Hello all , this is my first posting so go easy on me!

Do I need a new amplifier ?

At the moment I have a NAD C350 to go with my ARCAM CD73 and B&W DM602 S3 speakers.

The AMP is quite old but got great reviews at the time but I wonder if technology has moved on significantly ? Also maybe my CD player and speakers are a league above my AMP ? I would be happy looking at spending up to £700 if it was worth the upgrade.

What do you think ?

no-one ?

Ian, I'm no expert with amps but I'm pretty sure that they don't date as quickly as other AV components (e.g. TV screens and stuff like that) so if it's working ok then I'd advise stick with what you've got.

I know NAD has released a few models since the C350 (the C372 is one that springs to mind) but I don't think they got the accolades that the C350 did. Also to my knowledge the CD73 is in the same mid-range £300-ish price bracket as the C350, so you've got no worries there.

In terms of amplifiers I have a few friends who are really into their hi-fi and some still use ancient valve amps from the 70's! They swear by them, so it's definitely not a case that new is always best.

Will

Ian,

If money is burning a hole in your pocket can I suggest the Naim Nait 5i at £699.
I use an Arcam CD73T with this and Dynaudio 42's. Very tight, fast, rhythmic and musical sound. The Nait grips the bass very well, much more so than the NAD will muster(which has a slightly bloated bass from recollection) - this is an important factor with B+W DM602 S3's, which have a full bass sound, I believe.
Audition and see for yourself, I think the Nait will blow you away!

if you can pick up a pair of rotel power amps and use them in bridged mono with a passive pre amp the sound should be a lot more powerful and controlled than using your nad

My Leak amp from the 60's beats pretty much everything I've heard modern up to £1600. I don't think age is an issue. Amp technology hasn't moved on in a long time (with digital amps being the unique exception).

With £700 and your system, I'd probably upgrade the speakers. You'll get more improvement per £.

that surprises me Christopher, I thought the speakers were pretty decentand that the amp could be improved , now it looks like I could change amp AND speakers !

Probably not. It's best just to change one thing and get the best you can. It's not that your speakers are bad, it's that additional money spent on speakers usually yields a disproportionate improvement compared to other elements in the chain (eg. amplifiers).

Turntables are also an element that yield disproportionate benefits from upgrading. There is value in upgrading all elements but some parts more than others.

Ian what sort of sound are you after, cables can also affect the quality of sound, they make a difference to, my marantz amp a pm66se died on me, so i bought a roksan kandy mk3 amp. The sound of the kandy, is very detailed and muscular, my old amp was also detailed but ran out of grunt, Amplifier technology have moved quite a bit, manufacturers are now focusing on components that dont influence the sound, ideally you need a amp which is neutral, thats why you get marantz with their ki series i also suggest you change your speakers too they are also a window to music