Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I was just testing this receiver at a hi fi store near my house, playing intermezzo 2.6 powered bookshelf speakers. They get harsh when turned anywhere above 60% it seems. This is not the amp to buy for the price range, if you have other options. There was a little bit of hiss to be heard when no signal was coming through.

Strengths:
Soft clipping
Decent flat sound
50 generous watts

Weaknesses:
Harsh high volume playing

jsplice

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
4.20 of 5, 5.00 votes

Price Paid:  $91.00 from EBay

Summary:
First off, I think anyone who listens to a non-defective C 340 unit and concludes that you're better off buying a used mass market receiver at a yard sale obviously has some bias towards NAD products or owns other poor components. To prefer a mass market unit over this shows a distinct sign of resentment and anger towards NAD, because a somewhat intelligent audiophile would not dismiss this product as pure junk. Now, on to my review. I find this unit to be very listenable overall. My CD player is an NAD T 532 and the sound is going to a pair of Triangle Antal XS speakers. Mind you, these are fantastic speakers, so the end result is a very decent sound. At reasonable volumes, the amp sounds great, but turn it up too loud and the sound becomes harsh and annoying. People have to realize that this amp wasn't meant to blow the roof off the house; if you drive it too hard, the sound will come out harsh. Also, who the hell cares how the BUTTONS FEEL? What impact on the sound could this possibly have? For the price I paid for this unit, it was an extremely good deal. If you can find one for $100 on Ebay, you will not be disappointed; try finding a better unit at Best Buy for this price.

Strengths:
Great value, very listenable output. Has pre outs, so a listener can upgrade to mono blocks later.

Weaknesses:
Sound can be harsh when turned up too loud, remote could be better.

Similar Products Used:
None

Price Paid:  $270.00

Summary:
A little while back I decided it was time for me to purchase a decent stereo amp to complement the rest of my audio gear. What I got exceeded my expectations. Enter the NAD C-340, a no-nonsense integrated amp with the kind of clarity, attack, and warmth I was looking for. The bass is clean and tight, the mids are presented just right, and the highs are incredibly sharp (maybe a bit too sharp). Stereo imaging is good too, and having the option of the pre-out / main-in connections opened up a whole new world in terms of integration with my sub. As for the power, lets just say that 50 watts has never sounded so strong. Oh, by the way, the unit's simple, uncluttered look was one of the reasons why I bought it... Overall, for the price I paid for it, the C-340 was a steal.

Strengths:
Price, power, tight bass, clean sound, pre-out connections, no-nonsense styling. A great amp for someone looking to get great sound for a low price.

Weaknesses:
Remote doesn't turn off the stereo. Oh well.

Similar Products Used:
Denon, vintage Nikko and Kenwood, Harman Kardon

Price Paid:  $399.00 from Natural Sound

Summary:
This is one of the very few pieces of audio equipment at this price point that does not sound shrill and lean when playing cd's. Although not a very open sound, it is otherwise very well balanced and very warm, while still retaining a fair amount of detail. Exceptional sound for the price; I prefer the warm overall balance to the sterile, lightweight sound of my Linn Classik.

Strengths:
Makes listening to most cd's at least tolerable, and sounds great on the better ones. Easy to listen to for long periods due to it's overall warm balance.

Weaknesses:
For its price range, none.

Similar Products Used:
Linn Classik, Audio Reasearch LS3, Forte Model 4, Meridian 206

Price Paid:  $300.00

Summary:
Using this amp for more than 3 years paired with a Mission 774. Upgrading to surround amp. Sad to decomission it...but will still operate from study room paired with a B&W602(!?) This amp has a nice warm personality, with crisp, punchy sound. IMO closest you can get to "straight line with gain" at this price point. Does particularly well with classical/jazz.

Strengths:
Does not colourise music. Solid, troublefree operation. Takes any source thrown at it.

Weaknesses:
Looks. But has some charm to it nevertheless. The remote control sucks with half the keys non-operational. No phono output.

Similar Products Used:
Marantz, Bose, Sony, JBL...