Let’s take a look at some fantastic sounding affordable electronics.
We’re going to start at the top with a wonderful integrated amp made in Pennsylvania. This is worth mentioning as virtually everything else that would fit this description, affordable electronics, is coming from China.
I’m not saying the Chinese can’t make decent sounding gear. But… please take a serious look at the Rogue Audio integrateds that are made in the US.
Please consider buying the BEST SOUNDING integrateds and support Americans who are working with TLC that we simply can’t get with mass production from the other side of the world. Rogue is designed and built in its own house in Pa. Most Chinese gear is made in job houses we’ve never heard of. These houses make dozens of brands that are pumped out like widgets. THIS… isn’t Rogue Audio.
You see, there’s Rogue Audio, and then there’s everyone else. Rogue has made CHOICES to give you more spacious, airy, musical performance. To do this, they’ve eschewed features that the other guys have included, that trade off superior performance. There are some decent UK manufacturers, but even they don’t give you the power and musicality for sub $2k that Rogue does.
So ya have to consider, do I want superior sound? Or do I want good enough sound, with the features (Bluetooth/DAC) on board?
I… want the best sound.
You can buy a Bluesound Node to handle Bluetooth and streaming. You can’t get Rogue’s highly resolving musical character from anyone who builds these features on board at this price strata. And of course Amazon has a thousand and one options for $50 if you only want Bluetooth. Rogue won’t build it in because they feel it hurts audio purity to have it on the same chassis.
Rogue Sphinx Magnum $2000 (100×2)
My favorite integrated amp value just got better! An already classic integrated, Rogue Sphinx v3, has been improved in crystalline detail and a more transparent top end.
Rogue has made the Sphinx v3 ($1700, 100×2 with Skeleton remote) for several years now. It’s a dynamite integrated amp, with MM/MC phono section, outstanding headphone amp and uses two 12AU7 tubes in the preamp stage. The tubes are JJs from the Slovak Republic. Rogue provides a matched pair- vs just grabbing any two out of boxes- to insure you have proper channel balance.
The tubes impart a more dynamic, uncongested aura in the midrange that makes vocals and acoustic instruments appear more realistic. The tube flavor is a “secret weapon” you get from Rogue that the other guys in this range don’t do- because they’ve chosen to spend their money on a boatload of features.
If you appreciate great female singers saying they love you (they’re lying by the way)… let’s get the full dose of CHARACTER that’s endemic to each human voice. If you revel in great phrasing with an emotional curl here and there that brings you sex appeal beyond the lyrics, you really need to hear Sphinx Magnum.
Oh, and it’s built in the USA, at a price point where everything else is made in China or has very little power.
I didn’t even know that Rogue was planning to pull a rabbit out of its hat. From left field Rogue just announced a tweaked version of the Sphinx v3, that they’re dubbing Sphinx Magnum. What a pleasant surprise, that Rogue wasn’t just resting on its laurels- since they already had the best integrated amp performer in our biz for under $2k.
The Mag version has a handful of upgrades that make it an easy choice over v3. Although, if you can hit $1700, but not $2k, we can still get the v3 version for you. But for 3 bills… stretch your wallet just a bit.
The Mag version has the following upgrades:
*Improved linear power supply that features high speed diodes, larger output coupling caps of higher storage capacity
*PRP resistors in the tube preamp stage and phono stage
*Cardas binding posts for speaker connections
*JJ Gold Pin tubes from the Slovak Republic, which are warmer sounding and more open on top than the non gold pins used in v3
*Comes with heavier, more sturdy metal remote vs Skeleton plastic remote.
NAD C3050 $1400 (100×2)
C3050 offers very solid performance south of Rogue Audio. If you need to hit this price point, C3050C is best of class.
If you want to spend $1400 and stream from your phone vs a dedicated streamer, C3050 is ready to rock.
First of all, C3050 does have built in Bluetooth, a DAC and MM phono. It has an HDMI input for eARC, speakers A/B and a subwoofer out. It also has a pre-out/main-in loop if you have some expansion plans. It has tone controls that are more useful than most. They hinge at 10kHz on top and 80Hz down low, both +/-7 dB. They have good turnover points with a reasonable range of adjustment.
C3050 also has some really FUN yellow meters! Why not have a little FUN with your hi-fi system? These meters do actually display power output. Many meters out there just bounce a little from a nebulous reference point. They don’t really give you useful information. C3050 is styled to match one of NAD’s first integrated amps that came out in 1972. Once again, let’s not hold it against NAD that they gave C3050 a spritely personality.
C3050 goes further than vintage aesthetics with convenient features. The amplifier section is conspicuously higher performing than its competition in this range.
