test report
encountered was that aer an
idle period of some few minutes,
the D 3045 would drop a USB
connection with my iMac,
requiring a power-cycle toreturn to duty (switching inputs
away from, and back to, the
NAD’s “Computer” USB input
would not do the trick). In fair-
ness, I cannot say whether this
fault lies with the amplifier’s firm-
ware, the computer’s USB-out
behavior, or somewhere in the
murky depths of the Mac OS
Audio/MIDI setup utility.
The D 3045’s front-panel
knobs feel fairly nice, and the
lile remote controller’s even-
dozen pushbuons proved
easy to learn. I wasn’t crazy
about NAD’s touch-sensitive
on/off “buon,” which is really
just an illuminated international
slashed-circle power logo
spot on its curvature. You need
to hold a finger in place for a
second or so to get a response,
and in a bright room it’s tough
to see the logo illuminate. And
when powering down, your
finger obscures the logo, so
how do you know when long
enough is long enough for
Off? (In actual use, the remote
control’s real hardware on/off
buons sidestep this quandary.)CONCLUSIONIf NAD’s goals for the D 3045
included designing an amp/
DAC that’s simple yet versatile
enough to span applica-
tions from the dorm room to
the studio reference room, I
think they have succeeded.
Barely more complicated than
a light switch, the NAD amp
delivers the finely etched detail,
dramatic dynamics, and jet-
black background silences that
characterize the best of hi-res
audio in a package that’s afford-
able enough to unite casual
listeners and budget-sensitive
audiophiles under a single tent.my HiFiMan Edition X planars
to more-than satisfying levels
without generating any flappi-
ness or harshness.
There is inevitably lile to
report on the ergonomics front
regarding a component with
functions limited to volume
adjustment and source
selection. One annoyance IThe VerdictThe D 3045 is a surprisingly pow-
erful compact integrated ampli-
fier with an eminently capable
onboard DAC that’s equally at
home on the desktop or compo-
nent rack.POWER OUTPUT: 60 was
continuous per channel, both
channels driven at 4 ohms or 8
ohms (20 Hz-20 kHz, <0.03%
THD)
DIMENSIONS: (WxHxD, Inches): 2.8 x 9.9 x 10.5
(vertical orientation)
WEIGHT (Pounds): 7.9
AUDIO INPUTS: Coaxial digital, optical digital
(2), asynchronous USB, HDMI-ARC; RCAanalog line-level stereo, mini-jack line-level
stereo, moving-magnet phono; aptX HD Blue-
tooth (bi-directional)
ADDITIONAL: 12v trigger input
AUDIO OUTPUTS: Analog stereo pre-out
(RCA); 1/8th in headphone
WIRELESS: Bluetooth aptX HD
COMPUTER AUDIO: HRA capable up to 24/192
(USB) including native-DSDSpecs
NAD D 3045 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER/DAC
(^46) [ April May 2019 [soundandvision.com