NAD 160 (circa 1978–1980)

Name: NAD 160
Brand: NAD

The NAD 160 is a solid-state stereo receiver from the late 1970s, rated at 55 watts per channel into 8Ω. Multiple independent database sources confirm that figure. The record is thin otherwise, and it has a naming problem. The model is often lumped together with its successors, the 160a and 160b, and several sources don't cleanly separate the three. The base 160's own specs mostly turn up on pages that mix up the family, so read the details below with that in mind.

Attributed to the 160 specifically: frequency response of 20-20,000 Hz, total harmonic distortion of 0.05%, and a signal-to-noise ratio of 80 dB. It measured 420 × 100 × 250 mm (W×H×D) and weighed 7.5 kg. The sources really conflict on phono input sensitivity. One page says 2 mV, another says 5 mV. The discrepancy likely comes from the variant confusion, so that spec stays unresolved here. The tuner section covered FM and AM, with an IHF FM sensitivity of 10.3 dBf.

Production dates rest on a single source: 1978–1980. No original price survives in the usual places, though period coverage of the wider NAD line noted that since 1978 their products won universal acclaim for their sound and innovative engineering (Audio, October 1990, p.191). Period coverage of the wider NAD line also noted that the company was the world's leading manufacturer of reasonably priced, high-performance audio equipment (Audio, October 1990, p.191). No user commentary survives in the usual places. If you own a 160, the most useful thing you could add to the record is a photo of the back panel and a note on which variant you actually have — that alone would help untangle the 160/160a/160b confusion that dogs every listing.

Known specs, in brief: