NAD M3

Second-hand. In good conditions. It shows slight signs of wear as shown in the photos. Comes with original packaging, remote control, and manual.

For over twenty years, NAD has stood out as a reference brand for high-fidelity, offering quality products at affordable prices. This prestige is the result of a countercurrent design philosophy that, in the 1980s, prioritized real sound performance over mere technical specifications. While maintaining an excellent quality-to-price ratio, the company has continued to innovate and refine its devices, adapting to market changes without compromising on build quality.

The M3 is a dual mono integrated amplifier that marks a turning point for the brand. With a declared power of 180 W per channel, it sits in a higher price range compared to NAD's standards, but fully justifies the investment with meticulous attention to design and performance. It is an analog amplifier, but digitally controlled: volume, tone, and balance adjustments are managed by digital switches, while input selection is made through precision relays with sealed glass contacts and magnetic actuation, ensuring maximum reliability and a minimized signal path.

The M3's design is essential and functional, featuring a clear, easily readable fluorescent display, which communicates with the main remote control, well-crafted both aesthetically and ergonomically. A second, simpler remote control is included for controlling a secondary listening zone. On the technological front, alongside sophisticated digital management, there is a traditional approach to amplifier design, with a voltage gain stage that drives a final section built with the proprietary PowerDrive technology, developed specifically for this model.

From a sonic perspective, the M3 embodies a concept often overlooked over time: absolute neutrality. In a landscape where music reproduction has been influenced by various schools of thought, with trends emphasizing either a warm, enveloping sound or an extreme analytical transparency, NAD refocuses attention on high-fidelity in its purest sense. The M3 does not alter the signal, does not color the reproduction, and proves to be extraordinarily stable with any load, maintaining consistent performance regardless of the speakers used.

Its control over the low-end is exemplary, ensuring extension and articulation rarely found in this category. Additionally, the absence of distortion across the entire audible spectrum provides a cleanliness and precision that is truly surprising.

The M3 represents a solid, reliable choice and, for some, even a definitive one.

Technical specifications:

• Solid-state, two-channel integrated amplifier with remote control
• Seven line inputs, including one balanced XLR input
• Maximum output power at clipping: 220W (23.4dBW)
• Continuous average output power: 180W per channel into 4 or 8Ω (22.5dBW) within rated distortion limits
• Dynamic power:
  • 300W per channel (24.7dBW) into 8Ω
  • 520W per channel (27.2dBW) into 4Ω
  • 700W per channel (28.4dBW) into 2Ω
• Frequency response: 20Hz–20kHz, ±0.3dB (-3dB at >80kHz)
• Damping factor (ref. 8Ω, 50Hz): >150
• Amplifier input impedance: 20kΩ, 680pF
• Input sensitivity (for rated power): 1.38V
• Signal/noise ratio (A-weighted):
  • 107dB referred to 1W
  • 130dB referred to rated power
• Total harmonic distortion (THD, 20Hz–20kHz): <0.004%
• Dimensions (W x H x D): 435 x 135 x 386 mm
• Net weight: 23.5 kg