Retro style NAD C 3050 Hi-Fi amp is the one that we want

Certain to appeal to Hi-Fi enthusiasts of a certain vintage, NAD Electronics has launched the C 3050, a stereo amp with strong retro vibes.

Dual VU meters, push-button input selectors, and a walnut-finished vinyl-clad cabinet set the tone, complemented by an original New Acoustic Dimension logo, complete with Seventies cursive typeface.

This new stereo amp may take its design cues from the past, but the specification is bang up to date. It features a HybridDigital UcD amplifier, capable of 100 Watts per channel of continuous power and 135Wpc peaks, and a jitter-free Texas Instruments PCM5242 differential DAC.

With the addition of an optional module in one of the two future-proofing MDC2 (Modular Design Construction) expansion slots, can partner with any compatible BluOS components, stream hi-res music up to 24-bit/192kHz, with MQA decoding, and utilise Dirac Live room correction to optimise set-up ( a 500Hz limited version of Dirac Live is included).

'This new stereo amp may take its design cues from the past, but the specification is bang up to date...'

Offering dual-band Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet, the BluOS platform supports Amazon Music Ultra HD, Deezer, Qobuz, and Tidal. With the MDC2 BluOS-D card installed, the C 3050 can be part of a whole-home music system with as many as 64 zones.

The C 3050 supports Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, and Apple AirPlay 2. It’s also compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Siri voice assistants.

Connectivity includes HDMI eARC, coaxial and optical digital inputs, an MM phono input for turntable connection, and a pair of line-level analogue inputs. The C 3050 also features a dedicated headphone amplifier, pre-out/main-in jacks and the option to be used as a preamp only.

Installers can connect two pairs of speakers with Speaker A/B switching, as well as a subwoofer. System integration comes via 12V trigger or IR input.

The C 3050 retails for £1,299 (US$1,399 / CA$1,899 / € 1,599 ).