NAD D 3020 V2

It's difficult not to love this spruced-up version of NAD's classic amp

NAD ignored a number of rules when it released the original D 3020 amplifier. If using Class D amplification wasn’t enough of a thumbing of the nose to traditional designs, its chassis looked positively futuristic. It stood upright with dimensions wildly unbefitting of ‘proper’ hi-fi.

The D 3020 was unlike anything else on the market – and, crucially, it sounded great. And its successor, the D 3020 V2 we have here, has the latter point in common with it.

Harking back Essentially, this V2 is a slicker, classier-looking version of that original model. It features the same glossy curvature and similarly chunky dial, yet somehow still it succeeds in making its predecessor seem dated.

In fact, there’s an argument to say this second version of the D 3020 is harking back to the past as much as it is looking to the future. Aside from its retuning and refining of the original, NAD has kitted the amp out with a moving-magnet phono stage to reflect the rise in vinyl sales over the past few years.

Otherwise it’s more or less as was, with those turntable inputs sharing the rear of the unit with connections for optical, coaxial and RCA, the optional subwoofer out remaining alongside those for traditional stereo speakers, and Bluetooth also keeping its place.

Tasteful lows

The presentation is tonally even, but with great body to the sound. A bass boost is available via the amplifier’s credit-card style remote and, while the natural balance is far from lacking at low end, that optional increase is tasteful – it plumps up those bottom frequencies without softening or fatiguing the performance.