NAD C 3050 LE Stereophonic Amplifier

Employing NAD’s acclaimed HybridDigital UcD amplifier technology, the C 3050 LE integrated amplifier can deliver 100Wpc of continuous power and 135Wpc of instantaneous power, for effortless delivery of musical transients, with virtually unmeasurable noise and distortion. The result is neutral, distortion-free sound, even at high listening levels, with exquisite detail, superb portrayal of space, and thrilling dynamics.

The digital section is built around Texas Instruments’ PCM5242 high-resolution differential DAC, a design noted for high tolerance to clock jitter, and excellent dynamic performance. This high-performance DAC enables the C 3050 LE to reproduce all your digital sources with amazing musicality, stunning clarity, and pinpoint imaging.

The new C 3050 LE pays homage to NAD’s 3030 amplifier, a 1970s classic. Clad in an open-grained walnut sleeve, the C 3050 LE integrated amplifier has a dark grey front panel with the original New Acoustic Dimension logo in its 1970s cursive typeface, dual VU meters, and push-button controls for source selection. On the back of each unit is an individually numbered plaque bearing the amplifier’s production number.

The C 3050 LE incorporates the latest generation of NAD’s Modular Design Construction future-proofing technology. With MDC2, owners can add new features and functions by inserting an MDC2 module into a slot at the back of the component. MDC2 features a all-new architecture that enables two-way communications between the module and host component. Pre-installed on the C 3050 LE, the MDC2 BluOS-D adds two leading-edge capabilities: Dirac Live room correction and BluOS high-resolution multi-room music streaming.

Dirac Live enables the C 3050 LE to overcome the weakest link in most sound systems: the listening room itself. Using a calibrated microphone and an app running on a smart device or personal computer, Dirac Live plays test tones through your speakers, then analyzes the results and creates filters that correct problems like standing waves and unwanted reflections. With Dirac Live enabled, you’ll enjoy vastly improved bass definition, greater clarity and tonal accuracy, and more precise imaging. Thanks to MDC2’s two-way communications, Dirac Live works on all sources connected to the C 3050 LE.

Connecting to your home network via Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet, the MDC2 BluOS-D in the C 3050 LE gives you access to nearly all the music ever recorded through the award-winning BluOS multi-room music management system. Using the intuitive BluOS app, you can cue up music from more than 20 popular streaming services, including several that offer lossless and high-res audio, such as Amazon Music Ultra HD, Deezer, Qobuz and Tidal. Like all BluOS-enabled products, the C 3050 LE supports high-res audio to 24-bit/192kHz. It also features MQA decoding and rendering capability, for studio-quality playback from Tidal. In addition, BluOS provides access to thousands of internet radio stations, and lets you play music from your own digital library.

The MDC2 BluOS-D supports Apple AirPlay 2, so you can stream audio to the C 3050 LE from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Also supported are Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect. You can select music in the apps for those services, then easily transfer playback to the C 3050 LE. You can even control playback by voice using Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple Siri (via AirPlay 2). An IR remote control is also included.

With the MDC2 BluOS-D installed, the C 3050 LE integrated amplifier can be part of a whole-home music system with as many as 64 zones, all with independent source and volume control. You can have different music playing in different zones, or group zones together and play the same music simultaneously. MDC2’s bidirectional architecture enables the BluOS-D to stream music from any source connected to the C 3050 LE to BluOS-enabled components in other rooms.

With its full suite of digital and analogue inputs, the C 3050 LE can accommodate all your source components. Vinyl fans will appreciate the C 3050 LE’s ultra-low-noise MM phono stage. For movie and TV viewing, there’s an HDMI eARC interface, enabling the C 3050 LE to serve as the hub or a two- or 2.1-channel home-theatre setup. The C 3050 LE also has line-level analogue, coaxial digital, and optical digital inputs.

In addition to two sets of speaker terminals, the C 3050 LE has a subwoofer output and a dedicated headphone amplifier. It also features two-way Bluetooth aptX HD, so you can stream music to the amplifier from a mobile device or stream music from the amplifier to a pair of wireless headphones. Pre-out/main-in connections let you use the C 3050 LE as a preamp only and add a separate power amplifier. For custom integrators, there’s a 12V trigger and IR input.

Combining NAD’s iconic sound with a retro design inspired by the classic 3030 amplifier, the limited-edition C 3050 LE Stereophonic Amplifier pays tribute to NAD’s 50 years of innovation in amplifier design. Its advanced engineering provides capabilities that no audiophile could have dreamt of a half-century ago.