NAD 304 - Best SS amp ever?

NAD amps are pretty good deal for the money and I agree with you there.

I have owned 3 different NAD amps so far (C352, C372, and C162/270 combo) and currently have 2 NAD amps(C372 and C270). I even purchased a NAD M-15 for an HT plan but my girlfriend said no thus I had to reluctantly part with my NAD M-15 (surround pro/pre-amp).

My only gripe with NAD is its poor quality control. I bought 2 NAD CD players C542 and C515 and they both fail within a week (CD tray not closed completely and play button on the unit does not work) However, my local NAD dealer was a G and allowed me to trade in the C542/C515 for a NAD C162 pre-amp.

I am not sure if this is just my experience but I think with NAD amps, preamps, and CD players if they don't break down or malfunction within 30 days, they will last you at least 3 years and continue to sound warmer as aged (NAD 3020 and NAD 320BEE) which is a great sonic attribute that I highly value.

IMO, NAD can outdo Adcom, Rotel, Arcam, and even Parasound within the same price range.

With a budget of $200, I am looking for a good deal on either the NAD C270, C325BEE, C315BEE, or C218THX locally:-))

I owned a 304 for quite a few years, then passed it down to my (much) younger brother after I upgraded to a 320BEE. It was an excellent amp for the money. The only reason why I replaced it was for the remote control.

While its a great integrated, its no McCormack IMO. Not that I'm saying Joelv is crazy or hard of hearing. Everyone's system and room are different. I currently own a Bryston B60, and the differences are night and day. There's nothing the 304 does that the B60 doesn't do significantly better. The B60 costs about 10x the 304, so take that as you will.

I ran the 304 with a pair of PSB Century 500i, then a pair of PSB Image T55. It powered them just fine in a small room. The 304 struggled a bit with the T55s in a medium sized room. The 320BEE did a better job as far as grip and control are concerned. I can't imagine the 304 powering a difficult speaker like the Paradgim Studio 100. Maybe in a very small room, but the Studio 100s need some room to breathe, which would cause different problems. Please don't take that as an insult to your hearing. Again, everyone's room, system, and ears are different.

In my different rooms over the years and with my differing gear over the years, the 304 was a great integrated for the money. So long as it wasn't asked to do things beyond what it was designed to do, it performed spectacularly. Having the 320BEE and 304 at the same time, the 320BEE bettered it in every way. Not a night and day nor a huge improvement, but an improvement none the less. The B60 leaves the 320BEE and 304 for dead. Then again, it should.

The only issue I had with my 304 was solder joints at the inputs. One phono channel input and one CD input's solder joint cracked over time. It was about 10 years old at that point. My father being the master mechanic he is, re-soldered the joints and it worked flawlessly for another 5 or six years. It had the green board.

The 304 sadly died about 6 months ago. It was my first non-mass market component. It got me through college and started my crazy hifi obsession. It went with me to graduate school and moved with me when I landed my first 'real job.' I bought a 320BEE a year later and passed it down to my brother. It got him off his mp3 addiction and he's now headed down the right path. I wish it would have made it to college with him, but the 320BEE will admirably take its place. Our 304 will be missed.

JR

You know, I'm using the 304 as a pre-amp now. After a few months with my Triangles, I am hearing the 304's limitations... namely rolled off extreme highs and lows. Shortly after writing this, I spent some serious listening time with the Parasound amp and realized that it was pretty great, if a little "hard" sounding in my system.

I'm curious about the 315Bee and the 325Bee as well. I assumed they would be only marginal improvements, but a remote control would be awesome.

I'm curious about the B&K ST-140 (the older, 70WPC one), the ST-120, and the newest Parasound Zamp. I've also heard some great things about the Onkyo A9555 Class D integrated.

Finally, I take no offense at anyone's opinions about the 304 (or any of my gear) for that matter. Taste is taste, and good is good. Cheers!

Joelv - my brother has NAD (I don't remember model #) and he replaced stock jumpers (thick U shaped bars) between pre and power amp with Audioquest Python jumpers (6" $25). It opened rolled off top end.

What do you use for source units? Cd/digital or phono or both?