NAD - C-165 - Stereo Preamplifier

by Nad

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 17.1 x 11.2 x 3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.2 pounds
• ASIN: B001W2K10Y
• Item model number: C 165BEE
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #151,930 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
  • #83 in Electronics > Home Audio & Theater > Stereo Components > Receivers & Amplifiers > Component Preamplifiers
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 16, 2009

Product Description

The NAD C165BEE stereo preamplifier is an all-new design representing a lifetime of design experience from NAD's renowned Director of Advanced Developments, Bjorn Erik Edvardsen. New semiconductors and improved production techniques such as surface mount devices (SMDs) have created opportunities for performance far beyond expectation when compared to previous products in this price range. The NAD C165BEE preamp and C275BEE power amp together won an "Outstanding Product" award in the September 2009 issue of England's Hi-Fi News magazine. "Given its price, it clearly represents classic 'budget esoterica': first class high fidelity for only a second class budget price." Compared to its predecessor, the C162, the improved tone control circuit and revised PCB layout has reduced distortion and noise to unprecedented levels when combined with the high signal capacity of the NAD 'Class A' Gain Modules. 'Class A' gain modules combine the short signal path advantage of IC based op-amps with the higher signal and current capacity of discrete transistors. Here surface mount devices are used to miniaturize the circuit, while the extruded aluminum heat sink keeps all parts at the optimal operating temperature for ultra low distortion. This unique NAD development endows the C165BEE with lightning-fast transient response and bass extension, along with definition seldom encountered in this price range. High frequencies are extended, silky smooth and grain-free. In the phono stage NAD has added three-position switches to individually select the resistance and capacitance for precise matching of most Moving Magnet and Moving Coil phono cartridges. Other refinements deliver lower noise and improve the overload margin. Precision close-tolerance parts are used to achieve nearly perfect RIAA response. NAD has also improved the headphone amplifying circuit to better drive studio quality high impedance headphones. Taken together, these improvements mark a sharp upturn in p

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Reasonably Priced Product, March 20, 2010

By 

J. Hahnfeld (Milton, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: NAD - C-165 - Stereo Preamplifier (Electronics)

There is not much of a selection of preamps left in this price range these days. I commend NAD for keeping such an excellent and reasonably priced product in the market. After a week's listening, I find this preamp to be a superb product. While one often feels new purchases to be superior, I believe that this is a genuine improvement over my former Adcom GTP-450. Everything is clean, pure, sonically devoid of any extraneous artifacts to get between the listener and what the artist intended. The product also seems mostly well designed and solidly built.

My caveat, keeping it from five stars, concerns the lack of an led on the volume control knob, which would provide welcome visual feedback regarding volume setting changes, and the fact that the small blue leds identifying the various sources (CD, Media Player, Tape, etc.) are visible from across the room, but not to a person standing and reaching down to waist level to turn on the equipment, making it necessary to bend down to look at the unit head on to see which source is already selected. But when weighed against the overall quality and ease of use of this product, this is nitpicking. I'd give four and a half stars if that were an option.

Purchased from an authorized NAD dealer for $750, and I'm very pleased with the product.