I really liked the C 316BEE V2’s ability to organise musical detail smoothly and coherently. It sounded much better than the price may suggest, keeping its brand’s traditional virtues and maintaining the value for money promise. For something that’s small change in broader hi-fi terms, this little integrated covered all the bases rather well.

Depending on your budget, the $499 NAD C 316BEE V2 might be the ideal integrated amplifier to build a system around

The NAD remains king of the entry-level integrated amplifiers by offering the distilled experience of true audiophile performance.

The NAD C 316BEE V2 reminded me that audiophile-quality sound doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Its sound is comparable to that of the far more expensive and powerful gear I normally use, and it’s so refreshingly simple to operate that the mere lack of frustration on the user’s part has to be worth something. If you’re tired of the rising prices and increasing complexity of so much of today’s audio gear, try a C 316BEE V2 with a good set of bookshelf speakers. I’ll bet you’ll be reminded why you probably got into this hobby in the first place: the quest for the long-term joy of good sound.