Clean,clean,I mean CLEAN sound. Not as "dark" as todays Nad product line. Ambitious Phono section. Many inputs.

Requires decent source, can reveal a bad link in your system at once.(What you put in and attach to, you´ll have out)

So,yes.I bought this machine unseen and unheard. After some research for the technical specifics of the 3300 I just had no doubt left.
12 effect-transistors (Mos Fet?) mounted to a huge internal heatsink. The cover is hot like a Krell (Be sure not to stack any gear on top of it, or the heatprotection circuit will release, sending really nasty "plopp" sounds ("Pop" sounds? "Click" sounds? "Fart" sounds?....well anyway) to your speakers, like what happend to me yesterday.
Although it is 60w/Channel in Audio Reviews product presentation, I have seen two other figures during my excursion on the net. One for 2x68w and the other 2x80. The truth is that it actually "feels" more like a 60w Nad. In other words, sufficient when you bear in mind that a Nad is capable of headroom. In the 3300 case its 1.5dB. Not bad.

My 3300 is vibrating and humming in the transformer-area. It is only audible if I listen carefully with one ear about 15cm from the cover and it is absolutely dead quiet through the speakers even when i cram the volume on full blast without source. Maybe a sign of age, afterall this baby is celebrating its 13th birthday soon.

I have seen and heard a LOT of Nad gear (Its very popular in my surroundings) and i have never ever heard of a malfunctioning Nad in any way. I have browsed every review concerning Nad amps and integrated (and there are a lot !) in Audio Review and only in ,maybe, three cases found one error, similar to all three ,there was a humming and malfunction on the left channel, and all three came straight out of the box brandnew.

More specs: Phono section selectable MM/MC with three different input kapacitant values (switch) for making the best alignment to your pickup output voltage. Pretty impressing.
Tape1 and tape2 copyfunction (copys while you are listening to other program) Parametic bas and treble boost/cut. Bass can be altered in 50,120,250 Hz and treble for 3k,6k,12k. On the downside : You can just pick one frequency each to alter.But nevertheless useful if your listening enviroment has a tricky sort of reflexion/absorbtion in some specific frequency .Everybody who knows Nad engeneering also know that their filters work without adding to much mumbo jumbo to the overall soundstage.

This machine can be bridged together with another 3300 (or the 2100, same without preamp) and then gives all the power any speaker could ask for, 2x240w... and thats continiously !
As any math-wizard already calculated, yes, the 3300 can internally be switched into 1x240. Maybe for a killer subwoofer perhaps?

The "party switch" is there. The soft clipping protecting your speakers from sinus waves that like to become DC and therefore like to kill your expensive treble speakers. Do all the cheap amplifier and dead speakers in the middle of the Party ring a bell? Even if your speakers are rated for handling 300w of music, you would be amazed what a 60w Amp can do with them, just with a slight,slight overload.It´s a matter of minutes before usually the treble gives in first.

Most important : The sound. It is beginner audiophile, period. Ive listened to a New Gryphon the other day, and it was hooked to the top of the line B&W Nautilus, together with a pricetag of 200 000 sek = appr. 20 000 dollars. I gave 120 bucks for the 3300 and I have a decent pair of speakers. I am far from being a beginner in the audio world but this 20 000 dollar setup reminded me to 90 percent of what the 3300 can produce.
The only problem is that in the case with the 3300, the choice of speakers is the most crucial part. I have the impression that todays Nads are happy with a wide rang of speakers, since the tonality is on the dark side (but detailed) there are rarely any problems even with ultrastraight frequency designed speakers.
So, the tube-like warmth that I´ve met so many times before in the newer Nad line is not so apparent here. It is a new experience for me and i like it more for every record I play.
It is probably only revealing something i´ve suspected before but no amp could confirm before, and that would be that I´m actually beginning to realize that my Philips CD-r 775 is rather on the grainy side of audio producing.Quite a shock to know that my old Garrard Record player(British) has a lot more Hi-Fidelity then my one year old Philips CD-Player! I am going for another british pearl soon for , a Cambridge Audio Cd player.
Be sure too hook up your gear carefully!
Invest in speakers that are biwirable for a start, the difference is subtle but incredibly rewarding, like adding that extra tiny bit of tonal depht, that little bit of magic that you´ve always wanted. I have done so, and sound came so sweet out from my Jazz recordings, and Bach never came with such presence.
I give it a hundred galaxies worth of stars. If you can find one or even better TWO, It would be the best bargain you´ve ever made. The preamp alone is a giant uppgrade in any mid-fi system who needs a top notch Phono amplifier. The preamp came as a stand alone unit back in 1989 (the 1300) and it received rave revieuws. The 3300 is in every respect aspiring for the entry audiophile public, as long as you remember to switch the soft clipping OFF while you´re acting the armchair conducter at normal levels and push the bypass to the tone controls IN !.
I paid 120 bucks ! This amp is one whole grade ahead from the new HK 3470 wich i´ve owned to quite recently and the Nad is almost 13 years old! (The HK cost me 380 bucks) And Im looking for another one, ohhh sweet sweet musicheaven.

Similar Products Used:

Nad 302,Nad 304,HK 330b HK 3470 and countless electronic dinky toys from the land of the rising sun.