in2kma

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $150.00 from from a bloke in a ne

Summary:
Well, can I add something not already said here? To begin with, I previously owned a big fat Onkyo Integrated thing that i believed made my Dali 800 speakers sound fantastic. The I carried the 7400 home hooked it up, and then shipped the Onkyo away. The improvement was fantastic. The I realized that the 2400 Amp had the same stuff inside as the 7400, so I hunted one down, carried it home and hooked it up using the 7400 as a preamp. My Dali's just gets better and better! Then I managed to get hold of users manuals to both units and all of a sudden I had bridged them both into 2 X 200 W Mono amps. The Dali's got a bit better again. So now I'm happy, but worried that I will have to replace it all with some non exiting AVR thing to connect with my TV/DVD and such.
NAD is great stuff! And I don't need any better stuff really - and that is fortunata, because I wouldn't have the money to buy that stuff :-)

Strengths:
The strength.

Weaknesses:
If it's a weakness or just age, but the bass/treble controls ar scratching a little. Sometimes it refuses to be powered on and has to be disconnected from the AC outlet. Sometimes it looses one channel - and has to be turned off/on. I can live with those weaknesses, easily.

Price Paid:  $899.00 from Champaign, IL 1989

Summary:
What can I say . . . my first $1000 earned in grad school went to a new receiver, since my Project One amp bit the dust. I compared a dozen+ amps, and after ditching Technics, Sansui and Onkyo amps I finally decided the NAD 7400 and the Carver amps met my needs. The 7400 took the cake thanks to the design. I got $100 off list (woo-hoo!) for taking a demo unit without box or manuals. I have never regretted it. I had a relay go bad (fixed myself), and the past two years I used a Sony 310 (?) to fill in while trying to figure out why the laft channel in the 7400 was dead. Finally took it in and had cold solder joints fixed, so I''m happy as a clam to have the 7400 back. I didn''t realize (or had forgotten) how dynamic the 7400 is compared to lesser amps. Plus, the look and feel is first rate compared to frilly, low-end "consumer" electronics. I love the pseudo-parametric bass/treble controls, as they allow me to make up for the slight bass hump at 120Hz in my listening room, and the "Bass EQ" low-range boost makes my KEF C35 bookshelf speakers sound much larger than they are. Plus, the "bypass" button is a great quick "defeat" for the slight adjustments I make, and allows instant A/B comparisons. The tuner and phone sections are also great, which makes it a joy to listen to urban stations that other tuners "fuzz", and records have a dynamic quality that the "cheap" amps could not touch. Not that I play many records any more . . . Another plus that''s less of an audiophile quality is that the remote sensor is super-sensitive, all universal remotes I try will work without even pointin at the receiver or being line-of sight. Do watch out, though, most universal remotes (even ones claiming NAD receiver compatibility) will NOT switch the 7400 back to "Tuner" mode after selecting another main (non-tape loop) source!!! Overall, the most expensive and still best audio product I have ever bought!

Strengths:
Dynamic range, design, feel, every feature is 100% useful

Weaknesses:
Big, expensive, some solder and relay problems after 10+ years.

Similar Products Used:
Sony 310, various Technics, Sansui, Onkyo receivers

Price Paid:  $500.00 from that shop is closed

Summary:
Yes, it's expensive, but i can't see anyone who would regret for spending money on such peace of hardwear, esspecially when you know how good it is !

Strengths:
The sound is more than crystal, if you use good speakers, bass is just how it should be like i can say for treble.It's a very strong, and powerfull, can pump the speakers for hours without sideefects!

Weaknesses:
It's overheating a lot. I needed to install some heatsinks on it's passive coolers to prevent any damage.Also it's relays aren't good enough, so you need to litsen to "click" when you turn it on.

Price Paid:  $300.00 from Underground Sound - Memphis

Summary:
I bought this receiver about three years ago. It has performed flawlessly. I have used it as the centerpiece of a stereo music only system to great effect. The sound quality of the amps is superb for a receiver (or a mid-fi integrated amp). I am currently using it as a tuner/phono preamp/second zone amp for an A/V system. It has performed quite well in these roles. The FM tuner section is superior to most separates out there with the exception of the extreme highend. The FM separation could be better and the soundstage is not that deep. However this could be more of a function of poor signal quality with most of the stations around here. The phone preamp is versatile and clean sounding. Highly recommended for good quality sound at a great price if you can find one in good condition.

Strengths:
Great sound, excellent tuner, solid build quality

Weaknesses:
None to speak of

Similar Products Used:
NAD 7250

Price Paid:  $256.00 from Ebay

Summary:
This beefy (26 lb.) little receiver supersedes a 30 year string of good or great amplification machines from separates to 5.1-channel receivers. I purchased it from its original owner who bought it in 1990. At $300, it was the same price as my Sony surround receiver that now powers the bedroom system. There is a discernable difference in sound quality between them, in favor of the NAD 7000. I power JBL L-166 Horizon speakers with it, and the synergy is outstanding. Detail, but not hardness. Smoothness with extreme clarity. That extends to the non-digital sources well also--tuner and phono. The tuner is particularly good. Now that one never hears anything but CD sound from FM, this tuner mirrors that cleanness perfectly.

The functionality of the receiver is also above the fray. It has the usual NAD preamp out/main amp ins; banana plug speaker terminals; and soft clipping circuitry. Features not expected include three bass-region controls: subsonic filter, bass EQ (non-variable) with its own subsonic filter, and loudness (variable with gain) contour; FM section with both MONO and BLEND switching to receive very weak stations more cleanly; tape in/outs for 2 decks with dubbing in either direction (perfect for my minidisc recorder plus cassette deck); phono gain switching to accomodate moving-coil cartridges like my Ortofon; a muting circuit that engages automatically after power-up and is recommended DURING certain listening situations like high gain sources at low listening levels; and a nice ergonomic remote control that is easy to use in low light.

The power seems plentiful so far, but I have easy speakers to drive. Rated at 40 watts on sustained organ pedal (what else?), or RMS, it is apparently capable of around 100 clean watts per channel on normal musical signal with its peaks and valleys. And I doubt the average 100 watt receiver would sound as good at full power due to the NAD's transparency and the Soft Clipping circuit. Those are all at 8 ohms--4 ohm speakers should play a little louder at full power. The impedance is switchable on the rear panel, by the way. Is there anything NAD forgot?

If you acquire one of the various NAD receivers, try to get the owner's manual with it. Their common sense and thoroughness about use of the machine is hard to find.

I also have an NAD 7225PE receiver, and it's a simpler form of goodness. Also very gutsy for 25 watts.

Hey, have fun with your audio! Keep it simple.

Strengths:

Solid design and power output. Unique controls that are useful.

Weaknesses:
Don't know of any.

Similar Products Used:
Receivers by Sony, Pioneer, Yamaha, amps from McIntosh, Proton, Adcom.