NAD C3050 Integrated Amplifier

Recommended Component 2024 – Stereophile

Best Buy Award – avsforums.com

"Five Hearts" Rating – Hi-Fi Pig

Reviewers' Choice Award – soundstageaccess.com

Gorgeous Retro-Look Amplifier with Thoroughly Modern Capabilities

Created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of NAD’s founding in 1972, the C 3050 stereo amplifier has a gorgeous retro design featuring a satin vinyl walnut sleeve, dual VU meters, and push-button controls.

Employing NAD’s acclaimed HybridDigital UcD amplifier technology, the C 3050 integrated amplifier can deliver 100 WPC of continuous power and 135 WPC 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 to reproduce all your digital sources with amazing musicality, stunning clarity, and pinpoint imaging.

Clad in a satin vinyl walnut sleeve, the C 3050 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.

"Recommended Component" Honors

Stereophile honored the NAD C 3050 by awarding it the magazine's coveted Recommend Component status for 2024.

According to Stereophile, "NAD's C 3050 LE is an excellent example of a modern, full-featured, solid state integrated amplifier. But it is its integration with Dirac low-frequency room equalization that enables it to offer pretty much everything audiophiles and music lovers need to enjoy their music at a competitive price."

Reviewers' Choice Award Winner

"When I was trying to decide which new reference integrated amp to add to my system last year, once I made up my mind that the time had come to finally decide, it took me maybe a day of deliberation to settle on the NAD C 3050," notes Dennis Burger, soundstageaccess.com, July 1, 2024, which gave the C 3050 a Reviewers' Choice Award.

More Award-Winning Performance

The C 3050 won a Best Buy Award – avsforums.com, which reports, "The C 3050 is – perhaps unsurprisingly – very similar to the LE and with the BluOS module on board offers a useful saving. Arguably more interesting still is the slightly different performance that the amp puts in without the module on board, presenting an interesting and thoroughly enjoyable take on a £1,300 amplifier."

Hi-Fi Pig gave the C 3050 its top rating of Five Hearts. "This is no 70’s HiFi dinosaur- it surprised me in a very positive way. To offer such a breadth of digital capability, an on-board MM phono stage, as well as being able to handle multi-room or home cinema use cases is impressive in any amp."

"To do it at a whack under 2 grand with a great sonic capability that I would say outpaced expectations and be as easy and enjoyable to engage with as the C3050 is – well it deserves serious attention," Hi-Fi Pig concludes. "For someone getting to grips with proper HiFi, who wants to spin vinyl and stream, or is looking to add a new improved heart to their existing setup and speakers with this type of budget, then the C3050 is well worth a look."

Optional MDC2 BluOS Module

The C 3050 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 as an option, the MDC2 BluOS-D adds two leading-edge capabilities: Dirac Live room correction and BluOS high-resolution multi-room music streaming.

Tuning the Room

Dirac Live enables the C 3050 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 that are connected to the C 3050.

"Absolutely Knocked It out of The Park"

"Sporting a retro appearance, the NAD C 3050 is a versatile, modern integrated amplifier that performs admirably in all its functionality. Moreover, its modular design allows for the addition of features by a simple module card insertion," reports Yongki Go, PhD, Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity, December 13, 2023. "More importantly, this versatility is backed up by its solid sonic performance, creating a combination that is hard to beat at its price point."

"NAD has absolutely knocked it out of the park with this integrated amp," raves futureaudiophile.com, November 20, 2023.

A World of Music

Connecting to your home network via Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet, the optional MDC2 BluOS-D in the C 3050 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 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 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. 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.

Music Everywhere

With the optional MDC2 BluOS-D installed, the C 3050 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 to BluOS-enabled components in other rooms.

Connect It All

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

In addition to two sets of speaker terminals, the C 3050 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 as a preamp only and add a separate power amplifier. For custom integrators, there's a 12V trigger and IR input.

"Fully Delivers on Its Promise"

"Fully delivers on its promise of serious audiophile amplification with a side serving of streaming tech in a comfortably/not-painfully retro package at a very fair value," notes Daniel Kumin, Sound&Vision, May 15, 2023, in his review of the similar, limited-edition C 3050 LE.

