Description
The NAD Monitor Series 4300 was a late 80’s early 90’s top of the line AM FM Tuner. This is a digital tuner with a tuning knob for precise tuning. Documentation for the tuner says that it has a five-gang tuning system including four stages of RF filtering. There are three IF-stage filters. FM bandwidth is selectable - in the Wide bandwidth mode, the sound is accurate and precise, and even in narrow mode it still sounds quite good. There is also a dynamic blend circuit that NAD calls FM NR which works by reducing the L-R component of the FM stereo signal, varying upon the signal strength of the station. Blending is never total; some separation is still retained for weak signals. The FM NR circuit can be switched off when desired. The feature does remove significant amounts of noise, though, on very weak signals, it is quite apparent that separation has been reduced. The AM tuner is surprisingly sensitive, with more bandwidth and interference rejection than the typical AM tuner afterthought, but there appears to be a low-frequency roll-off. Its pleasant enough when listening to news or talk programs.Some specs: * 8 FM and AM presets, Wide and narrow bandwidth selection, Mono sensitivity = 9.3 dBf, Stereo sensitivity @ 50 dB = 33.5 dBf, Signal to Noise ratio = 80 db, 4 stage RF filtering This tuner is ideal for challenging reception environments*, such as fringe areas, and locations with severe blanketing problems, such as near multiple high-power FM transmitters. While the brochures for the tuner claim image rejection of 120 dB (110 dB in the service manual), my experience has been that additional RF filtering between the antenna and the tuner still helps tremendously in blocking out unwanted signals. The narrow bandwidth is extremely helpful in rejecting alternate-channel signals, at very little apparent cost to sonic quality. The 4300 is also great for DXing, both due to the performance and the ability to use a tuning knob rather than up-or-down buttons. I have noticed that the volume drops a little bit when switching from wide to narrow bandwidth, and the stereo soundstage can be affected slightly. But, even in not-so-difficult environments, the compromises are more than acceptable. That said, if sonic quality is more important to you than reception performance, this may not be the tuner for you. The tuner is clinically accurate; it wont cover up the flaws of a badly processed FM signal. But, on a clean, well-engineered station, the tuners sonic performance is very good. Its listenable for hours at a time. *The tuner must be aligned for best results. Even a minor misalignment can result in a gritty, distorted sound, especially on aggressively modulated signals. Jarring may knock it out of alignment ever so slowly.
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