I had a couple of NAD 3020(bought new for the princely sum or $200.00 each)and never had a problem.
Maybe I was lucky, but then I've never had problems with any of my gear.
The cost to performance of the Nad was it's biggest selling point.
It also got lots of rave reviews and if I can remember, was one of very few components to ever get positive press from all the audio rags back then.
How would it perform today?
I think there is a comparison of the old 3020 to a present day unit, and the reviewer tended to still find quite a few nice things to say about it.
Sorry if it measured so poorly on the test bench or had such inferior parts, but we are talking $200.00 new.
I would presume the better measured gear with the superior parts also cost more, so really all that you can compare is how the sound of the parts used compared, and to my ears back then on Rogers Ls3/5A speakers and later Mission 770 speakers, the Nad was good enough to not warrant any updates for a couple of years.
Even then I used the pre as a phono stage and then used the two units I had as dual mono pre amps with a single power amp.
I later got into Conrad Johnson MV75A-1 and Premier Twp pre amp,and Acoustat medallian 3 stats, and onto my first foray into the High End of that era.
This was the early 80's, the gear was better no doubt about it to my ears,and yet the Ls3's are still quite well regarded and fetch more used today than I would have ever imagined back when I bought them new for $400.00 bucks.
Yes the good old days,when $600.00 bought you a decent integrated amp and a pair of speakers.
But in keeping with the OP, I still remember 70 amps as being feature laden ,pricey units that could be bettered sound wise by simpler units costing far less.
There was a thickness to the sound of some of those receivers, like my 100 watt Pioneer or thinness like the Yamaha A-1,that never really clcked with me.
The sound of 70's amps was all over the map, so pick your colouration and sing the praises.
Time marches on things get better, and there are still some sonic bargains to be had.Those who think that great sound is only available to the rich who can afford $75,000.00 amps, and turn to vintage gear for solace, needn't do so.
I really am quite impressed with my 2 Watt DecWare Zen Select amp.
It is the spirit of the 3020 today.
Maybe I was lucky, but then I've never had problems with any of my gear.
The cost to performance of the Nad was it's biggest selling point.
It also got lots of rave reviews and if I can remember, was one of very few components to ever get positive press from all the audio rags back then.
How would it perform today?
I think there is a comparison of the old 3020 to a present day unit, and the reviewer tended to still find quite a few nice things to say about it.
Sorry if it measured so poorly on the test bench or had such inferior parts, but we are talking $200.00 new.
I would presume the better measured gear with the superior parts also cost more, so really all that you can compare is how the sound of the parts used compared, and to my ears back then on Rogers Ls3/5A speakers and later Mission 770 speakers, the Nad was good enough to not warrant any updates for a couple of years.
Even then I used the pre as a phono stage and then used the two units I had as dual mono pre amps with a single power amp.
I later got into Conrad Johnson MV75A-1 and Premier Twp pre amp,and Acoustat medallian 3 stats, and onto my first foray into the High End of that era.
This was the early 80's, the gear was better no doubt about it to my ears,and yet the Ls3's are still quite well regarded and fetch more used today than I would have ever imagined back when I bought them new for $400.00 bucks.
Yes the good old days,when $600.00 bought you a decent integrated amp and a pair of speakers.
But in keeping with the OP, I still remember 70 amps as being feature laden ,pricey units that could be bettered sound wise by simpler units costing far less.
There was a thickness to the sound of some of those receivers, like my 100 watt Pioneer or thinness like the Yamaha A-1,that never really clcked with me.
The sound of 70's amps was all over the map, so pick your colouration and sing the praises.
Time marches on things get better, and there are still some sonic bargains to be had.Those who think that great sound is only available to the rich who can afford $75,000.00 amps, and turn to vintage gear for solace, needn't do so.
I really am quite impressed with my 2 Watt DecWare Zen Select amp.
It is the spirit of the 3020 today.