"Fire up the C 3050 LE, and like countless models from NAD’s vaunted past you can instantly hear why competitors in this price range and beyond shake their head in admiration, if not wonder. Whether the C 3050 LE will ultimately be honored in the mid-2070s in the way it’s celebrating its predecessors today is hard to say," observes Neil Gader, The Absolute Sound, November 29, 2023.

"If you're a classic hi-fi fan, the new NAD 3050 LE is undeniably attractive, both aesthetically and as a musical performer. It takes a classic nineteen-seventies look and adds a totally modern integrated amplifier with excellent connectivity. It's a powerful, engaging and fun thing to listen to, with a characteristically NAD 'house sound' – namely warm and gutsy, with no harshness," notes Eric Teh, stereonet.com, May 16, 2023.

Product Features

Retro design elements include a satin vinyl walnut sleeve, front-panel VU meters, push-button input controls, 1970s cursive branding, and dark grey finish
HybridDigital UcD Amplifier
Continuous Power: 100 Watts per channel into 8/4 ohms
Instantaneous Power: 135 Watts per channel
Vanishingly low harmonic and intermodulation distortion
MDC2 port for expanded functionality
Order with or without pre-installed MDC2 BluOS-D module
Optional MDC2 BluOS-D module adds BluOS Hi-Res multiroom music streaming and Dirac Live room correction; it also provides access to more than 20 streaming services, including several that offer lossless and high-resolution audio
Support for Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and Tidal Connect
Voice control via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple Siri
High-performance 32-bit/384kHz TI PCM5242 differential DAC
Ultra-low-noise MM phono stage infrasonic filter
One optical, one coaxial digital input
HDMI eARC input
One set of line-level analog inputs with low-noise buffer stages
Speaker A / Speaker B outputs
Two-way Qualcomm aptX HD Bluetooth
Subwoofer output
Dedicated headphone amplifier
Supplied accessories include an IR remote control and a calibrated microphone for Dirac Live setup
CI-Friendly - IR remote, 12V Trigger out, IR in
Seamless integrations with smart home control systems such as Control4, Crestron, RTI, URC, Lutron, and Elan

Product Specs

Line Input, Pre-Out (Analog bypass on)

THD+N (20 Hz – 20 kHz): <0.005 % at 2V out
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: >95 dB (IHF; A-weighted, ref. 500 mV out, unity gain)
Channel separation: >86W (at 1KHz 0.1% THD 8Rx2CH) >102W (at 1KHz 0.1% THD)
IHF dynamic power: >100 dB (1 kHz), >90 dB (10 kHz)
Input impedance (R and C): 28 kohms + 360 pF
Maximum input signal: >4.5 Vrms (ref. 0.1 % THD)
Output impedance: 440 ohms
Input sensitivity: 270 mV (ref. 500 mV out, Volume maximum)
Frequency response: ±0.3 dB (20 Hz - 20 kHz)
Maximum voltage output -IHF load: >2 V (ref. 0.1 % THD)

Phono Input, Pre-Out (Analog Bypass On)

THD (20 Hz – 20 kHz): <0.03% at 2 V out
Signal-to-Noise ratio: >79 dB (200 ohms source; A-weighted, ref. 500 mV out)
Input Impedance (R and C): 46 kohms/100 pF
Input sensitivity: 5.5 mV (ref. 500 mV out, Volume maximum)
Frequency response: ±0.3 dB (20 Hz - 20 kHz)
Maximum input signal at 1kHz: >80 mVrms (ref. 0.1 % THD)

Line Input, Headphone Out (Analog Bypass On)

THD (20 Hz – 20 kHz): <0.005% at 1V out
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: >96 dB (32 ohms loads; A-WTD, ref. 2 V out, unity gain
Frequency response: ±0.3 dB (20 Hz - 20 kHz)
Channel separation: >60 dB at 1kHz
Output impedance: 2.2 ohms

BluOS Section (with Optional MDC2 BluOS-D Module

Supported audio file format: MP3, AAC, WMA, OGG, WMA-L, ALAC, OPUS
Supported high- resolution audio file format: FLAC, MQA, WAV, AIFF
Sampling rate: up to 192 kHz
Bit depths: 16-24
Streaming cloud services: Amazon Music, Bugs, CustomChannels, Deezer, IDAGIO, KKBOX, Napster, Neil Young Archives, nugs.net, Qobuz, Qsic, Spotify, SOUNDMACHINE, TIDAL, Tunify
Internet radio: CALM Radio, iHeartRadio, LiveXLive, RADIO.COM, Radio Paradise, SiriusXM, TuneIn
Integration partners: Control4, Crestron, ELAN, Lutron, Push, Roon, RTI, URC
Voice Control Integration: Skills and support for Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple's Siri with corresponding enabled devices and App

