power,controlled bass, midrange that does NOT bite your ears off, subtle treble

none

This amp is by far the best of class in the $2000 range. It retails for only $1200 but I compared it to amps up to $2000.
It did everthing right, that is is did't add anything to the sound. The Parasound 3500 and Adcom 5802 midrange sounded hollow. The Sunfire was powerful but seemed to dull the sound. The Rotel 1080 seemed just right. It did not have a characteristic sound. The bottom line is that the NAD 218 sounded as good as the Rotel but cost alot less. I decided to find a used NAD and was successful at the Audio Review Classified section. Buying used audio equipment is the only way to go. Let someone else eat the depreciation. If it works it works. This amp has a ton of headroom ,too.

Similar Products Used:

sunfire, carver, parasound,rotel, adcom

Strong, handsome and good sound!

Input sensitivity.

This is a nice and strong amplifier. It's good at all sort of music.

To many to list Here

None

The NAD 218 THX is designed with the capability to drive all types of musical signals effortlessly into the
even most unreasonable of loudspeakers loads. To cope with difficult loads (even as low as 1ohms), the
NAD Model 218 THX is equipped with a high current output stage combined with a very generous power
supply. The massive "Holmgren" toroidal transformer, has even less hum and magnetic leakage than
conventional toroids, and retains the usual benefits of high efficiency and power-to-weight ratio.
Pioneered by NAD for the highly acclaimed Model 208 THX, the Model 218 THX uses a bank of reservoir
capacitors rather than a single pair. Besides being a more economical solution this is also technically
superior as many smaller capacitors have a faster recovery time and less total inductance than a single
pair of larger capacitors. The input stage is fed from a separate low-noise, regulated power supply which
isolates it from the high power sections eliminating interference.
Additional features
The Model 218 THX comes with fully balanced XLR inputs which allow it to be partnered with
professional equipment or with long stretches of cable between the pre- and power amplifier without the
risk of interference. The standard 19 inch rack mounting front panel further facilitate the use of the
Model 218 THX in a professional environment. The output relay protection circuit provides silent switch
on and off, together with non-evasive protection against unlikely error conditions such as short circuits
and overheating.
For maximum flexibility, the NAD Model 218 THX can also be operated in bridged mono mode, typically
tripling its output power rating. This makes the NAD 218 THX an ideal choice for a sub-woofer amplifier
or high powered amplifier in THX or other Home Theater applications.
The Model 218 THX also incorporates NAD's acclaimed switchable "Soft Clipping" circuit which
significantly reduces the risk of damage to loudspeakers due to prolonged high power operation.
NAD was the first company to introduce a THX certified power amplifier. It is therefore no surprise that
the NAD Model 218 THX passes Lucas Films' stringent THX requirements with flying colours.
The listening experience
Whilst there are other very powerful amplifiers available, the NAD Model 218 THX goes beyond just brute
force: It's sonic performance is among the very best available, be it at low or high power levels.

Impossible to get a better amp for the price! Excellent with all types of music but because of its awsome bass power it is THE AMP TO ROCK.

Powerful piece of meat. It makes my Polk SAD 2.3TL's walk the walt and talk the talk.

None

I picked this unit up for a mere 600.00 from by local High End retailer. A steal of a deal

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Feeding the 218THX with a Lexicon DC-1

Staggering Dynamics, deep and wide sound stage, bass, resolution of detail (especially in the midrange), crisp highs, natural non fatiging sound, very powerfull.

None that I notice. There is nothings that destracts from its beautiful musical presentation.

I searched long and hard for an amp that would be a good fit with my system. The 218 is that amp. I heard some nice sounding amps (within my budget) that simply did not have enough power to really open up the sound stage. When I auditioned NAD, I was enamoured by its natural smooth yet crisp sound. It seems to have many of the best attributes of both tubes and solid state amps. There is not a sonic attribute of this amp that I do not appreciate. One thing however that is truly amazing about the 218, is an absolutely staggering performance in the areas of bass and dynamics. If you have speakers that perform best with lots of power, then I highly recommend the NAD 218THX.

System components:
- Paradigm Reference 100 speakers
- NAD C540 CD player
- NAD C160 preamp
- NAD 218THX amplifier
- DH Labs BL-1 Silver Sonic interconnects
- Tara Labs Prime 1000 Biwire speaker cable
- Vibrapod isolators

Open staging, power to spare

speaker connectors a bit wimpy

Unbelievable amp. Picked it up on reputation only, and could not be more impressed - paid $AU500, which equates to about $300 US. Cash converter obviously had no idea what they were selling!!.
What ele can i say? read the other reviews, Believe them!

Similar Products Used:

nad 2200, luxman m363

No, this isn't up to the standard of $2,500+ amps, but it is a great component for the money. I power my home theater with three 218's and have been entirely satisfied. (My main speakers, Carver ALH's, are not an easy load but sound marvelous with the 218's.) I bought one new for $900 and purchased two store demos for the amazing prices of $500 and $400. That's incredible fire power for $1,800! NAD has made its reputation by providing audiophile quality at near entry-level prices. The 218THX extends that objective admirably. Four stars for quality and an extra star for outstanding price/performance ratio.

Power, sound, performance, cost... Everything

None

This is a very good and powerful amplifier. I don’t think you can find a better amplifier for this price.

I had a Conrad-Johnson 100 watt power amp for quite a while. I brought the 218 home at the request of my local audio dealer. WOW!! Awesome bass, but with the CJ's attributes: good soundstage, image, resolution, very low total harmonic distortion at any power rating and no brightness here!! Best of all.....it has 225 watts, up to 80 amps of current, the patented Holmgren torroid transformer weighs a staggering 25 lbs. and it lists for $1100! This same package would cost me $3500 for the CJ! Bottom line.....it is a great piece of audiophile gear at a sane price. The rest of the NAD line offers much of the same type of great performance vs. price.

It can't cook or clean!

An unbelievable bargain! List price is $1100 but you can usually get some type of discount. You have to spend at least 3 times the price to get this level of performance with the so-called "audiophile" brands. And believe me, this is truly an "audiophile product"! Awesome power, great parts inside (some of the best you can buy) combined with the ability to portray the subleties of complex music. It is right at home with classical music, enjoys the jazz scene and positively shakes pictures off the wall with rock! Make sure you have a quality speaker with intestinal fortitude to take advantage of the 218's talents. Most humans will only need 1 of these beauties but I might get myself another and mono-block!

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I have begun to audition other great NAD gear.