Tubes Asylum: REVIEW: Nagra PL-L Preamplifier (Tube) by Aurel

Model:	PL-L
Category:	Preamplifier (Tube)
Suggested Retail Price:	~ 8000 euros (full options)
Description:	High-end tube preamplifier (linestage)
Manufacturer URL:	Nagra
Model Picture:	View

Review by Aurel on June 06, 2005 at 01:01:06
IP Address: 134.158.41.243

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for the PL-L

I am the happy owner of a Nagra PL-L preamplifier (with remote control and balanced outputs through transformers) since 1 month. As my English is not perfect, I will make a brief summary of my thoughts: this preamp is fantastic.
I have tried a lot of preamps at home and I can tell you that the Nagra is really, to my ears, the very best tube preamp on Earth. There are other great ones : Audio Research Reference-3, Conrad Johnson ACT2, EAR 912, Jadis JP800, LAMM L2 Reference, etc. All of them are nice gears, but they have their own sound. They are very good but, as far as I can say, they are coloured. The Nagra is just a direct link with the music. Furthermore, the Nagra features superb measured performances (this is not a sufficient condition but this is a necessary one) and a very low output impedance (5 times lower that the Audio Research REF3 for example, and this makes a difference). Both as a physicist and as a music lover, I am impressed by the Nagra: it is the closest thing to live music I have ever encountered in high-end audio. It has a great low-frequency extension, deep and powerful bass, refined treble and â€œmagicâ€ medium. Everything you can expect from a top-quality tube preamp, and, in addition, an incredible precision and ability to reveal micro-details. This is the most musical preamp I have heard : just the music, nothing more (no noise, no distortion) nothing less (all the information and all the emotions are here).
I have also opened it and the craftsmanship quality is outstanding! I am familiar with space-qualified electronics (I work on a NASA/ESA experiment) and I would like to see such a level of quality in the PCBs used for the most critical scientific experiments. Everything is justâ€¦ perfect !
Finally the look of the preamp is really nice (IMHO of course) and the modulometer is funny to use (it can even useful to estimate the power going into your speakers if you know the gain of your amp).
Nagra is a legend in professional audio (the Nagra-IV is maybe the equivalent for recorders of the Leica M6 for cameras). We now are lucky enough to be able to have high-end Nagra products on the market. They are expensive, but they are not the most expensive ones. I think they are the very best without real serious competitors (with the exception of PLINIUS amps and preamps -in the SS world- that I also consider as wonderful and of BAT tube gears that I deeply respect).
You can find pics and movies (!) of my PL-L (including inside the preamp) and a dedicated Nagra forum here : http://www.bestofhifi.com/viewforum.php?f=81
You are tired of low quality Breitling and Tag watches (based on ETA movements) ? You want a high-end Swiss watch : a Patek Philippe, an Audemars Piguet, a Vacheron Constantin or a Breguet ? Not yet enough ? You want even better, the very best possible, a â€œconnoisseurâ€ watch : a Philippe Dufour ( http://dufourwatches.free.fr ) ? Nagra is the equivalent in audioâ€¦
If you want a preamp for a lifetime, a reference gear beyond fashions (Nagra people do not change there products every 5 years and I congratulate them for this !), try the PL-L.
Best regards,
Aurel.

Product Weakness: The power supply runs very hot
Product Strengths: The best preamplifier on the market (IMHO)

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Plinius SA-Reference
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Nagra PL-L / Plinius M8
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	YBA
Speakers:	modified, JBL based
Cables/Interconnects:	Siltech + ...
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	all
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Axson
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	The power supply runs very hot
Product Strengths:	The best preamplifier on the market (IMHO)