Audiophiles hifi appreciation thread old and new

Yeah. Purchased and returned. I have an SMSL AD18 and wanted something similar but an 'upgraded' version. The wattage of the SMSL was higher than the NAD and it really showed. My speakers aren't particularly hard to drive (B&W 607) and the NAD had to run at 90% volume to be at a reasonable listening volume, whereas the SMSL could be at 50%. I was disheartened by how plasticky it was considering it was 3x the cost of the SMSL, which is entirely metal outside of the power brick. To my ears, the NAD didn't sound any better than the SMSL. I genuinely believe you were paying for the NAD name.

Whereas when I purchased my much larger Class-A Onkyo A-9150, the difference was substantial and it sounds terrific. It was cheaper than the NAD, has better specs and also has tone controls which are such a huge asset in my eyes. It's massive, though - which is the trade-off.