Oh man !!

[Gordon Steadman]

perfect just enjoying the music. Time has moved on mind....

er............... time has moved on from enjoying the music?

What a strange hobby this must be.

[Oldpinkman]

I'm no fan of the 33..... apart from it's looks! Muddy and veiled sound plus the constant hassle with the plug in cards etc.

Fair...but you are totally wrong [/QUOTE]

I think Fair - but the 33 is competent and good value. I agree with Gordon about the music, but that has the potential for a flat earth denial that anything is ever better enough to care. The 33 is great value, honest, uncoloured, "nice" but very boring when you have heard better. I agree with whoever it was about the Nad 3020. I think I prefer it's phono stage - it is not as accurate, but I've never caught it yawning.

The 303 is a great product, but like the 405 (a great product) can be improved and bettered by other quality amps - but no amp at anything like the price of a 2nd hand 303 that I have found.

Dan you are just down the road. Don't tolerate this arrogance - call my bluff. Borrow the Pip for a week, and tell me how good the phono stage on the 33 is.

Actually, if you enjoy the music the way Gordon does, don't because you'll be turning the country upside down looking for Pips that no longer exist and can't be serviced

Geoff - you mentioned your amplifiers outperform this combo, and are modestly priced, but you are terribly coy about saying what they are. 'Fess up

But finally, Gordon, brace yourself for this, Gordon is absolutely right. If you have something you like, and are enjoying the music on it, then stick with it

[Trumpton_Rioter]

If you have something you like, and are enjoying the music on it, then stick with it

and that ladies and gentlemen, is the name of the game

[Gordon Steadman]

But finally, Gordon, brace yourself for this, Gordon is absolutely right.

Yikes, I know its early Sunday morning but I really thought I had already woken up, gone to get the croissants and made the coffee. Am I Nodrog dreaming of being a butterfly or a butterfly dreaming of being Nodrog?

[Macca]

I like them as a pair for the same reason I also like the original NAD 3020 - Very euphoric & musical, perfect just enjoying the music. Time has moved on mind.... Not sure I'd call them "high fidelity"

A but harsh that is James. Granted they are old units now but suitably serviced they will amplify with no audible distortion from 20-20KHZ and that is the definition of a 'high fidelity' amplifier. I have heard systems with original 303s and fettled ones and have never heard anything I didn't like. Never heard a fettled or serviced 3020 but a pal of mine uses an untouched one with some little Tannoy six series and that combo works very well indeed.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Just been reading this thread. I have a whole mixed bag of kit. My old Garrard 301 and SME 3012 arm are way way behind my Technics setup but I enjoy listening to Jazz on this setup and Prog on the Technics. The Garrard has its own "Sound" which I love. I love watching the kit do it's job. Some of my kit has been bought and repaired, some has been swapped. For me it's been the process of putting my kit toegther. Knowing that I spent six months of my life restoring a deck which was sat in a garage back to life, finding a cheap enough SME3012 from Australia and the Koetsu black from the USA makes me feel great. Sometimes its not about how good the kit is. It's about how it makes you feel and what it gives back to you.

[walpurgis]

I like them as a pair for the same reason I also like the original NAD 3020 - Very euphoric & musical, perfect just enjoying the music. Time has moved on mind.... Not sure I'd call them "high fidelity"

I did not rate the NAD 3020 for the same reason I did not think a lot of the Audiolab 8000, they are 'safe', but not very illuminating.

[walpurgis]

Geoff - you mentioned your amplifiers outperform this combo, and are modestly priced, but you are terribly coy about saying what they are. 'Fess up

Depends on my mood, but most of the time I'm using a Ming Da MC-9 TVC preamp and a Monarchy Audio SM-70 Pro (a sensibly priced but fantastic sounding combination). I do have other amplifiers to choose from though.

[YNWaN]

303 is a classic design and pretty capable but I'm no fan of the 33..... apart from it's looks! Muddy and veiled sound plus the constant hassle with the plug in cards etc.

I'm afraid this completely correlates with my experience. I also found the 33 veiled and opaque sounding, I wasn't overly taken with the 44 either (or the 33 ).

[istari_knight]

A but harsh that is James. Granted they are old units now but suitably serviced they will amplify with no audible distortion from 20-20KHZ and that is the definition of a 'high fidelity' amplifier. I have heard systems with original 303s and fettled ones and have never heard anything I didn't like. Never heard a fettled or serviced 3020 but a pal of mine uses an untouched one with some little Tannoy six series and that combo works very well indeed.

30-20khz IIRC due to the tiny input coupling caps & tiny output coupling caps.

A chip amp would offer higher fidelity but that's not the point is it ?