cbf@allegra.UUCP (10/10/83)
I learned from a Hi-fi dealer this past weekend that NAD was stopping sales on their highly-acclaimed (at least in the above-ground audio press) 7150 receiver and 4150 tuner because of the Schotz tuner's high rate of failure. Since NAD was a prominently featured brand at the store, I have no reason to doubt the dealer's word. A few months back, Stereo Review gave a rave to end all raves to the 7150 receiver, and I was very pleased with mine for three weeks, until it went berserk. That points to a basic and insurmountable deficiency in all audio reviews: the product tested is usually observed for a short time, so that it's impossible to pass judgement on its durability. The salesman also said that NAD had had other reliability problems in the past. While I was there, I listened to a pair of $500 (British) B&W speakers (numbered 220 I believe) and found the sound superb. Their reproduction of piano tone and string texture was truly remarkable. Their bass output would not do justice to disco music, but then again what could? Once my budget recovers from my acquisition of 'Shannon' (pet name for Denon DP51F table-Shure V15-v cartridge combination), I might just get a pair of B&W's myself. --decvax!allegra!cbf
phil@amd70.UUCP (Phil Ngai) (10/19/83)
I have had an NAD 3020 for over 3 1/2 years and never had any problems.
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Phil Ngai (408) 988-7777 {ucbvax|decwrl|ihnp4|allegra}!amd70!phil