NAD 7140 (1979–1981)

Name: NAD 7140
Brand: NAD

The NAD 7140 is a stereo receiver from the brand's early-1980s lineup. It is rated at 40 watts per channel into 8Ω with 0.04% THD. The record gives it a decent spec sheet but almost no surviving review commentary, which is common for models that sat below the flagship in a maker's range.

What makes the 7140 worth a page is its engineering. The classic-audio.co.nz source calls it a “Fine Budget Receiver” and notes it uses power MOSFETs in its output stages — a genuine point of interest, since MOSFET outputs were relatively uncommon in affordable receivers of this era. The same source describes it as a “fine example of NAD engineering from the early 1980s.” That aligns with the production dating of 1979–1981 from hifiengine.com.

The specs: 40W continuous per channel into 8Ω, 20Hz - 20kHz, both channels driven. THD is 0.04%, signal-to-noise is 110dB, and damping factor is 50. Input sensitivity is 2.5mV for phono and 180mV for line, with phono overload at 120mV. Those figures suggest a well-sorted phono stage for the price point. The unit draws 280W and weighs 10.1kg. Dimensions are 482mm × 121mm × 356mm (W×H×D).

The 7140 appears in a February 1985 Audio advertisement (p.31) under the headline "How To Improve A Winner: The NAD 7155 Receiver." That suggests the 7140 was a predecessor or stablemate to the 7155, and that NAD considered the line a success worth building on. A 1984 Hirsch-Houck test report in HiFI-Stereo (September 1984, p.37) covered the 7140. It described the receiver as combining "Schotz tuner wizardry" with wide dynamic headroom at a bargain price. The full test details don't survive in the record.

Missing from the record: the original price, the tuner section specifications, the input quantity, and any owner commentary or common-failure notes. The 7140 is a well-specified receiver whose real-world reputation was likely solid but went largely unrecorded.