NAD D3020 Vs PS Audio Sprout (or something else entirely?)

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a bit of advice regarding my next purchase. I wasn't sure whether to post this in Entry Level (as that is very much where I am) or in amplification. So if this should be in entry level instead let me know and I'll move this over there.

Basically, I'm looking to upgrade my amplifier and I've so far narrowed it down to the NAD D3020 and the Sprout. What do you think of these options, and is there any similar products I'm missing. My budget is around $600. I'll quickly say what I have already, and what I'm looking for in an amp, and then any advice anyone could give would be much appreciated.

Current set up:
Rega Rp1 w/ performance pack
Rega A2D preamp
Monitor Audio Bronze 1 speakers
A Denon DM 38 compact hifi that I'm now just using as a CD player/DAB
An old knackered Pioneer amp from the mid 1980s that was a hand me down from my Dad when he recently upgraded his amp
Grado 325e headphones

While I'm aware there are a few parts of my set up that could do with some upgrading, like the speakers and the CD player, I don't have a great deal of money so have decided to focus on the amp for now.

I'm after something that has good analogue connectivity that can take both vinyl and CD. But I would also like some decent digital options as well, such as DAC and bluetooth. A headphone jack is a must as well. I also do like how compact both of these are. While looks are really not that important, selling my girlfriend on the idea of a huge bulky amp is far tricker than sleek, well designed things like these.

Sprout
Geared towards Vinyl. Built in phono stage (but is this better than the Rega I already have?)
Has bluetooth, but it is not Apt-x
Headphone jack with built in headphone amp

NAD
It has analogue inputs, but it's almost impossible to find any reviews or information about the NAD that comments on how well it handles vinyl. Can any one speak to this?
Has a headphone jack, but I'm unclear how good the amp is?
Bluetooth with Apt-x
Has an optical input too, which the sprout does not

Which is the better option here? And are there any other amps that I should consider instead?

Thanks for the help.

 

I use a NAD D 3020 with vinyl (through a Schiit Mani preamp) and I think it sounds great via the speakers.

If memory serves, both Stereophile's and TAS' review of the D3020 praise the analog input and headphone amp. I have mixed feelings about the headphone amp-- for some reason CDs and anything through the DAC sound great on the NAD via headphones, but vinyl sounds worse through the headphones than it does through the speakers (where sound is very good).

I suspect both amps sound good, so it's probably an issue of features for you?

 

Hi Peter, thanks for the reply. My main focus is on the analog input as the majority of my home listening will be vinyl and CD. But I like flexibility of the digital components. That's interesting about the headphones, I'll go to a shop and check it out.

 

Yeah it doesn't make any sense to me, why the headphones sound mediocre on vinyl but very good on things going through the DAC, since the speakers on vinyl sound great. Fortunately I pretty much never use headphones on it so I don't care much. Maybe it's just some weird thing with my headphones or something with my amp.

 

IIRC the NAD measures better w/r/t published specs and has more power output. The Sprout might have more futures. If it were my money I would get the NAD. Price has dropped to $400 at many vendors.

 

Maybe the headphones are really high impedance units that overtax the headphone amp in the D3020? Choose lower impedance headphones and listen with pleasure.

The NAD D3020 is something I've used repeatedly as a portable integrated amp/DAC unit when tweaking different systems for friends and relatives. It's a little trooper, because it's well designed, well engineered, durable and sounds good (most important). The OP mentioned primarily LP and CD listening, but the D3020 has only one stereo analog input pair, so it he wants to have two analog components connected at all times, that will be a problem. The question about how the D3020 "handles" vinyl isn't quite right because a separate phono stage/phone preamp connected to the turntable is needed to drive the analog Aux input on the D3020. Sound quality for LP listening then depends entirely on the turntable/cartridge/phone stage combination.

The Sprout actually has two analog inputs: one dedicated phono input for MM cartridges, and one 3.5mm mini jack. I've listened to several LPs throught the Sprout phono inputs at Planet of Sound in Toronto -- Johnny Cash - American IV: When the Man Comes Around, Bill Evans - Waltz for Debby (Riverside 45 RPM remaster/reissue, among other albums -- and it all sounded just great through a pair of Harbeth P3ESR speakers. We switched to a pair of KEF LS50 and it all still sound great. Basically, the phono stage in the Sprout never seemed get in the way of anything. The second analog input on the Sprout is a 3.5mm stereo jack input, line level, so it will accept a CD player and all you need is an stereo RCA-to-mini jack adapter cable. Voila.

FWIW, I listened to a Teac AI-301DA during the same session (again, among a bunch of other stuff - I was sorting out several systems). It has two stereo RCA analog inputs in addition to basically the identical digital input/built-in DAC features of the Sprout and the D3020. That makes the AI-301DA the most versatile of the three units, but the versatility didn't make it the very best sounding of the three.

