theres a 1 year old amp available for 1000 usd (by south african standards its a pretty good price). how would it compare to the nad c272. what i dont like in the nad is that its a bit too warm for my liking (would prefer something a bit more neutral). the presentation of the nad is a bit too laid back - would like something more forward. and a bit more punch in the bass. not quite sure how to say this but when i listen to the nad i feel like i've got cotton in my ears
Own the CA 840A; did own NAD T752; have not had a C272 in my system and only heard it casually. Some say the NAD sound is uniform.
The two sound completely different. The CA is a bit forward in the upper mids - tiring to some not for me. The treble is sweet and extended, not so for the NAD.
I found the NAD bass to be thunderous with a bit of mid bloat; just felt the bass was disproportionate to the overall sound and tended to overwhelm the rest of the sound. The CA bass is not as strong but still plenty deep and solid. More importantly, it is in balance.
In comparison to the CA and to your point, the NAD does sound grainy while the highlight of the CA is the clean, lifelike and detailed SQ. 4 Ohm speakers are not a challenge to the CA 840.
I like the NAD sound, just think the CA 840 sounds better.
$1000 used is probably OK, maybe, you could do better.
thanks jaw. i definitely would enjoy the CA being more forward. but i also did want a tighter bass. unless its way better than the nad i wouldnt want to change. if i did i'd be looking to upgrade again . the other issue is that its the version1 in that model and i've read reviews that the treble isn't so hot. my speakers are a tad bright and i wouldnt want to take a risk on that. perhaps i might get lucky with a bryston soon, though theres hardly any used ones around
read the reviews on the product. apparently version 1 had issues with the highs. and they nearly immediately brought out the version 2 to sort it out (which apparently they did). the one for sale was version 1 so dropped the idea. but perhaps if i have a chance to change i'll look at the cambridge
am wondering if mine is more of a source issue (in all probability it is). am planning to buy the nad c542cdp. but heard the cambridge 640c cdp is better. what do you suggest. the rest of my components being nad c272 and ma rs6
Your system is quite similar to mine (or at least how mine used to be). The CA 640C is a good piece of gear - I like the fact that it has dual Wolfson DACs.
Some people might argue that you may get better "synergy" with your existing NAD amp if you go with the NAD cdp, though.
. the other issue is that its the version1 in that model and i've read reviews that the treble isn't so hot. my speakers are a tad bright and i wouldnt want to take a risk on that. perhaps i might get lucky with a bryston soon, though theres hardly any used ones around