NAD C272 High current amp Incredible value

NAD C272 amplifier

Highly regarded by reviewers and owners, the NAD C272 sounds far more powerful than its 150 watts/channel. In my system it is sweet, balanced, rich, transparent and extraordinarily musical - a beautiful sounding amp with great bass and a touch of the classic NAD warmth. It’s a powerhouse that makes gorgeous music. I chose this little beauty over another highly regarded well-known amp that retailed for 4X the price - after comparing them both in my system. One of the real values in hi-fi.

I do not see any flaws but have rated it conservatively. After installation in my system the amp was never moved or driven even moderately hard. Circumstances force a reluctant sale.

Selected awards and reviews - NAD C272:

WINNER - THE ABSOLUTE SOUND EDITOR’S CHOICE AWARD, 2006:

"The C 272 is well-balanced, with good resolution, three-dimensionality, and an overall warmth and robustness on most types of music."

ABOUT DOT COM:

"Sonically, this amp is unflappable”

"Even with loud transients, one never senses that this box is giving up. The C272 offers particular advantages in the areas of grain-free transparency, soundstage depth, and overall three-dimensionality."

CHRIS MARTENS – THE ABSOLUTE SOUND (162 preamp/272 amp combo):

"I greatly admired the sound of NAD's C162 and C272”

“…for most of us the essential question is whether these components can make sweet music. The answer is that they do, and in ways that might please even jaded audiophiles. Specifically, I found the C162/C272 pair offered four beautifully integrated qualities that together produced the kind of effortless musicality that makes you want to listen for hours on end.

The first and most central of the NADs’ musical qualities is midrange voicing that sounds open and well-defined, yet that always captures the natural warmth, “roundness” of tone, and evocative sweetness of midrange instruments.”

“Second… offers unfailing upper midrange and treble smoothness, even on vigorous transients.”

“Third…offers clear yet robust and full-bodied bass, especially in the all-important mid-bass region (this quality is one of the essential ingredients in NAD’s “house sound”).”

“Fourth…treats the listener to highly believable three-dimensional soundstaging on great and even not-so-great recordings.”

”…the NADs always got the musical essentials right…”

"They bring you close enough to top-tier performance in so many areas, with a sound that is so balanced and free from disruptive discontinuities, that you are released from preoccupation with audio equipment - and set free to savor (and become deeply content with) the beauty of music, itself. What could be a higher recommendation than that?"

“The C 272 is a 150Wpc stereo power amp that, in keeping with NAD tradition, sounds much more powerful than its power ratings would suggest.”

“The C 272 features proprietary NAD “PowerDrive” technology that “automatically senses the impedance of the loudspeaker and then adjusts its power supply settings to best cope with that specific load.”

TECHNICAL SPECS:

2 x 150W Minimum Continuous Power into 4/8 ohms
220W, 340W, 460W IHF Dynamic Power into 8, 4 and 2 ohms, respectively
PowerDrive™
High Current Holmgren™ Toroidal Power Transformer
Bridgeable to 300W mono (8 ohms)
Both fixed and variable inputs, switch selectable
Double set of loudspeaker binding posts to facilitate bi-wiring
All Discrete Circuitry
Gold plated RCA Connectors
NAD Soft Clipping™
12V Trigger Input for remote Stand-by/On switching
IEC Detachable Power Cable
ATO Logic