To Hans Wetzel,
I read your review of PSB’s Alpha P5 [bookshelf speaker] and want to consult. Do you think it would be a good partnership between these speakers and the NAD C 328 [integrated amplifier-DAC]? Would it not be possible that such a duet would be too flat, dead, and inexpressive in sound?
Best Regards,
Mikhail Fominykh
Russia
As you can probably tell from my writeup, I really loved the Alpha P5 speaker; it’s phenomenal for the money. And based on my review of NAD’s D 3045 integrated amplifier-DAC, I was also very fond of not just the amp itself, but of the D 3045 paired with the Alpha P5s. I don’t know how alike the D 3045 is to the C 328 you mention, but I’d have to assume the two amps are similarly voiced given that they each use NAD’s Hybrid Digital platform. If that’s the case, I can’t imagine anyone describing a P5/C 328 tandem as sounding “flat” or “inexpressive.” In fact, if I had around $900 USD to spend on a system (excluding cables and a source), it’s probably the system that I’d buy for myself. As ever, though, a system that sounds fun and neutral to me might not thrill you to the same extent. Try and listen to each component locally, if possible, or perhaps there’s a Russian retailer with a generous return policy that would allow you to try one or both components in your own listening space. . . . Hans Wetzel
