Before it even became trendy to develop what is now considered a modern integrated amp, NAD was engineering reasonably priced amplifiers with digital technologies.
Adding to a collection of digital amplifiers that already includes the D 3020, D 7050 and C 390DD products, the Canadian audio company has announced three new competitively priced digital amplifiers: C 338, the C 368 and the C 388 hybrid digital amps.
“Ever since the NAD 3020 burst on the scene more than 40 years ago, the company's reputation is forever linked to superb sounding, high-value integrated amplifiers, and these three models proudly carry on that tradition,” says Greg Stidsen, director of technology and product planning, NAD Electronics. “NAD has continued to push the boundaries of digital amplification with our Hybrid Digital architecture and Asymmetrical Power Drive [technologies]. We have elimnated obsolescence with Modular Design Construction [MDC], while expanding the frontiers of connectivity with Wi-Fi streaming and BluOS wireless multiroom .”
NAD says the C 368 and C 388 launched during CEDIA 2016 earlier this month. They include inputs such as moving magnet (MM) phono, stereo analog, digital optical and coax digital. The C 368 is rated to produce 80 watts per channel into 8 ohms and 240 watts of dynamic power into 4 ohms. The C 388 produces 150 watts per channel and 350 watts of dynamic power into 4 ohms.
The Toronto-based manufacturer points out that both the C 368 and C 388 also incorporate NAD's Modular Design Construction (MDC) that enables electronics professionals to tailor the features of these products to the specifications of their clients.
The products' two MDC card slots accommodate options such as the addition of 4K-compatible HDMI switching, more digital audio inputs, and NAD's parent company's Lenbrook's BluOS wireless whole-house audio architecture. BluOS is compatible with high-resolution audio and provides a choice of control formats.
Rounding out the three new products is the C 338. The price-friendly C 338 is rated to produce 50 watts of power continuously and 300 watts of instantaneous power for short-term musical transients.
The C 338 also includes a MM phono stage input, RCA line-level inputs, digital optical and digital coax inputs.
All three hybrid digital integrated amplifiers incorporate wireless Bluetooth with aptX connectivity to enable users to stream audio content from their computers and smart devices.
NAD supports the amps with a control app for easy control of the products.
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