The NAD 3020 amplifier: the most popular hifi amplifier of all time episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 29, 2025 · 38 MIN

The NAD 3020 amplifier: the most popular hifi amplifier of all time

from The HiFi Hobbyist Podcast · host alan gillies

The NAD 3020 is almost certainly the best-selling hi-fi amplifier in history. Including its various iterations, it reportedly sold 1.1 million units. I bought one of those 1.1 million units in 1980. On the main hifihobbyist.net website, I have told the story of my forty-five-year-old relationship with this iconic amplifier. In this podcast, we will tell the story of its origins, technical innovations and its legacy. This week’s music is Liszt’s piano transcription of Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, and a recording of Beethoven’s Emperor Piano Concerto No.5, both supplied by musopen.org. This recording has been placed in the public domain.

The NAD 3020 is almost certainly the best-selling hi-fi amplifier in history. Including its various iterations, it reportedly sold 1.1 million units. I bought one of those 1.1 million units in 1980. On the main hifihobbyist.net website, I have told the story of my forty-five-year-old relationship with this iconic amplifier. In this podcast, we will tell the story of its origins, technical innovations and its legacy. This week’s music is Liszt’s piano transcription of Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, and a recording of Beethoven’s Emperor Piano Concerto No.5, both supplied by musopen.org. This recording has been placed in the public domain.

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The NAD 3020 amplifier: the most popular hifi amplifier of all time

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The NAD 3020 is almost certainly the best-selling hi-fi amplifier in history. Including its various iterations, it reportedly sold 1.1 million units. I bought one of those 1.1 million units in 1980. On the main hifihobbyist.net website, I have told...

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