If you’re a regular reader of AE writings, you’ll know that many companies flat out lie about their power ratings. Just because a company says it has 100×2, doesn’t mean it will PRODUCE 100×2, at 8 ohms, from 20-20kHz, at a low rate of distortion. Further, many of these competitors fall to pieces at 4 ohms or below. This isn’t the case with NAD.
In April of 2023, British hi-fi news actually TESTED C3050’s performance. To be clear, these aren’t manufacturer’s claims. C3050 actually produced 120×2 into 8 ohms and 200×2 into 4 ohms. In other words, it comfortably exceeded its claimed power ratings. These number are impressive!
C3050 won’t have the febrile or epicurean luster of the Sphinx Magnum, but it WILL out muscle its direct competition which is also made in Asia. A case in point would be the new, stylish Arcam Radia A25 integrated, $1500, rated 100×2. Stereophile (4/24) tested A25 (p 159) and it was clipping, meaning 1% distortion, at 100 w/ch. It only hit 150 w/ch into 4 ohms. It’s fair to infer that if A25 is clipping at 100×2, the actual power at its rated .5% THD (that’s awfully high THD by today’s standards by the way) is more like 75×2. That’s not egregious, but it’s not apples to apples with C3050. A25 doesn’t have eARC, tone controls or speakers A/B either.
NAD C700 $1500 (80×2)
Many of our customers are streaming centric these days. If that’s you and this is your budget, C700 might be the best choice for you.
C700 has the Bluesound streamer BUILT IN. This… is a great starting point. You can stream at the full bandwidth of whatever streaming service you select. I recommend Tidal that produces CD & Hi Res quality. Many of our customers like Spotify, which doesn’t have as good sound, but has a great library of music and podcasts. The choice is yours.
To be clear, whichever service you choose, will sound better using the Bluesound streamer within the C700 as compared to running your phone, via Bluetooth, into an integrated amp.
C700 has a smart array of features. It has 2 analog line inputs, eARC, DAC inputs of OPT and Coax. It has nice binding posts for speakers. The happy surprise of C700 is that it has PRE-OUTS as well as a sub out. The pre-outs open your world dramatically. You can run your music with the nice NAD 80×2 amp that’s built in, OR, later buy a ballsy power amp to take your speakers to dramatically improved performance. Hi-fi News (March 2022) ran an actual test on the amp and got 95×2 into 8 ohms and 130×2 into 4 ohms. Pretty solid numbers!
We’ve had customers put the C700 on top of their cabinet so you can appreciate the album art that is streaming- and stash a bigger power amp in the cabinet below. You can have a big time muscular power amp doing the heavy lifting, while just SEEING the gorgeous C700.
NAD C328 $600 (50×2)
NAD’s C328 has earned its stripes as a renowned killer integrated for the money. Why?
The most important characteristic is its amp section. True to form for NAD, C328 produces a clean 50×2 that is comfortable with any impedance. There are precious few cheap integrateds that are happy with a 4 ohm load, much less anything under that. Many speakers that are rated even at 8 ohms drop to 2 ohms or so at some portions of their bass impedance swing. If you have C328, it’s no problem. If you have one of those other brands, where they require you to throw a switch to protect at 4 ohms, you have two problems. Number one is, the amp is at risk of blowing if it sees
an impedance below its capability. Number two is, an amp rated at 50×2 might fall to 10×2 if it sees two ohms. You’re not getting the power you think you are. Further, you’re lucky if you don’t toast it.
C328 has Bluetooth and an on board DAC. It has MM and a subwoofer output. C328 has a clever button on the front, BASS EQ. It’s a 7dB boost at 80Hz. NAD knows that most customers buying an integrated in this price range aren’t likely to have speakers that produce deep bass. The bass EQ circuit provides plenty of help in a very specific range to warm up your speakers.
While C328 isn’t C3050 above, if your budget is well under a grand, you can’t beat C328.
Summary
I want the best musical performance I can get. In this affordable electronics range, that means I want a Rogue Sphinx Magnum, hands down. I’ll use the Bluesound Node as my streamer (does Bluetooth and Airplay 2 also). You’re all in with excellent quality, even for picky audiophiles, for $2600.
NAD C3050 is a good performer for CD and LP usage. If you care to stream, you can have your phone cast Spotify or whatever, to C3050 via Bluetooth. It’s a cheaper date and still good. No, it isn’t as good as Sphinx Magnum with the Node. But if $1400 is where you need to land, you can’t beat C3050.
C700 is a convenient, FUN way to stream with higher quality than Bluetooth. You can always buy a bigger power amp down the road if that bug bites you. C700 is still up to the task of driving
SIGNIFICANT speakers- like Brystons!