Hey Dan

I am not familiar with that particular NAD receiver.Since the only probable "incompatibility" problems between a pre and a power amp is either too much output or too little,i suspect what you are trying to do is connect a full receiver with a power amp.Please,wait until someone who is familiar with that receiver gives you an advise.Turn everything off or diconnect the receiver from the power amp or you are running the risk not only to blow up both equipment but there is also a great risk of fire.

Hi Dan

I see no one replied to your post.As i said,i am not familiar with this NAD,so before i continue,i would like to ask you a simple question,since i do not know how you did connect it with your power amp.Did you connect it through pre outs?I have an old nad 3020b and you can separate the pre from the power outputs by removing 2 u-shaped metal rods.Does your nad receiver has this facility?

And if no one is familiar with the particular units, maybe posting photos of the back of each might provide enough info.

According to several sources you can use the 7020 as a preamp.
Do you get the popping when you use the 7020 by itself?

Hi Dan

JoeE's suggestion was gonna be my next,however,i am not sure if you can actually use the pre-amp section and i will explain.You remember i mention i have an old nad 3020b?
In my previous system,i felt the pre-amp was a bit "hard" sounding (Musical Fidelity MVT) and since i had that 3020b i thought i'd give it a try.I removed those pre/power steel rods,connected the pre to my power amp and NOTHING lol
As an integrated it played but as a pre,no matter what i did it refused to produce any sound. Is there a chance NAD amps from that era had some kind of a design flaw?

Can you run a source directly into the 218? Maybe a CD player with variable outputs. If so do you still get popping?

I checked with some guys at www.audiokarma.org They are seriously into vintage gear. According to them it should work fine as a preamp.

I have an old 7020 and it does have the pre capability. On the back you have 3 pair of RCA jacks together, the middle being the preamp section.

I've used the pre-out on mine years ago and had no problems. I would get a little contact cleaner on the jacks and work a phono cable in and out with some twisting to see if maybe it's just dirty and not making good contact.

By the way, if you do try to use a CD player with a variable output directly to your amp, make damn sure that the player doesn't reset itself back to full output upon powering off...many do. If this is the case, you're gonna get the full output sent to your amplifier if you don't remember to adjust the output before powering up your amp and plopping in a disc. You could ruin your drivers in an instant!