IMO, the best sound came from the NAD D3020, with the PS Audio Sprout a close second, and the Teac AI-302DA third. Same audition LPs (and a couple of CDs too), same speaker selections, same room (all at Planet of Sound). Keepin mind that the D3020 was/is mine - I brought it with me to bang it against the other integrated amp/DACs and to check it with various speakers and phono stages. Based on the auditions, my people dropped about $18K on a couple of pair of Harbeth P3ESR, one pair of KEF LS50, one pair of KEF R300, a couple of Graham Slee phono stages, two Sprouts (all at the same store), and then a couple of D3020 units, a Lehmann Black Cube Statement phono stage and a Pro-ject phono stage (I forget which one - this was all over a year ago).

So - and again FWIW - the results were:

NAD D3020 - 2
PS Audio Sprout - 2
Teac AI-301DA - 0

Based on your needs, the PS Audio Sprout is your best choice. It's sound quality is very good - not quite up to the excellent NAD D3020 - but still very good. These are the two best integrated amp/DACs in this size/price class in the world. Note that the Sprout is at the top of the pricing in this class of device, while the D3020 is much closer to the lower end of the price range. The Sprout has more raw wattage, but that wonderful Class D amp implementation in the D3020 is deceptively good. Both amps will drive most speakers - including the larger ones that are sometimes paired with the amps - to uncomfortably loud levels.

As for my sound quality preference of the D3020, note that half my people who actually shelled out money for amps bought the Sprout.

 

Something else. Chinese integrated tube amp. Build quality of these has gotten much better and they sound sweet for not much money.

 

Haven't heard the Sprout, but I do have a D3020 and it is crazy good for the price. Blew my Decco65 out of the room is SQ. only thing a little weird is the scale on the volume but no biggie.

BTW the NAD does have two analog inputs. An 1/8th inch input doubles as AUX2 and a mini Toslink much like Apple devices.

The DAC is also very high quality.

Overall one of the best values in the hobby!

 

Just a possible alternative Josh...MONITOR AUDIO A100White Stereo Amplifier »

 

Check out the Micromega MyAmp, sweet little class A/B integrated. I recently put together a small system for my camper, I auditioned the Nad also, the MyAmp won.

 

Thanks everyone for the replies. From what I can tell so far, I think the NAD is the way to go.

 

Hi, thanks for the detailed reply. Really helpful.

Although the NAD only has the one analog RCA input, which I would use for my deck, I was under the impression the CD player could be put through the 3.5mm 'Aux 2' input?

 

This is correct. I have a CD player into the aux input, a phono stage on the RCA input and a computer going into the USB/DAC.

 

You're right. I've ignored the 3.5mm jack for so long I forget it's there. I tried it once with an middle-aged Sony DVD player (playing CDs) and of course the input worked perfectly. I used a short stereo RCA-to-3.5mm adapter cable.

 

Why not use one of the digital inputs for the CD player? Thrift stores are full of players with digital outputs for $20.

 

Hi,

I know this has been already discussed, but I´m writting you from Mexico City. I have done most of my research through the internet, about what would be a best option or more suitable for me between the NAD D 3020 or the PS Audio sprout to use mainly to play vinyls, mp3 and streaming (in that order of importance). I have an Audiotechnica LP-120 and will use M8 Revel speakers

There is no PS Audio dealer in Mexico, so haven´t had the opportunity to try it, but I had the opportunity to try the NAD D 3020 vs a Yamaha WXA-50, and for my the NAD was way better, although I ony try it streaming on both.

At home I already have a Yamaha home theather with Phono input where I connet the turntable. The turntable has the to options (preamp and line) and I try by connecting the turntable to the yamaha home theather in the line mode, but I could notice a loose of gain/power on the volume.

Since the NAD D 3020 has no specific Phono input, would I experience some loose of power or gain in the sound while using the turntable?

It would be better to go for the PS Audio Sprout, that has an specific Phono input, and for what I have found in the reviews, it is mor suitable for vinyls?

Thank you for your comments

Cheers from Mexico

 

I use a D3020 with a turntable (see the secondary system in my profile) and it sounds excellent to me. I did a little A/B testing between the headphone output and a dedicated headphone amp. The dedicated amp had a bit more separation, but I went back to the output on the d3020 since the extra clutter wasn't worth the small improvement in sound quality.

I really love this little amp. I also use it with my pc and the digital output from a blu ray player which I use for cds. The Bluetooth functionality works well with an Amazon Echo Dot.

 

I chose a NAD c316 bee and a Schiit Modi when confronting a similar crossroads. I have to say that I do like having all of the inputs.

 

Thank you for the answers guys, but there is someone that could help me with the advantages and disadvantages between PS Audio Sprout and NAD D 3020, in particular at using with a turntable

 

Nad D3020 v2. Phono sockets.

 

The PSAudio Sprout100 includes a phono stage as well, so no difference there. The post you replied to is a year and a half old and both integrated amps have since been been replaced with new versions.

 

Indeed,that is why I said Nad D3020 v2 (version 2).

 

So who here has heard both new models and can offer an objective comparison?

 

I’ve auditioned both - the D3020 V2 and the PS Audio Sprout100. I’m not sure how to generate an objective opinion about an integrated amp, but my personal reference leans definitely toward the D3020 v2. NAD also supplies a proper remote control with the amp, a vast improvement over the disastrous remote supplied with the first D3020.

 

Fair point on objectivity. Why do you prefer the NAD?