRP above or is it not yet published?

I am definitely in the target demographic for the styling! It’s singing siren songs to me. Must …. resist ….
 

ddude003

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Did I miss the MSRP above or is it not yet published?

I am definitely in the target demographic for the styling! It’s singing siren songs to me. Must …. resist ….
With tales of brave Ulysses...
How his naked ears were tortured...
By the sirens sweetly singing...

Those Dual VU meters are not blue...
 

Todd Anderson

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$1399
 

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JStewart

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Here are your tone controls... LOL...
View attachment 61621
LOL indeed.

Being serious for a moment, with the tone controls one could just run the standard Dirac 1/2dB per octave EQ “curve” and then use them to adjust to taste based on the program material. And they can be adjusted on the fly, which room correction, Dirac in this case, can’t do.
 

ddude003

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Additional Amp
Yamaha RX-A850 Pro (the other 5 channels lol)
Computer Audio
MacBook Pro, Custom i7 7700k De-lid 2xAsus1080ti GFX Audirvana Studio, Hang Loose Convolver, Pulsar Massive & 8200, LiquidSonics, SoX
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Front Speakers
Martin Logan ElectroMotion ESL
Center Channel Speaker
Martin Logan Motion C2
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Martin Logan Motion 4
Surround Back Speakers
Martin Logan Motion 4 (yes, another set of these)
Subwoofers
Martin Logan Dynamo 700
Other Speakers or Equipment
Cifte 12AU7 NOS & Genalex Gold Lion Tubes in Pre
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Samsung The Premiere LSP7T UST Laser Projector
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Streaming Subscriptions
QoBuz Studio Premier, Amazon Prime & Netflix
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ThrowRug, SaddleBlankets, WideBand & Bass Traps...
LOL indeed.

Being serious for a moment, with the tone controls one could just run the standard Dirac 1/2dB per octave EQ “curve” and then use them to adjust to taste based on the program material. And they can be adjusted on the fly, which room correction, Dirac in this case, can’t do.
Should probably take this to another thread... I do room correction with HangLoose Conniver plugin and FIR filters created with REW... Yep, vector math, umm, trace arithmetic... Then add some tone shaping and/or color with a Manley Massive Passive or a GML 8200 EQ plugin... In realtime/on the fly if direct to the DAC and presets if going thru the streamer... I guess that might be considered reMastering...
 
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AudiocRaver

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Cool beans! Retro is right!
 

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I’m typically not brand-loyal, but in the case of integrated amplifiers, I’m sticking with NAD. For the past 13 years I’ve had a c 375BEE, whose abundance of power, features, and I/O capabilities has kept it relevant unto the present day. This new c 3050 is another example of how NAD is a value and quality leader worldwide.
 

JStewart

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There is an Anniversary limited edition that comes with a real walnut veneer cabinet and a numbered plaque. There will be 1972 units produced paying homage to the year of NAD’s founding.

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