Price Paid:  $275.00 from NOW! Audio/Video

Summary:
The L40 is a pretty ingenious device, sweet proof that good things come in small packages. I bought 2 of them at this unbeatable price.

Strengths:
Sweet and detailed music reproduction. Marvelous simplicity of design and operation. It drives a pair of old large Advents with ease and provides all the sound I need.

Weaknesses:
The remote handset adjusts the volume in preset "steps", so you can't always get just what you want. This world is a most imperfect place anyway-and getting worse all the time-but this NAD always sounds sweet and clear.

Similar Products Used:
NAD C740, NAD 7100. The 7100 has a GREAT tuner, better than almost any I've ever used. Why do they muck around with these things?

Price Paid:  $0.00 from nowhere

Summary:
Needed a low cost good sounding system for a young beginner in my family, one that would guide him to correct listening in the future.
I did'nt have much time for separates hunting, so I put my trust in this NAD combo.
What a disapointment it was to find its poor cd sound: no resolution, no detail, no bass.
Uneven output power handling, an overall impression of a mini-system.
My advise for you considering this product: take out some more energy and find old, good sounding separates.

Strengths:
as said

Weaknesses:
as said

Similar Products Used:
mini systems

Price Paid:  $575.00 from Dallas Retailer

Summary:
After reading the other reviews, I feel compelled to comment. I'm a serious audiophile, and have been for 20 years. My current primary system is:
Proceed PCD3 CD player (old, but great sounding)
Sonic Frontiers SFL-2 tube preamp
BEL 1001 MKII class A amp
Thiel 3.6 speakers
Everything connected by Transparent Music Ultra wire
(Original price of this system about $20,000)
I was looking for a small, good system for my teenage daughter to use now and be able to take to college, to cost not over $3,500. Also, the intention was to play in rooms about 15'x18' or smaller, and not at exceedingly high loudness levels. After a lot of research (ie. actually listening to many various combinations of components), I finally settled on the NAD L40, ProAc Tablette 2000 speakers, Wireworld Atlantis speaker wire, and Fanfare FM-2G antenna - total cost just under $2,000.
The NAD-based system doesn't have the level of midrange transparency or the pure sweetness of mid- and high treble that my primary system does, and there's very little bass below 50Hz. BUT - for $2,000 it gets about 65-70% of the way "There", and most importantly of all, it doesn't do anything wrong that makes listening for extended periods unpleasant. If one listens with Sennheiser HD600 headphones plugged into the phones jack of the NAD, it becomes immediately clear that any significant brashness in the treble or muddiness in the mids is a result of poor speakers or wires; its not the NAD. In fact, listening this way shows that even the ProAc Tablettes aren't bringing out all this little NAD can do. In my opinion:
1. The NAD is a great unit FOR THE PRICE, and
2. Some of the other reviewers need to try changing speakers and/or wires.

Strengths:
No faults that would cause extended listening to become unpleasant.
High sound quality FOR THE PRICE.

Weaknesses:
Rather flimsy CD drawer.
FM tuning is a slow, arduous process.

Similar Products Used:
Also auditioned:
Linn Classik K
Adcom low-end separates
Rotel low-end separates
Nakamichi systems

Price Paid:  $360.00 from Internet from CA

Summary:
The L-40 is part of my travel system as I medically contract nationally. Usually paired with Rogers LS3/5As and 24" stands in a smaller apartment setting I find this combination stunning for what it is. Imaging, decent detail and plainly musical.

This combination would embarrass many systems as the darker nature of the Rogers paired with some brightness of the NAD offset each other. This piece paired with more colored British speakers is great.

Strengths:
Very good tuner when paired with ccrane Reflect antenna, musical CD player and amplification, very compact piece, preamp outs.

Weaknesses:
No digital out, volume pot speed is too fast.

Similar Products Used:
Linn Classik

Price Paid:  $550.00 from Local audiophile sto

Summary:
My wife and I are pairing down our stuff to a simpler lifestyle after discovering back a few years ago that the volume knob does turn to the left.
Part of the paring includes the audio equipment. (See down below the gear we got rid of) I wanted a good system while she wanted something easy to use. The NAD filled the bill and had the reputation of quality to match. This was the easy part, the hard part was getting the speakers and after auditioning many, we decided on the Linn Tukans.
The NAD L40 is a very easy to use and powerful enough for casual use. Since we do not play metal, rap or coronary inducing grand organ music, this was enough for our jazz, vocal and occational salsa orchestra dance music.
As far as ability to play loud and cleanly, we have yet to tax the system, rarely gone past halfway on the volume dial. The system plays clean, effortlessly and with enough bass to satisfy us but not annoy the neighbors. There is something to be said for simplicity. I do not want to mess with knobs, dials, accessories and other assorted "audio geek" gear anymore. I just put in the CD, adjust the volume and relax to the music. The build quality of the unit is good with the buttons and volume knob giving a good solid feel. The cd tray feels a bit flimsy but since I'm not going to put a coffee cup on it, as long as it takes in the cd and plays it unerringly, so what. Ascetics being what they are, this is an invisible unit. It has no shiny dials, polished face plate or other colorful meters. It certainly does not subscribe to the "Industrial" look of present high end audiophile gear but then looks have nothing to do with peformance and that's where your money should go. I would not recommend this unit to hear the stomps of virtual jurassic critters but if your creatures are the voices of "Anonymous 4" singing in a medieval monastary or the "Scott Hamilton Quartet in concert in Toyko" or Tito Puente banging out some infectious hip shaking salsa, then by all means listen to this unit.
I recommend that you buy this reciever and then spend the rest of your time auditioning quality and efficient speakers suited to your taste. After all, this isn't a Zen experience...you want to get to your destination of music pleasure and not go through an equipment journey.

Strengths:
Simplicity at its best.
Enough power to competently drive good quality bookshelf speakers cleanly, accurately and loudly to the point where you can't hear your spouse talking to you about Oprah.
An invisible unit that does the job while not showing off what it is or needing attention.

Weaknesses:
Slow radio station tuning. Do not expect to zip from one end of the dial to the other - patience is the word here.
CD tray is a bit skimpy but it works fine.
Quirky remote but it doesn't effect the music so I can live with it.

Similar Products Used:
Dalquist and Polk speakers
Denon CD player
McIntosh tube integrated amp
Scott kit tube tuner and matching integrated amp
Nakamichi and Harmon Kardon tape decks
B&O turntable
Technic's reciever