Although NAD was founded in England in 1972 as New Acoustic Dimension, my introduction to the brand was in 1980. I bought an NAD 3020 integrated amplifier after hearing it successfully drive Acoustic Research's current-hungry AR9 loudspeakers. Designed in England by Bjørn-Erik Edvardsen (footnote 1) and manufactured in Taiwan, the ridiculously inexpensive 3020it cost just $135 back thenshowed that an amplifier didn't need machined faceplates, intimidating heatsinks, or technically glamorous components to be able to drive real-world speakers.
In 1978, Acoustic Research introduced the AR9, a brand-new, four-way loudspeaker system. Read on to see how the AR9 was conceived and why it is considered to be the most influential speaker ever.