You would be forgiven for thinking, looking at the products on this page, that we have taken one of our occasional nostalgic steps back in time. There is a very definite old-school look to this terrific streaming and vinyl system.
But the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” was really never more apt. Magnificently 1970s it may look, but the combination of products you see here is as excellent and up to date an offering as you will find at the beginning of the second quarter of the 21st century.
And that's not all: all of the products chosen for this system are fresh recipients of a 2025 What Hi-Fi? Award – so you know they are of great value and come highly recommended.
The system
- Streaming amplifier: NAD C 3050 (with MDC2 BluOS-D module) – £1699 / $2199 / AU$3599
- Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Evo 2 (with upgrades) – £739 / $943 / AU$1617
- Floorstanding speakers: Fyne Audio F501E – £999 / $1299 / AU$1999
- Tablet: Apple iPad Air 13-inch (M3) – £799 / $799 / AU$1349
- Total (without tablet): £3437 / $4441 / AU$7215
- Total (with tablet): £4236 / $5240 / AU$8564
Streaming amplifier: NAD C 3050 (with MDC2 BluOS-D module)
The NAD C 3050 is far more than just a nod to vintage hi-fi. While its mechanical power meters and walnut vinyl-covered casework evoke a bygone era, beneath the surface lies sophisticated engineering.
The real game-changer for our purposes, though, is the optional MDC2 BluOS-D streaming module. This clever piece of tech transforms the C 3050 amplifier into a versatile, just-add-speakers streaming system.
A senior member of the What Hi-FI? reviewing team liked the C 3050 streaming amplifier so much, indeed, that he was heard to say, “I was so surprised at how good it was.” High praise from a notoriously tough audience.
In its base form, the C 3050 is a well-equipped amplifier, boasting a moving-magnet phono stage, two-way Bluetooth (aptX HD), coaxial and optical digital inputs, and a robust 100 watts per channel output into both 4-ohm and 8-ohm speaker loads. The inclusion of an HDMI eARC input further enhances its integration into modern AV setups.
That’s all satisfying enough on its own. Adding the MDC2 BluOS-D module, though, significantly expands its options. This module, built on the stable BluOS platform, allows the C 3050 to stream music files from a home network, access internet radio, and connect to popular streaming services.
And the C 3050 is a high achiever, delivering a clear, spacious, and expressive presentation. It excels with vocal-based music, offering superb midrange clarity and fluidity, and capturing the texture and tone of voices with heartfelt passion. It demonstrates impressive dynamic prowess with more demanding pieces, too, conveying power and authority with a muscular, rich, and punchy low-end.
The soundstaging is expansive and focused, remaining stable even during complex musical passages. The built-in DAC and phono stage are equally commendable, providing agile, informative, and dynamically interesting sound.
The great thing about the BluOS module is that, despite the fact that Bluesound introduced the technology such a long time ago, it continues to develop and refine it – and users of the unit will only benefit from that input over the coming years of ownership.
Read our full NAD C 3050 (with MDC2 BluOS-D module) review
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Evo 2 (with upgrades)
The turntable we have selected for this system has also had some extras added to it – extras that take a good design and elevate it to something really quite special.
For the Pro-Ject Debut Evo 2 is available to buy with some optional upgrades. And, of those, by swapping out the standard power supply for the High Power it 2 fully grounded power supply and replacing the base sub platter with the Alu Sub-Platter, we have found that you can deliver a significant jump up in the Evo 2's overall performance. Adding those two modifications increases the Evo 2's price to £739 / $943 / AU$1617, but we think it's well worth the investment.
With these amendments to the set-up, the Debut Evo 2 finds itself nestling rather nicely between two of its great rivals – Rega’s mighty Planar 2 and the step-up Planar 3.
Indeed, the High Power it 2 power supply could be the best £25 / $45 / AU$99 you ever spend on a turntable. It offers greater solidity and depth to the Evo 2's sound, but without compromising that delicate fluidity we like so much. Voices have more conviction, dynamic swings are more subtle and dramatic, and you even get a snappier sense of timing.
To move things up the scale even more, swapping the Evo 2's standard sub-platter for the Alu Sub-Platter is a terrific upgrade. It adds a satisfying amount of muscle, scale and authority to the Evo 2's sound – attributes we felt were somewhat lacking in our initial test. There is greater power and subtler detail unearthed, the soundstage is more spacious, and the dynamics are improved even further.
Orchestral instruments have greater weight and heft behind them, while the quieter moments are more dramatic and cleaner-sounding. This aluminium sub-platter fundamentally improves everything the deck does; it is a pricey upgrade at £115 / $199 / AU$219, but it means you don’t have to level up to a new turntable if you want a performance upgrade.
Read our full Pro-Ject Debut Evo 2 review
Floorstanding speakers: Fyne Audio F501E
To complete this old-school looking yet thoroughly modern system, we present the ideal match as far as speakers go.
The Fyne Audio F501E floorstanders are aggressively priced, offering exceptional value for money by incorporating flagship driver technologies into an entry-level range.
The F501E features Fyne’s trademark IsoFlare driver array, where a 25mm titanium compression dome tweeter sits within the throat of a 15cm multi-fibre mid/bass unit. This coaxial configuration ensures consistent sound dispersion, leading to focused and layered stereo imaging that remains stable even when the listener moves off-axis.
A dedicated 15cm multi-fibre bass unit, rolling in below 250Hz, is tuned by a downward-firing Basstrax port arrangement, which disperses bass evenly through 360 degrees, making the speakers less fussy than many about room placement.
These towers are a fun listen too, fluid and expressive in their delivery. They track rhythms with determination while communicating changes in musical momentum in a natural and convincing manner. Having the acoustic centres of the tweeter and mid/bass aligned helps with integration; the result is a crisp and forthright performance, with vocals that capture nuances and subtle shifts in intensity superbly.
As we say in our review, “Through the test process, we cover large swathes of our music collection from Dvořàk’s New World Symphony and John Coltrane’s legendary Giant Steps set to Hit Me Hard And Soft by Billie Eilish, and the Fynes never miss a beat. They have the sophistication and muscularity to convey the majesty of a full-blown orchestra yet can still convey the intimacy of Eilish’s Wildflower superbly."
Read our full Fyne Audio F501E review
Tablet: Apple iPad Air 13-inch (M3)
The last piece of our system is not a vital component. And it clearly is the only piece of tech here that actually would stand out in a ’70s living room. But you are going to need something to steer the digital part of this system to the music.
A smartphone would, of course, do the trick. But, for ease of use and a sense of occasion when settling down to do some proper listening – rather than simply having something on in the background – we find an Apple iPad, with its greater screen real estate and impressive accessibility, is our preferred form of remote control. It’s a brilliant piece of tech, and will allow access to the digital music files and streaming services you own.
Which iPad you opt for – whether it's the larger iPad Pro or the newer, thinner iPad Air – any model will do the job as the control centre for your music library.
And, of course, if you want to take yourself back in time 50 years (or at least appear to the outside world), you can simply hide the iPad under a handy cushion, stick on a record, and sink back into the music. Bliss.
Read our full Apple iPad Air 13-inch (M3) review
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