NAD C 3050 LE Stereophonic Amplifier – For its 50th Birthday

NAD Electronics calls the NAD C 3050 LE Stereophonic Amplifier a vintage-inspired limited edition, a truly outstanding product that is being launched on the occasion of the Canadian hi-fi manufacturer’s 50th birthday. It is intended to epitomise what NAD Electronics is all about and, of course, to represent the company’s great history in the process. As a model for the new NAD C 3050 LE Stereophonic Amplifier, the developers drew on the NAD 3030 Stereophonic Amplifier, which came onto the market in 1974 and is thus almost as “young” as NAD Electronics itself, which was founded in 1972.

Marty Borish and Bjorn Erik Edvardsen – The Founder and the Legendary Developer

It was in 1972 that Marty Borish founded the company NAD Electronics. The abbreviation NAD stood as an acronym for the underlying company philosophy and meant New Acoustic Dimension. The company set out to open up new dimensions in the development of hi-fi solutions, with Bjorn Erik Edvardsen playing a major role as Director of Advanced Development. Edvardsen can justifiably be regarded as a development legend whose concepts were and are decisively responsible for the success of the NAD brand.

It was Edvardsen, for example, who designed one of the most legendary amplifier systems ever, the NAD 3020 Stereo Integrated Amplifier from 1978. The declared aim was to achieve outstanding sound at a particularly favourable price, leaving out everything that stood in the way of this aim and instead paying the greatest attention to detail to really crucial components. For many hi-fi enthusiasts, this amplifier and its successor represented the entry into their hobby for many years, and this in turn led to the NAD 3020 Stereo Integrated Amplifier being one of the most successful products of its kind in the 1980s and beyond. In addition, and NAD Electronics is still reaping the benefits of this success today, it ensured that countless hi-fi enthusiasts have a very special relationship with the NAD brand.

Today, NAD Electronics can claim to be a technology pioneer in the field of amplifier systems. Many developments were taken up early and presented in the form of exciting products. Although the company is of course active in many areas, from stereo integrated amplifiers to pre- and power amplifiers, CD players, streaming solutions and home cinema systems, it is of course an amplifier that has been chosen to mark the 50th anniversary of NAD Electronics, namely the new NAD C 3050 LE Stereophonic Amplifier. It should be mentioned that NAD Electronics has not been a British company for years, but a Canadian one, based in Pickering, Ontario, and part of the Lenbrook Group.

NAD C 3050 LE Stereophonic Amplifier – Vintage Look at it’s best…

First of all, it should be said about the new NAD C 3050 LE Stereophonic Amplifier that it presents itself in the finest vintage look, namely with a cabinet covered with real wood veneer with matt lacquered walnut wood and a black front, which is adorned with numerous buttons, rotary encoders, but especially two VU meters.

As already described, the NAD 3030 Stereophonic Amplifier from 1974 was used as a model for the new NAD C 3050 LE Stereophonic Amplifier, but only with regard to the design and the basic concept, because from a technological point of view, we are dealing with a solution that can be described as state-of-the-art.

NAD HybridDigital Amplifier with DIRAC Live Room Correction

The new NAD C 3050 LE Stereophonic Amplifier is designed as a so-called NAD HybridDigital Amplifier, with a power output of two times 100 watts and a very natural, musical performance.

To ensure optimum results in any room, the new NAD C 3050 LE Stereophonic Amplifier is equipped with DIRAC Live Room Correction, another key feature of this solution, the integrated NAD BluOS-D MDC2 streaming module.

NAD BluOS-D MDC2 Module for Hi-res Audio Streaming

The new NAD C 3050 LE Stereophonic Amplifier comes with the NAD BluOS-D MDC2 module, making it ready for Hi-res audio streaming. As the name suggests, this is based on BluOS, the streaming platform originally developed by NAD Electronics and now gradually being developed further by the BluOS technology company, which, like NAD Electronics itself, is also part of the Lenbrook Group.

This allows content to be transmitted in Linear PCM with up to 24 bits and 192 kHz and also data encoded in MQA, whereby the creation of a multi-room audio streaming solution in conjunction with other BluOS-compatible streaming systems is of course also possible and the BluOS Controller App for Apple iOS, Google Android, Microsoft Windows and Apple macOS ensures central, intuitive control, via which access to countless streaming services is also possible, be it TIDAL, Deezer, Qobuz, Spotify, Apple Music or Amazon Music.

The interface is also equipped for Apple AirPlay 2, TIDAL Connect and Spotify Connect, which is also mentioned for the sake of completeness.

All relevant interfaces – Just add Speakers Product

The new NAD C 3050 LE Stereophonic Amplifier has all the relevant interfaces for use as the central component of a flexible hi-fi system. Analogue and digital inputs are available, including HDMI with eARC, and the signals are converted by a 32-bit 384 kHz D/A converter from Texas Instruments, a TI PCM5242 Differential DAC. A phono preamplifier is also on board, and Bluetooth as a transceiver for transmitting and receiving, including support for aptX HD from the specialist Qualcomm, is not missing. The developers have even thought of a headphone amplifier, which should also be mentioned here.

Once again, the manufacturer refers to the new NAD C 3050 LE Stereophonic Amplifier as a just-add-speakers product.

Prices and availability – 1.972 units, € 1.972,- the price

NAD Electronics has come up with a really funny story regarding the number of units of the limited edition NAD C 3050 LE Stereophonic Amplifier. In view of the company’s founding year, there will be exactly 1972 units of this stereo integrated amplifier, and the price is also listed as US$ 1.972,-. It is pleasing to note that this has also been adopted for the local market, so the recommended retail price is € 1.972,-.

It is also certain that the new NAD C 3050 LE Stereophonic Amplifier will be launched in November 2022.

NAD C 3050 Integrated Amplifier in March 2023

It is also certain that, in addition to the limited edition, there will also be a regular production model, the NAD C 3050 Integrated Amplifier. This will be launched in March 2023 at a recommended retail price of US$ 1.299,-. However, it should be mentioned that the NAD C 3050 Integrated Amplifier will be delivered without the BluOS module, but the NAD BluOS-D MDC2 module can be retrofitted at a price of US$ 549,- to enable streaming via BluOS and DIRAC Live.

Getting to the point

NAD Electronics can now look back on 50 years, 50 years that have been characterised by the finest hi-fi solutions that have made the Canadian company one of the most renowned in the industry. This is to be celebrated with an outstanding amplifier, the NAD C 3050 LE Stereophonic Amplifier. Even though it presents itself in a vintage look, it is still a state-of-the-art solution with the finest electronics and flexible application possibilities. By the way, there will only be 1972 units of this stereo integrated amplifier, which is designed as a just-add-speakers product and thus fits perfectly into the modern lifestyle.