General Specifications

Continuous output power into 8 ohms and 4 ohms: 100W (ref. 20 Hz-20 kHz at rated THD, both channels driven)
THD (20 Hz – 20 kHz): <0.03% (250 mW to 100 W, 8 ohms and 4 ohms)
Signal-to-Noise Ratio>: 95dB (A-weighted, 500 mV input, ref. 1 W out in 8 ohms)
Clipping power: >115W (at 1kHz0.1%THD)
IHF dynamic power: 8ohms: 180W, 4 ohms: 250W, 2 ohms: 300W
Peak output current: >20A (in 1 ohm, 1 ms)
Frequency response: ±0.3dB(20Hz-20kHz)
Channel separation: >75dB (1 kHz), >70dB (10 kHz)
Input sensitivity (for 100 W in 8 ohms): 540 mV, Digital: -6dBFS
Power consumption: at Auto Standby ON and Network Standby OFF: 0.5 W, at Auto Standby ON and Network Standby ON: 2.0 W, OFF mode (Power switched OFF): 0.1 W
Dimensions: 17-1/4" x 4-3/8" x 14"
Weight: 22 lb.

Product Warranty

2 Years

Parts & Labor

NAD Electronics Warranty Information

Recommended Component 2024 – Stereophile

"NAD's C 3050 LE is an excellent example of a modern, full-featured, solid state integrated amplifier. But it is its integration with Dirac low-frequency room equalization that enables it to offer pretty much everything audiophiles and music lovers need to enjoy their music at a competitive price."

- Stereophile, March 15, 2024

Best Buy Award – avsforums.com

"The C3050 is – perhaps unsurprisingly – very similar to the LE and with the BluOS module on board offers a useful saving. Arguably more interesting still is the slightly different performance that the amp puts in without the module on board, presenting an interesting and thoroughly enjoyable take on a £1,300 amplifier."

- Ed Selly, avforums.com, August 21, 2023

"Five Hearts" Rating – Hi-Fi Pig

"This is no 70’s HiFi dinosaur- it surprised me in a very positive way. To offer such a breadth of digital capability, an on-board MM phono stage, as well as being able to handle multi-room or home cinema use cases is impressive in any amp."

"To do it at a whack under 2 grand with a great sonic capability that I would say outpaced expectations and be as easy and enjoyable to engage with as the C3050 is – well it deserves serious attention. For someone getting to grips with proper HiFi, who wants to spin vinyl and stream, or is looking to add a new improved heart to their existing setup and speakers with this type of budget, then the C3050 is well worth a look."

- Alan McIntosh, hifipig.com, October 12, 2023

Reviewers' Choice Award – soundstageaccess.com

- Dennis Burger, soundstageaccess.com, July 1, 2024

"The review sample has the MDC2 BluOS-D module that adds BluOS streaming and Dirac Live room correction features, which further enhance the versatility of the C 3050. More importantly, this versatility is backed up by its solid sonic performance, creating a combination that is hard to beat at its price point."

- Yongki Go, PhD, Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity, December 13, 2023

"NAD has absolutely knocked it out of the park with this integrated amp."

- futureaudiophile.com, November 20, 2023

"Fully delivers on its promise of serious audiophile amplification with a side serving of streaming tech in a comfortably/not-painfully retro package at a very fair value."

"[It] incorporates high-zoot D/A conversion courtesy of Texas Instruments’ latest differential-layout chipset, and on-board streaming by way of NAD’s BluOS streaming/multiroom ecosystem."

- Daniel Kumin, Sound&Vision, May 15, 2023, C 3050 LE review

"But it doesn’t take guesswork to appreciate what it represents in the here and now. NAD has secured its reputation by always being the value play, but that’s only because it’s been the sonic play, too. The C 3050 LE upholds this tradition in grand stereophonic fashion. Nicely appointed, cool looking, great sounding, what else could it be but a NAD?"

- Neil Gader, The Absolute Sound, November 29, 2023, C 3050 LE review

- Eric Teh, stereonet.com, May 16, 2023, C 3050 LE review

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