Best NAD for Preamp Out

[mandryka]

I'm thinking of getting a 1980s NAD preamp -- most of the integrated amps seem to have preamp out, so that would be fine.

Are there ones which are particularly good for this? Ones to avoid?

 

[Burdy]

I used a 3020 and the 1020 - was happy with both and could not discern any difference. It was a popular combo with Quad II at the time.

 

[Gervais Cote]

The best NAD vintage preamp ever is the 1300 Series.
Look a bit flimsy or cheap but it sounds very good for the price today as well as back when it made its first debut.
It really takes a Classe Audio or a Treshold preamp to better it.
And the design makes it easy to service, it’s very modular and access to components is easy.

 

[Darren]

I'm thinking of getting a 1980s NAD preamp -- most of the integrated amps seem to have preamp out, so that would be fine.

Are there ones which are particularly good for this? Ones to avoid?

Is there a reason for this? I can't think it's sound quality

 

[foxwelljsly]

1300 preamp was probably the best from that era. I have the monitor series tuner and that’s amazing.

 

[mandryka]

Is there a reason for this? I can't think it's sound quality

The reason is that I want to try a preamp with my ESL system. Most of the time it's fine, but if the recording has been made at a low level, I want to see if it'll benefit from more gain. There's no preamp now - the DAC goes straight into the power amp (kind of.)

NAD just because they're not so expensive and I keep reading that the preamp in the 3020 is good, that's all.

 

[mandryka]

To all those above suggesting the 1300, thanks - like so many good things, it's pretty hard to find!

 

[Darren]

The reason is that I want to try a preamp with my ESL system. Most of the time it's fine, but if the recording has been made at a low level, I want to see if it'll benefit from more gain. There's no preamp now - the DAC goes straight into the power amp (kind of.)

NAD just because they're not so expensive and I keep reading that the preamp in the 3020 is good, that's all.

any good?

 

[lawrence001]

Not quite what you were asking but I owned a C350 and C370 in the 90s and wanted to biamp. I tried both as the pre and the 350 audibly outperformed the 370 it sounded sweeter. At the time I put this down to the extra draw of the 370 power section but of course the bigger power supply could have compensated. Nevertheless it sounded better the way I ran it.

 

[pocketkitchen]

I'd second the 1300. I had one for a while, it was very cheap and very very good. Not many made but worth the wait. The pre-amp in the 3020 is OK but is very much a budget product and sounds like it. The 3020e was my first ever amp and I love it for that but I wouldn't want to go back to one.

 

[topoxforddoc]

PM sent about my 1300, which I'll be moving on when Graham Tricker has built my new TRON preamp.

 

[al2002]

The best NAD vintage preamp ever is the 1300 Series.
Look a bit flimsy or cheap but it sounds very good for the price today as well as back when it made its first debut.
It really takes a Classe Audio or a Treshold preamp to better it.
And the design makes it easy to service, it’s very modular and access to components is easy.

+1.

NAD also made two tuner-preamps that had really, really good preamp sections, the 1600 and the 1700. The 1600 and 1700 are preferable to the 1300 IMO because they can be operated by remote control. Neither one is too expensive on the second hand market.