NAD 3020 Catalog

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Contents

NAD 3020 Catalog Manual pdf 14 page image

Technical InformationPowerDrive™NAD receivers and amplifiers are well known for delivering amazing “real world” dynamicpower. NAD’s exclusive PowerDrive technology provides high dynamic power and lowimpedance drive capability. PowerDrive’s “dual-rail” power supply deliversoptimised internal voltage levels especially during the most demandingconditions: dynamic peaks, sweeping musical transients, deep-bassexcursions that drive a loudspeaker into its most power-hungry impedancerange. It’s a little like the “kickdown” of a sophisticated automatic transmission—providingextra short-term power on demand. PowerDrive is one big reason why NAD AV receiversdo not exhibit the dynamic compression, flattened imaging, or the stridentharshness audiophiles so often decry as “receiver sound.” PowerDrive notonly makes NAD receivers and amplifiers sound better, it makes them coolerrunning, with improved efficiency, leading to greater reliability as well.Full Disclosure Power RatingsPower sells audio products, so many manufacturers tailor their designs to obtain the bestpower ratings that can be contrived. In today’s digital world, with uncompressed signals andmulti-channel entertainment, these continuous power ratings drive designs that are inefficient,hot, heavy and expensive to produce. Even worse, the sound quality of many such designscan be thin, overly bright, and lacking in musical texture. And since the power produced is farless than that “promised” when driving 5 or 7 loudspeakers, the dynamic power required forthe full intensity of an action movie scene or orchestral climax is simply not available.NAD’s solution to this conundrum is to optimize our power supplies to drive real-worldloudspeakers effectively. This requires a precisely regulated, high current power supplyto be designed for each NAD amplifier and receiver. Thus we can rate ourreceivers with continuous 4 ohm loads, all channels driven simultaneously,full bandwidth (20Hz - 20kHz), and at rated distortion. This is a far cry from thecommonly used FTC minimal requirement using 8 ohm dummy loads, and requiring no morethan two channels to be stressed at a time, and those at an easy 1 kHz frequency, with nodistortion specified!Music or movie sound is not a uniform, unchanging signal such as continuous powerratings would suggest. Rather, it is dynamic, occurring in bursts of varying durations andconstantly changing amplitudes. Unlike conventional amplifiers, NAD’s “smart” dual-stagepower supplies are designed to handle the dynamic power required by today’s musicand films more effectively. Furthermore, our amplifier designs produce outstanding lowimpedance drive capabilities, even when driving the most demanding loudspeakers ina high-performance home theatre system. FDP is an important reason whyNAD components offer a valuable alternative to the over-hyped receivers andamplifiers on the market today.NAD Soft Clipping™Created by NAD engineers who understood that no matter how much real-world power you give the people, someday, somewhere, someone will demandmore. It is all too easy to keep setting the volume higher without realizing justhow high you have turned it up. Switching in Soft Clipping will greatly reducethe chance of damage. NAD’s patented selectable Soft Clipping circuit gentlytransforms the music waveform as the point of distortion (clipping) approaches,resulting in much clearer reproduction and possibly protecting your speakersfrom damage, especially tweeters.FDPFull Disclosure Powersoft$-*11*/(