Amplifier NAD C338
Nad is the brand, originally British, which in 1978 launched the 3020, a small affordable audiophile amp that became the best-selling stereo integrated in the history of Hi-Fi, with over a million of copies sold. C338 tries to reiterate the feat of his illustrious ancestor. It is both simple and resolutely modern, universal, open to networked music with its integrated Chromecast receiver while delivering seamless performance at a very reasonable price.
Aesthetically, the device does not deny its origins. The Nad C338 keeps the design extremely sober and timeless, customary to the small integrated of the brand. On its dark gray plastic front, there is only one central display and five buttons: a standby button, two to select the source, a volume potentiometer, and a single "Bass EQ" button. The small remote does not add much: just a "dim" button to adjust the brightness of the display and three buttons to zap, pause or activate music playback.
The rear panel of the Nad C338, even if it remains rather refined, reveals a little more the contemporary aspect of the device. It has two traditional Line inputs for "old" analog sources, as well as a pair of RCA plus grounding terminals for a vinyl turntable equipped with a movable magnet cell (MM). Then come the first signs of openness in modern times with four digital inputs: two Toslink optics and two coaxial on RCA marked with orange rings.
Finally, there are no less than three antennas for wireless sources. The Nad C338 has a Bluetooth receiver and a Wi-Fi connection. According to its progenitors, it will be the first Hi-Fi amplifier to integrate the Chromecast module from Google. This gives you the ability to control music playback from a Chrome browser installed on a computer (PC or Mac), but also from a smartphone or a tablet, whether it's iOS or Android. Many applications offer the Chromecast function whether for webradio or online music services like Deezer, Qobuz, Spotify and of course Google Music. After launching playback from a smartphone or tablet, it is no longer the latter that provides streaming, but the Chromecast player integrated in the Nad C338 takes the live connection, avoiding interference and occupying the device. It is even possible to play music files stored on the local network in DLNA mode, for example by using the BubbleUPnP application. The connection board is therefore quite complete with only absent a USB port for computer and an Ethernet network plug.
The chassis is firstly formed of thick folded sheets which give this small device an astonishing rigidity and robustness which prevent it from external interferences. The circuits inside are very neatly ordered and optimized. They use modern recipes: switching power supply and digital amplification. An analog input stage is a semi-shielded phono circuit of very good quality using an Op 1652 amp from Texas Instruments. On the digital side is a Burr Brown PCM1796 (24-bit/192 kHz) converter. Finally, the power section is a Hypex HybridDigital module. Carrying the reference UcD102, it is specially customized for the Nad C338.
All this has nothing to do with the design of the old Nad amps, however we find the characteristics that have made the reputation of the brand: very high dynamic capacities. Even if the steady-state power is only 2 x 50 watts under 8 Ω, it rises to 80 watts under dynamic conditions, still under 8 Ω, and up to 210 watts under 2 Ω. The current capacity is up to 18 A under 1 Ω! That promises sparks to listen.
Dynamics, energy and vitality have always been listening to the distinctive signs of good little integrated amplifiers Nad and they apply perfectly to this new model. Technologies evolve, but personality remains. The C338 is a hell-of-a-go style on all styles of music, while being capable of delivering very high sound levels and giving an unparalleled sense of power with its announced 2 x 50 watts. From large speakers, equipped with boomers 20 cm in diameter, we heard him deliver bass tablecloths to thrill, able to vibrate the sofa and dishes.
Certainly, playback from Bluetooth sources or on-line music services by Wi-Fi is not always a perfect definition. We would also like globally that the Nad C338 shows a hair rich in stamps in the middle register, in order to display a little more smoothness and smoothness. On this point, it may be a little lost compared to the purely analog models of Nad. On the other hand, as far as energy, presence in the lower part of the spectrum, with a serious register that strikes fast and strongly, seems to us to go even further than its predecessors. The tonal balance slightly bell-shaped, favoring the middle register, leaves here a more physiological aspect and at the ends of the spectrum better explored. The stereophonic image is always very wide, giving room to each speaker sound. Despite its overflowing and invigorating energy, the Nad C338, whatever the level of sound, always delivers a very clean, well placed and biting sound, displaying excellent mastery even on difficult speakers or chunks of music.
